If the prices of certain food products begin to fall, those of alcohol bottles could soon increase by a few cents. This idea is currently “on the table” of negotiations, confirms to Figaro the Ministry of the Economy, this Tuesday. If for the moment it remains at the stage of a simple project, this initiative will necessarily grow in scope in the coming weeks because it should be presented and studied next September during the examination in Parliament of the bill to finance the Social security for 2024.
However, Bercy assures him, the increase would be “minimal”. This increase would be around 0.3 cents per bottle of wine and 1 to 2 cents for strong alcohol, according to Les Échos.
In addition to the 20% VAT, alcohol and alcoholic beverages are subject to excise duties, which correspond to indirect taxes on consumption. Tobacco and oil are also affected by this tax. Today, the price increase of alcoholic products is calculated on the price evolution of the year N-2 (2021), and is equivalent to 1.6%. With the executive’s project, prices would now be calculated from the inflation of the year N-1, and therefore from 2022. If the consumer price index for last year amounts to 5.2%, the increase in excise duties is capped at 1.75% and should not soar beyond that.
This principle had already been applied to tobacco, in the Social Security financing bill for 2023. “The prices now take into account the general price increase of the previous year, and no longer that of N-2 “, underlines the site of the public service. It is for this reason in particular that some packets of cigarettes exceeded eleven euros on May 1st.
