NZ distillers push for tax break to get ‘liquid on lips’
Kiwi distillers say the industry risks becoming ‘cute and irrelevant’ without a tax rebate scheme, but an Australian producer warns the model they’re chasing has a darker side.
Distillers say the excise on their industry is outdated and an tax rebate could help grow the sector.
What’s at stake: Distillers worry about the future of New Zealand’s spirit industry if a tax rebate scheme isn’t introduced.
Background: Increasing alcohol excise takes a chunk of revenue that distillers say could be put toward business investment, employment, and infrastructure.
Main players: Distilled Spirits Aotearoa (DSA), Bluff Distillery, Pōkeno Whisky Company, Waiheke Distilling Company, Mt Uncle Distillery, Scapegrace, BeGin Distilling.
Kiwi distillers are calling on the Government to introduce an excise tax rebate scheme, arguing the current system is stifling an industry that could follow wine's path from obscurity to international recognition.
New Zealand has about 160 distilleries around the country, with about 100 members of
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Key points
What’s at stake: Distillers worry about the future of New Zealand’s spirit industry if a tax rebate scheme isn’t introduced.
Background: Increasing alcohol excise takes a chunk of revenue that distillers say could be put toward business investment, employment, and infrastructure.
Main players: Distilled Spirits Aotearoa (DSA), Bluff Distillery, Pōkeno Whisky Company, Waiheke Distilling Company, Mt Uncle Distillery, Scapegrace, BeGin Distilling.
