Tag: Ireland

  • Irish Court Classifies Subway Bread as Confectionery Item

    The Supreme Court of Ireland has held that Subway’s breads are subject to value-added tax (VAT) because they contain too much sugar to be considered a staple product. Under the country’s VAT law, bread can contain up to 2% sugar in the flour to be classified as a staple product exempt from the tax; Subway’s…

  • EC Approves Irish SSB Tax

    Ireland’s tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) will take effect May 1, 2018, following a European Commission finding that the tax does not constitute state aid. According to a press release, “The Commission in its assessment found that soft drinks can be treated differently to other sugary products in view of health objectives. For example, the…

  • Chicago Repeals SSB Tax After Two Months of Enforcement

    Chicago officials have voted to repeal a sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax approved in November 2016 by the Cook County Board of Commissioners but delayed by a lawsuit arguing that the tax was unconstitutional. The tax took effect in August 2017 after a court dismissed the Illinois Retail Merchants Association’s lawsuit. Retailers reportedly saw SSB sales…