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Special Taxation of Alcoholic Beverages to Correct Market Failures

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  • John Freebairn

Abstract

In most countries, including Australia, special excise and other taxes are imposed on beer, wine and spirits. This study reviews the market failure arguments for special taxation of alcoholic beverages, evaluates the pros and cons of different externality correction taxes in terms of the tax base and tax rate, and uses the results to suggest reforms. A common specific tax per litre of alcohol by volume across the different beverages levied on a consumption base at the wholesale level, and indexed by a wage index, is proposed.

Suggested Citation

  • John Freebairn, 2010. "Special Taxation of Alcoholic Beverages to Correct Market Failures," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 29(2), pages 200-214, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econpa:v:29:y:2010:i:2:p:200-214
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1759-3441.2010.00063.x
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    1. Preety Ramful & Xueyan Zhao, 2008. "Individual Heterogeneity in Alcohol Consumption: The Case of Beer, Wine and Spirits in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 84(265), pages 207-222, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joshua Byrnes & Dennis Petrie & Christopher Doran & Anthony Shakeshaft, 2012. "The efficiency of a volumetric alcohol tax in Australia," Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 37-49, January.
    2. Ou Yang & Xueyan Zhao & Preety Srivastava, 2016. "Binge Drinking and Antisocial and Unlawful Behaviours in Australia," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 92(297), pages 222-240, June.
    3. Kym Anderson, 2019. "Excise and Import Taxes on Wine Versus Beer and Spirits: An International Comparison," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Kym Anderson (ed.), The International Economics of Wine, chapter 18, pages 437-459, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    4. Preety Srivastava & Ou Yang & Xueyan Zhao, 2022. "Equal Tax for Equal Alcohol? Beverage Types and Antisocial and Unlawful Behaviours," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 98(323), pages 354-372, December.
    5. Preety Srivastava & Keith R. McLaren & Michael Wohlgenant & Xueyan Zhao, 2014. "Econometric Modelling of Price Response by Alcohol Types to Inform Alcohol Tax Policies," Monash Econometrics and Business Statistics Working Papers 5/14, Monash University, Department of Econometrics and Business Statistics.
    6. Hermann Pythagore Pierre Donfouet & Shukri F. Mohamed & Eric Malin, 2021. "Socioeconomic inequality in tobacco use in Kenya: a concentration analysis," International Journal of Health Economics and Management, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 247-269, June.
    7. Kym Anderson & Glyn Wittwer, 2015. "Impact of Australia's Free Trade Agreements with China, Japan and Korea: The case of wine," Wine Economics Research Centre Working Papers 2015-04, University of Adelaide, Wine Economics Research Centre.
    8. Joshua Byrnes & Anthony Shakeshaft & Dennis Petrie & Christopher Doran, 2016. "Is response to price equal for those with higher alcohol consumption?," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 17(1), pages 23-29, January.
    9. Kym Anderson, 2010. "Reforming Taxes on Wine and Other Alcoholic Beverage Consumption," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 29(2), pages 197-199, June.

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