Licensing rules on off-sales extended until 2025

Licensing rules allowing all pubs and bars to sell alcohol for off site consumption have been extended.

The Covid-19 licensing rules had been due to expire on 30 September 2023, however the government has announced it had re-considered the decision with reports suggesting this extension will apply until at least the end of March 2025.  

"The extension of off sales rules has been warmly welcomed by the sector," says Ewen Macgregor, licensing partner at law firm TLT. "The extension of the end of the rules will allow premises to continue to benefit from the sale of takeaway alcohol."  

The tax issue

The rules will allow premises that do not have an off-sales permission (or have an off-sales permission subject to restriction) to continue to sell takeaway alcohol within the permitted hours of their existing premises licence and will not need to apply to vary their licence.  

However, trade organisations have used the extension news to highlight the problem with the recent tax rules around takeaway sales.

"It’s a good sign that the government has listened and decided to backtrack on their plans to end the automatic permission for pubs to make off-sales," says CAMRA chief executive Tom Stainer. "We hope that they have also been listening very carefully to the trade and consumers, who are also calling for a relaxation of the new tax rules around draught takeaway sales, which restrict many publicans from selling takeaway beer and cider regardless of whether their license allows them to do so.

"This is because the new rules force them to buy separate containers of draught beers and ciders, with a higher rate of duty paid on them if they want to sell them for takeaway. We are hopeful that the government will remove these unnecessary restrictions soon."

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