‘Complex’ post-Brexit tax rules means price rises for wine drinkers in Britain

UK government ignores pleas from wine sellers such as Majestic who brand new alcohol duty changes as ‘ludicrous, expensive and probably unworkable’

British consumers have been warned that the price of some of their favourite red wines could increase by more than 40p next year after the government ignored pleas from within the wine industry to abandon complex post-Brexit tax changes.

John Colley, the chief executive of high street retailer Majestic Wine, said the new alcohol duty system that is due to come into effect in February 2025, would increase the number of tax bands for wine from one to 30, and cost businesses “huge sums of money” to administer.