Maharashtra slashes excise duty on liquor; check latest alcohol prices here

The Maharashtra government had recently announced it would be slashing the special duty on imported liquors by half. Now the excise department has updated the rates of some of the brands affected by the rule change. While Maharashtra’s special duty rate still remains the highest at 150 percent, along with Kerala, it is a huge dip from the earlier duty rate of 300 percent. The 50 percent cut in excise duty will apply for whiskey, rum, brandy, gin and vodka. The rate cut will not be applicable for beer and wine.

The decision to cut duty rates was made to crack down on the smuggling of liquor across state borders and bootlegging. The move is expected to bring liquor prices in line with other states. Liquor companies are likely to reduce prices with effect from December 13.

The revenue from imported spirits in the three financial years from 2016-17 to 2018-19 was Rs 200 crore. But the revenue was reduced by half to Rs 100 crore in 2019-20 and 2020-21 due to the rise in sales tax, according to the excise department data.