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THE GOVERNMENT HOPES to take in around €27 million this year alone from the new sugar tax.
The tax kicked in on 1 May after the European Commission approved the much-discussed sugar tax.
An additional 30 cent per litre has been added on to sweetened drinks with over eight grams of sugar per 100 millilitres. This has resulted in many drinks such as Coke, 7UP, Pepsi, Monster and Red Bull going up in price by the full 30 cent per litre.
A can of Coke, which has the sugar content of 39 grammes, has gone up by 10 cent under the new tax.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said while it is “extremely difficult” to estimate the potential revenue generated for the Exchequer from the sugar tax due.
This is due to the industry reformulating some of their drinks to reduce sugar levels in some of their products, he said.
However, it is estimated that the tax will yield in the region of €27 million in 2018, said the minister.
Donohoe said it is estimated that around €40 million will be generated in a full year from the new tax.
“It is hoped that the tax will help tackle obesity by providing incentives to reduce the sugar content in relevant products, and ultimately to reduce sugar consumption by citizens. Therefore revenues generated from this tax may decrease over time,” he said.
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I thought their only concern was the health of their citizens? Oh wait, it was just anothet BS cover story to justify raising taxes. Again.
@Football in the Groin: all these kinds of incentives should be tax neutral. If it makes 27million, then that should come off our tax bill at the next budget. Then I just might believe they have our interests at heart.
@Football in the Groin: yes, and a cheap underhanded play on concerns over chubby kids, sugar tax but only on fizzy drinks, when a jar of pasta sauce has as much sugar as a bottle of Coke but no tax on that … blatant fraud , Should be called ” some sugar tax”
@Football in the Groin: Exactly, Nothing to do with Health, and Never was!
Seen a sign in the cinema about a levy on full sugar drinks. Aspartame isn’t much better in reality.
@Cheryl Mellett: exactly
It’s Much worse Long term
@Darren Norris: and you know this how?……
@Cheryl Mellett: I’m yet to see any evidence whatsoever from any credible source which proves aspartame is harmful. Can you supply some?
@Brian Corcoran: Watch a documentary called sweet misery it was given to me several years ago by a doctor.
@Cheryl Mellett: any scientific studies? papers? journals?
@Brian Corcoran: There are plenty of references on the documentary.
@Cheryl Mellett: true….and its probably worse for your body
More bankers debt money.. Obesity problem is totally beyond FFG.. TAX the only goal..
@Willy Malone:
How would you discourage the excessive consumption of sugar considering Ireland is on track to be the most obese country in the EU?
@Tweety McTweeter: No, if course not. Stupid question. Education at primary school level, sport, etc.. To much for them I suppose. If tax was not the goal, why the article? If they wished to deal with obesity, then a lower tax take should be the goal!
Tweety, you as a certain FFG know so. Yet you put forward such a stupid question.
@Tweety McTweeter: Nutritional education needs to begin in schools but personal responsibility is also a big part of It. I’m not opposed to the tax I think it’s astounding how cheap and accessible junk foods have become. I walked into a supermarket yesterday and the first items in view were mix and match any 3 for 3 euro multipacks or crisps, chocolate and fizzy drinks along side packets of doughnuts and big cookies for 1 euro. There are also so many of the discount chains that carry massive amounts of cheap chocolate, sweets, crisps and drinks. It’s in your face everywhere you go and parents of older children and teenagers have little control over what kids but when in town with friends etc.
@Willy Malone: under socialism we’ll all be living under a magic rainbow and unicorns will bring us to collect golden eggs as the fall from the bum of a giant goose
@Cheryl Mellett: if they weren’t given the money to buy all this junk from their parents tgen there would be an issue..same as lunches .parents giving the kids money for breakfast rolls.
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: I don’t agree. I think pocket money is important for older children and teens, teaching them to save for things they want and the value of money, maybe little jobs etc. I got my first part time job Saturday job at 15 and my sister was 14 when she got a Saturday job too. It’s about teaching your children from a very young age rather than trying to control their choices.
So, Government hopes to raise €27m.
Should they not be hoping the less people are obese by the end of the year?
@Ted Logan: There will always be the fat poor regardless of what is introduced.
