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Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce welcomes beer tax freeze

The Ontario Government has decided against a 4.6 per cent tax increase, for at least two years.
Niagara-on-the-Lake Local Staff
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The province has put a freeze on the beer hike tax expected in March. | Thorold Today

Today, the province announced it was stopping the estimated 4.6 per cent increase to the beer basic tax and LCBO mark-up rates scheduled for March 1, says a news release from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

This increase would have resulted from indexed rates, which the government has consistently stopped over the last six years, resulting in about $200 million in relief. The freeze will last until March 1, 2026.

“This tax freeze is welcome news to Niagara’s breweries. While index-linked tax increases normally add predictability, at a time of unstable and increased inflationary rates, the opposite is true,”  says Mishka Balsom, CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, in the news release.

“The Government of Ontario is to be commended for recognizing the unfair burden that these increases would have placed on both breweries and customers. Today’s announcement makes good business sense and demonstrates the commitment of this government to our province’s prosperity,” added Balsom.

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in Niagara, the largest business organization in the region and the second-largest Chamber of Commerce in Ontario, with 1,500 members representing 50,000 employees. More information on the GNCC is available at gncc.ca.