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ATO calls on industry feedback to amend Excise Guidelines

February 2, 2021
By Melissa Parker
 The Australian Taxation Office has announced it is updating the Excise Guidelines for the alcohol industry providing more information about eligibility criteria for the Excise Refund Scheme for alcohol manufacturers.  

The proposed updated to Chapter Seven outlines when an alcohol manufacturer with manufactured alcoholic beverages is legally and economically independent for the purposes of the Refund Scheme. 

The guide was developed to be a reference tool for the alcohol industry to assist its members to meet their excise obligations. It contains information on the excise system and how it applies to alcohol and alcohol products that are manufactured in Australia and provides a broad outline of excise law and compliance obligations.

In updating the guidelines it is calling on alcohol industry stakeholders to offer feedback on the drafted content including views on the principles and criteria to satisfy the legally and economically independent requirements as well as the factors and our conclusions to establish whether a manufacturer is legally and economically independent. It is also asking for feedback on any other scenarios where practical examples would be of assistance and whether there are other concerns within the industry on the refund scheme not addressed in the draft.  

The last update to the Excise Guidelines for the alcohol industry was in July 2019.   Any industry member wishing to provide feedback can contact wetnewmeasures@ato.gov.au by 1 March 2021.         

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