Taxing Thoughts

Scots want tax cut on Scotch whisky.

"More than two-thirds of Scots want the Chancellor to cut taxes on whisky a survey shows.

Duty rates on the spirit currently make up 80 per cent on an average priced bottle after being raised by 3.9 per cent in March. A poll for the Scottish Whisky Association found 68 per cent believe Philip Hammond should reduce taxes in his Budget on November 22.

Since the duty rise in the last Budget, sales have fallen by on million bottles."

This article in the Metro on November 9^th is questionable in that 68% of the Scots want a cut in taxes on whisky. 

More likely they mean 68% of the Scots that they asked wanted a cut in the taxes and that could be any number. 

Chancellors are lobbied all the time by business men and women requesting a cut in tax. They also like workers to believe that any cuts they get will reduce the price of the bottle and benefit them. A cut in taxes would mean the Chancellor would tax some other product and the money saved by the Whisky Association would increase their profits.