Brandy, Scotch other alcoholic beverages to cost more! FM Sitharaman proposes this tax on liquor in Budget 2021; check full details

Budget 2021: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed 100 Agri Infra Cess on alcoholic beverages under the AIDC Scheme or Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess  Scheme. This agri infra cess will be applicable on all alcoholic products — Brandy, Whisky, Scotch, Burbon, etc. This 100 per cent agri infra cess will be applicable from 2nd February 2021 though the budget proposals are supposed to get implemented from 1st April 2021.

"To ensure the imposition of cess does not lead to additional burden in most of these items on the consumer, the basic customs duty (BCD) rates have been lowered. This cess shall be used to finance the improvement of agriculture infrastructure and other development expenditure," the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

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"However, while applying this cess, we have taken care not to put additional burden on consumers on most items," the finance minister said.

However, a 100 per cent cess will also be imposed on other fermented beverages for example, Cider, Perry, Mead, sake, mixture of fermented beverages or fermented beverages and nonalcoholic beverages.

Apart from liquor and fermented beverages, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Agri infra cess of 2.5 per cent has also been imposed on gold, silver and dore bars, 35 per cent on apples, 5 per cent on specified fertilizer, 1.5 per cent on coal, lignite and peat, 30 per cent on kabuli chana, 10 per cent on peas, 50 per cent on Bengal gram or chickpeas, 20 per cent on lentil (mosur) and 5 per cent on cotton.