[Interim Release of National Tax Statistics③] Less Alcohol Consumption Amid COVID-19 Spread... Decrease in Liquor Shipment Volume

2021 National Tax Statistics 3rd Interim Release

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] Due to the spread of COVID-19 and the implementation of social distancing measures, the shipment volume of alcoholic beverages decreased last year, according to a survey.

According to the national tax statistics released on the National Tax Statistics Portal (TASIS) by the National Tax Service on the 29th, the shipment volume of alcoholic beverages attributed to last year was 3.215 million kL domestically and 397,000 kL imported, decreasing by 4.8% and 14.4% respectively compared to the previous year. By major alcoholic beverage types, domestic beer and diluted soju decreased by 8.7% and 4.5% respectively compared to the previous year, while domestic takju and other alcoholic beverages increased by 2.4% and 5.1% respectively.

The alcohol tax payment amount attributed to 2020 was 2.5164 trillion KRW domestically and 522 billion KRW for imports, decreasing by 5.2% and 5.1% respectively compared to the previous year. By major alcoholic beverage types, domestic diluted soju accounted for 1.2519 trillion KRW, followed by domestic beer at 1.1109 trillion KRW, both decreasing by 0.9% and 10.9% respectively compared to the previous year.

As of the end of last year, there were 277 small-scale alcoholic beverage manufacturing licenses, with 86 for takju and 161 for beer, increasing by 26.5% and 7.3% respectively compared to the previous year. Small-scale alcoholic beverages are produced in manufacturing facilities with storage containers below a certain size: takju, yakju, cheongju, and fruit wine must have containers between 1 kL and less than 5 kL, and beer between 5 kL and less than 120 kL.

Last year, the shipment volume of small-scale alcoholic beverages was 15,320 kL, a decrease of 1.8% compared to the previous year, with beer accounting for 15,110 kL or 98.6% of the total.

This release of national tax statistics has shifted from publishing the National Tax Statistical Yearbook every December and releasing tax statistics twice before the yearbook publication to a more timely disclosure system starting this year.

This third timely disclosure follows the first timely disclosure in April (60 items) and the second in June (143 items), releasing a total of 99 national tax statistics items, including 8 new statistics in the collection field.

The total number of statistics items disclosed in the first to third timely disclosures is 302, an increase of 207 items (217.9%) compared to the first early disclosure in July last year (95 items), accounting for 55.3% of the total national tax statistics (546 items as of the end of September). Additionally, card news explaining corporate taxpayer tax credits and reductions and alcohol tax areas will be produced and posted on the National Tax Statistics Portal (TASIS) for easier understanding.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.