Tax cut boosts Scotch whisky sales to nearly 85 million bottles in 2015

A tax cut on Scotch whisky has boosted sales in the UK following years of decline, new figures reveal.

Published 2nd Mar 2016
Updated 21 st Sep 2023

Figures from HM Revenue and Customs show a 2 per cent increase in the number of 70cl bottles of the spirit released for sale last year - up to 84.9 million from 83.3 million the previous year.

The modest recovery follows the number of bottles released for sale in the UK falling by around a quarter in the past decade. In 2005 more than 107 million bottles were sold, but volumes have not broken 100 million a year since 2008.

Last year Chancellor George Osborne announced a 2 per cent cut, a year after a spirits duty freeze and scrapping of the alcohol escalator in 2014, which the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) said has given a "confidence boost" to the industry

A further 2 per cent tax cut

The association is calling for a further 2 per cent tax cut to help boost recovery, arguing that the current 76 per cent tax on an average bottle of Scotch whisky is still too high.

SWA chief executive David Frost said: "A strong UK market is vital, particularly for new entrants to the industry. In the last two years, nine new distilleries have started production in Scotland and they need a strong domestic base to grow from.

"The UK is still the third biggest market for Scotch in the world, but it is fragile and competitive. That's why we want Chancellor George Osborne to support an important domestic industry by cutting duty by a further 2 per cent next month."

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