2014

The latest alcohol tax increase was implemented at the beginning of 2014. It was only half of the originally planned increase. This was explained to be due to the possible increasing effect of the tax increase on travellers’ alcohol imports. The price of spirits increased by 2.2 per cent on average and the price of wine by 2–2.5 per cent. The prices of middle products, such as fortified wine and mulled wine, increased by 3.7 per cent on average. For the first time, the tax increase was implemented as an equal increase in relation to pure alcohol. The increase was EUR 2.15 per litre of pure alcohol. As a result of this, the tax increase varied from five to 8.6 per cent, depending on the beverage category. Previous tax increases were implemented by increasing the tax by 10 or 15 per cent in all beverage categories.

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2018

Excise duty on alcoholic beverages rose by about 10% on average starting from January 2018. The tax increase applied to all alcoholic beverages, but the emphasis was mildly on weaker drinks. This increase came together with the rest of the 2018 alcohol policy bill which in addition opened stronger alcohol for grocery stores. The tax increase was supposed to balance the negative effects of the liberalization of alcohol policy.

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2019

From January 1, 2019, another tax increase was made equally for all beverage groups in relation to the alcohol content of the drink, but nevertheless, the increase in the tax on wine was slightly higher. The average tax increase was about 2.5%. The increases in different beverage groups:

beer 2.7 per cent
fermented beverages (such as ciders) 2.1%
wine by 3.7 per cent
intermediate products (concentrated wines) by 2.9%
ethyl alcohol (spirits and non-fermented beverage mixes) of 2,0.