The government says that many manufacturers have registered for the levy and reduced their sugar content since the new levy was announced in March 2016.
However, some importers, producers and packagers of soft drinks still need to do this.
It warns that it is a criminal offence to fail to register, and to fail to register before the deadline.
David Richardson, director general for customer strategy and tax design, says: “The UK has one of the highest obesity rates among developed countries. Soft drinks are still the biggest source of sugar in children’s diets - this is why this levy is so important.
“HMRC has published clear guidance on GOV.UK about where the levy does and doesn’t apply, who may need to take action and when. I encourage all businesses in the soft drinks industry who have not yet done so to read our guidance and review the deadlines for registration.”
There are different rules about when registration for the levy needs to take place, depending on how and when drinks liable for the levy are handled. Companies are urged to check whether they need to register for the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.
Image by SakuraSaku on Morguefile.com
