Overview
- The Chancellor is widely expected to announce at Wednesday's Budget that alcohol duties will be uprated by September's Retail Prices Index, which would make the move official for next year's rates.
- Analysts and trade groups estimate the rise would add roughly 2p to a pint and increase duties by around 13p on a bottle of wine, 42p on gin and 37p on whisky if RPI is applied at about 3.9%.
- Brewery and pub bodies warned the move would squeeze already thin margins and risk jobs, and they are urging the Government to freeze duty, raise the draught discount and cut hospitality VAT.
- HM Treasury has refused to pre‑announce tax changes and a Treasury spokesman said the Chancellor will set out decisions at the Budget, while industry critics note alcohol duty receipts peaked at £13.2bn in 2021–22 and have stayed below £12.5bn since.
- Watch for knock‑on effects on high‑street pubs and consumer spending and for wider fiscal signals in the Budget such as possible tobacco duty increases that would follow last year's pattern of yearly rises.