UK looks to expand sugar tax

The UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was introduced in 2018 and has generally been considered successful in its goals to reduce sugar intake​ from sugary drinks and encourage reformulation​ across the beverage industry. But it hasn’t changed since it was introduced six years ago. Championing the success of the policy so far, the UK government is now outlining two key changes: a new structure that will see the levy tied to inflation with rates adjusted each year, and a review into the tax to consider whether its scope can be increased. What is not changing is the fundamental scope of the tax. Pre-packaged soft drinks with added sugar are taxed under a tiered system: with lower sugar drinks paying less tax than higher sugar ones. At the moment, drinks with less than 5g sugar per 100ml don’t pay the SDIL. Drinks with 5g sugar per 100ml or more pay a lower rate of 18p per liter; then drinks with 8g sugar per 100ml or more pay a higher rate of 24p per liter. One of the key aims of ...