Beverage Council slams hike in VAT on soft drinks
The Beverage Council of Ireland has criticised Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy’s decision to raise the VAT rate on soft drinks to 21% in his budget earlier this month.
The council said other beverages such as tea, coffee and milk were zero-rated, while fruit juices, bottled water and soft drinks were penalised.
According to the Beverage Council, this has left Ireland out of line with the rest of Europe.
