TORONTO— Spirits Canada is welcoming the Government of Ontario’s new program to assist Ontario distillers. The program will allow eligible distillers up to $4.42 per litre in financial relief, up to $220,000 per producer.
“Today’s announcement is a tacit admission that taxes, levies and mark-ups on spirits in Ontario are excessive and constitute a significant barrier to entry,” says Jan Westcott president and CEO of Spirits Canada. “Ontario’s tax load on distillers is twice that imposed on beer and four times greater than that imposed on wine.”
Spirits Canada says this new program should ensure financial assistance is made available to all distillers who mash, ferment, distill and mature their full product line, whether their facility is located in Ontario, another Canadian province or anywhere in the world.
