The number of shops and wholesalers fined for breaching the alcohol wholesale registration scheme (AWRS) plummeted by nearly two-thirds under lockdown.
Brexit cans illicit soft drinks and alcohol market
Following Freedom of Information requests by Better Retailing, HMRC revealed just five fines totalling £7,100 were issued from 1 April 2020 to 31 January 2021, compared to 17 penalties worth £28,425 issued for the year ending 1 April 2020.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Unfair’ HMRC alcohol scheme harms wholesalers, say experts
Despite the fall in penalties, the number of wholesalers being refused the right to sell alcohol rose 50% to 270 per year. AWRS experts said the pandemic had reduced HMRC enforcement.
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