Japan: Sapporo Breweries asks for extra tax return for its “Goku Zero” beer-like product

Sapporo Breweries Ltd. has asked the National Tax Agency to return ¥11.5 billion of extra liquor tax it paid last year over the categorization of its “Goku Zero” popular beer-like product, Jiji Press reported on January 30.

The Sapporo Holdings Ltd. unit paid the tax after it was notified by tax authorities that Goku Zero may not fall into the so-called third-segment quasi-beer category, which has a lower liquor tax rate than “happoshu” beer-like products.

But Sapporo Breweries recently concluded through an in-house re-examination that Goku Zero is a third-segment beverage and filed for the tax return with the authorities on January 26, informed sources said.

Goku Zero, launched in June 2013 as a third-sector product, became a sales blockbuster due to its lack of sugars and purines, a type of compound that may cause gout.

Following the tax authorities’ notification, however, Sapporo Breweries stopped production in May last year and paid the extra tax to avoid confusion among retailers and consumers.

After altering the production method, the company relaunched Goku Zero in July as happoshu.

04 February, 2015