Sugar Tax on Fizzy Drinks Starts Today 6 April 2018

6th April 2018

George Osborne chancellor of the exchequer announced the Sugar Tax on fizzy drinks in the 2016 budget and it comes into force today.

Soft drinks companies will pay a levy on drinks with added sugar from April 2018. This will apply to drinks with total sugar content above 5 grams per 100 millilitres, with a higher rate for more than 8 grams per 100 millilitres. This won't need to be paid on milk-based drinks or fruit juices.

Many companies have already changed the sugar content of cans and bottles of drinks to reduce the impact.

The tax is health related as obesity is a major problem in UK.

Fizzy drink prices will rise now the tax has come into force.

Coca Cola and Indian Tonic Water are among the drinks with high sugar content. Ribena has now cut sugar as a result of this levy

Makers of soft drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml will pay 18p a litre to the Treasury. That increases to 24p a litre if the sugar content is over 8g per 100ml.

The cost will be passed on to retailers and customers. Wetherspoon say prices on soft drinks in pubs would increase by about 10p as a result of the tax.

Coca Cola and Pepsi are not changing the sugar content of their original drinks. Many other drinks are having the sugar content reduced.

Water does not have any sugar and is free from the tap in Scotland. (Discounting the water charge paid with council tax).