@Quentin Moriarty: Not so. As the cost of cigarettes went up consumption came Dow. Arguably excess carb consumption is a greater threat than smoking. Carb addiction is now an existential threat to mankind. Look around you. Humans body configuration has changed more in the last 50 yrs than the previous 50K. Get on board and reduce your carbs.
@Ted Logan: Of course, but its Not!
Correct me if am wrong but do we, or did we used to, have a Consumer Price Index, where prices of common grocery items were tracked. I noticed recently some places charging more for a can of 7up but also for a can of diet 7up.
@Eddie O’Neill: I’ve noticed that in a lot of garages..they put the price up on the diet cans aswell ..both matching prices .
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú: Illegal!
Will they subsidize healthy food with the money made from taxing sugary drinks I wonder
@James Ó Cianáin: __ Nope. They’ll probably use it to cancel out the sugar tax generated in the Dail bar.
@James Ó Cianáin: Probably not. Although Vegetables have never been cheaper.
@James Ó Cianáin: what’s stopping you now?
@James Ó Cianáin: HaHa Yeah, wishful thinking!
Next is full fat milk tax, butter tax, fast food tax, processed food tax, reclining arm chair tax, chocolate tax
Parents need to take more responsibility.. the size of some young kids you see now.. young kids only eat what parents give them..
@Will: feed those kids a high cheap carb diet as soon as possible so they can get addicted early. Cereals convenient but deadly. Yes we need some clear direction but like cigarette smoking it will be harder and longer to achieve. The medical profession should be more informed and lead the way. I am not holding by breath.
€27 million! Wow! Does that mean we can take 27 more “refugees”? But how will we pay for them next year? Double the sugar tax maybe?
@Asher Barlow: Congratulations connecting refugees to the sugar tax. There’s a special place in the toolbox for you.
@Ted Murray: You’re obviously a racist and a hater.
@Asher Barlow: ___ You’re not too good at come-backs, that’s the worse one I’ve seen for a long time.
@Ted Murray: You’re not so good at spelling or grammar. “Worse” is a comparative adjective, worst is a superlative adjective and that’s the one you should have used. Moderator, please, there should be some basic standard of education required to comment on this site. Enough with the morons.
@Asher Barlow: __ Get back under your bridge. One typo in umpteen decades is pretty good going. Let me know who you are and where you live and we’ll discuss it further.
@Ted Murray: you should feel proud that you’re tax’s go to buy sugary drinks and track suits for the under privileged in society.
How about using the additional revenue to reduce the vat on healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables etc.
@Emachine: great idea. Higher VAT on high carb items.
I can’t wait to see this money being re invested in food education programmes, local sports clubs and p.e initiatives in schools
ANX we won’t see a penny of it in any sector
Hope they put the money into the health system…..hold on, just realised I’m being naive
Brilliant. The more we tax this drug, the better. Help us pay for all those fat feckers clogging up our health system.
@Steven Fitzpatrick: and doorways, corridors and public transport not to mention flying with them.
I was in Subway recently and was told they only sell sugar free soft drinks now. I remain blissfully unaware of the number of calories in my sub roll :)
@Lily Martin: To be fair, in subway, it clearly states the calories in each of their menu items..
@Lily Martin: forget the bun and ask for a lettuce wrap.
I prefer not to know. Rarely eat there so sometimes ignorance is bliss :)
Wow, imagine the tax they’d get from weed…
@John Doe: great idea. Less dangerous than high carb items.
Great idea.
If Leo Varadkar was asked on for a comment about all the money his government would gain. It suspect he would reply “Sweet!”
Delighted going to rob every cent…I mean ensure the health and wellbeing of the citizens we most care about are looked after
Living off the fat of the land.
I used to like the odd bottle of lucazade or fanta but now they have removed some of the suger and added aspartame. I wouldn’t of minded paying the suger tax on theese products. But they are now ruined with Aspatame
The headline says it all.
But will it go to obesity programmes, or will the drones in the state hives consume it themselves ?
Too many taxes are not ring fenced to the purpose declared at inception.
This money should be spread between sports clubs community games and tidy towns groups.
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