The coalition apparently agrees on a sugar tax – there are exceptions for many companies

According to a report by “Bild”, the coalition has agreed on a compromise on the planned sugar tax. Accordingly, smaller beverage manufacturers should be exempt from the levy. The tax should also come later than previously planned.

According to information from “Bild”, the sugar tax should only apply to companies that bottle more than 70,000 liters per year. According to the report, a further limit of one million liters per year is still to be examined at EU level. The start date is now set for July 1, 2027. The tax was originally supposed to come into force on January 1st.

Smaller companies would therefore be exempt from the tax. According to the report, large beverage manufacturers such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi would still be affected.

There should also be an agreement on the specific structure of the tax. As “Bild” reports, the two tax levels recommended by the commission for the reform of statutory health insurance funds should remain. The Union side in the federal government had therefore urged that this recommendation be adhered to.

According to the newspaper, the Finance Ministry, led by Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD), had previously planned a third tax level. In addition, the sugar limits have been lowered and the respective tax amounts have been increased. These plans should now not be implemented.

The additional level had sparked criticism. Klingbeil had to face the accusation that he wanted to use the sugar tax to generate additional revenue for the federal budget. The original aim of the tax was to create incentives for children to consume less sugary drinks.

The CDU budget expert Andreas Mattfeldt expressed skepticism to “Bild” about additional burdens for companies. “As a medium-sized entrepreneur who has to fight for savings every day, I think additional burdens on our economy are difficult to convey, especially in the current situation,” he said. In view of the costs for implementation, control and bureaucracy, he also raises the question of “whether there will be any financial advantage for the federal budget in the end”.