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Cape Town - Smokers and drinkers despair! And gamblers beware.
Not only were puffers and tipplers slapped with the usual sin tax (excise duty) increases on tobacco and alcohol products, but in his first Budget speech Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan also declared an intention to review tax burden benchmarks for alcoholic beverages.
He said the review signalled a stronger stance in government's efforts to combat alcohol abuse.
The sin tax increases mean a packet of 20 cigarettes will cost R1.24 more, while a bottle of beer (340ml) and a bottle of wine (750ml) will cost 6.5c and 12c more respectively.
A bottle of spirits (750ml) will cost R2.22c more.
Actual sin tax hikes were all above inflation. Excise duty on beer, wine and spirits increased by about 8%, while the excise duty on cigarettes was a little more than 16%.
The excise duty on traditional beer was maintained at 7.82c per litre, while that on cigars was hiked 6.2%.
While smokers and drinkers are the usual recipients of Budget Day tax lashings, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan also singled out gamblers.
Gordhan said tax arrangements on gambling - taxed at both provincial and national level - would be reviewed to ensure efficient tax collection.
He proposed reviewing the current treatment of winnings in the hands of gamblers as exempt from personal income tax.
- Fin24.com