Small Duties for Small Distillers campaign launches

The Craft Gin Club has launched an online petition calling for lower duties for independent distillers in the UK to help them grow.

The Craft Gin Club has launched the Small Duties for Small Distillers campaign

The Small Duties for Small Distillers petition comes in light of studies that showed as much as 61% of the price of a bottle of gin comprises excise and VAT and 79% for a bottle of whisky.

“We would like our plans to get as much industry support as possible,” said John Burke, co-founder of the Craft Gin Club.

“I have been looking at this for months now and I have been following closely the Drop the Duty campaign and think that is absolutely a step in the right direction.

“So following on from that, it just seems logical to lower duties for small distillers to allow them to have a similar chance to that given to micro-breweries.”

The first phase of the campaign will run from February to 15 May, during which Small Duties for Small Distillers will work to collect signatures online.

The from 15 May to 13 June – World Gin Day – the Craft Gin Club aims to work with industry bodies to write a formal proposal and submission of signatures to British MPs.

Alex Nicol, founder of Spencerfield Spirit, told The Spirits Business earlier this year that he would welcome a progressive tax similar to that enjoyed by craft brewers to help craft distilleries invest and expand.

Last week, a government minister hinted that tax cuts for the Scotch whisky industry could be included in the next Budget on 18 March.