Analytics, Financial Services, Lithuania, Taxation

The latest figures from the State Tax Inspectorate show that the amount of declared alcohol excise duties for January through September 2018 totaled 230.816 mln euros, down 3.4% from 223.261 mln euros a year earlier.

Revenue from the excise duty on spirit drinks edged up by 0.9% to 134.628 mln euros and revenue from the tax on beer rose by 9.2% to 65.649 mln euros

Revenue from the excise duty on wine jumped by 14.5% to 25.178 mln euros, but that from the tax on intermediate products dropped by 30.1% to 5.36 mln euros. 

Data from excise warehouses show a decline in wholesale alcohol sales this year, with intermediate product sales down by 58.7%, wine sales down by 16.5%, spirit drink sales down by 9.9% and beer sales down by 8.5%. 

Excise duties in Lithuania had been increasing gradually until 2017, but the current parliament, in which the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU) holds the most seats, decided to sharply raise the tax in March 2017 as part of efforts to fight alcoholism.

The highest increases were in the excise tax rates for wine and beer, at up to 112%. The rate for ethyl alcohol went up by around 23%.