Press release, 22 December 2016
The Seimas adopted amendments to the Law on Excise Duty providing for an increase in the excise duty on alcohol as from 1 March 2017. A total of 95 Members of the Seimas voted in favour of the proposed amendments, with 7 voting against and 19 abstaining.
Under the adopted amendments, beer is subject to an excise duty rate of EUR 3.36 for 1 percent of actual alcoholic strength by volume fixed per hectolitre of the product. At the moment, the excise duty on beer stands at EUR 3.36.
The excise duty on wine and other fermented beverages, with an actual alcoholic strength by volume not exceeding 8.5%, will grow from EUR 30.96 to EUR 65.46 per hectolitre in 2017; whereas the excise duty on wine and other fermented beverages, with an actual alcoholic strength by volume exceeding 8.5%, will increase from EUR 77.89 to EUR 164.67 per hectolitre.
The excise duty on intermediate products, with an actual alcoholic strength by volume of not more than 15%, will increase from EUR 96.65 to EUR 185.82; the excise duty on intermediate products, with an actual alcoholic strength by volume exceeding 15%, will increase from EUR 136.37 to EUR 264.52 per hectolitre.
The rate of excise duty on ethyl alcohol will increase from previous EUR 1,353.69 to EUR 1,665.04 per hectolitre of pure ethyl alcohol.
During the deliberations, it was decided to abandon proposals that provide, in advance, for an annual increase in excise duty rates for alcohol until 2020.
Rimas Rudaitis, Chief Specialist, Press Office, Information and Communication Department, tel. +370 5 239 6132, e-mail: rimas.rudaitis@lrs.lt