Russia will raise alcohol excise taxes from Jan. 1, 2026.

Russia will raise excise taxes on alcohol, alcoholic beverages and alcohol-containing products from Jan. 1, 2026, under amendments to the country’s tax code published in Federal Law No. 425-FZ of Nov. 28, 2025, according to a notice carried Monday by AK&M.

The change lifts the excise rate on ethyl alcohol to 824 rubles per liter from the currently scheduled 770 rubles per liter for 2026. That means the tax will rise by 11.4%, instead of the 4.05% increase that had been set under the previous version of Article 193 of the Russian Tax Code. AK&M said the earlier text had provided for an increase from 740 rubles to 770 rubles per liter.

The amended rate applies to ethyl alcohol produced from food and non-food raw materials, including denatured alcohol, raw alcohol, distillates and pharmaceutical alcohol substances. The same rates will apply to alcohol-containing products and to alcoholic beverages with an ethyl alcohol content above 18%.

The law also sets future excise rates at 857 rubles per liter in 2027 and 891 rubles per liter in 2028, calculated per liter of anhydrous alcohol.

AK&M reported that excise taxes on several other categories of alcoholic drinks will also be indexed above previously planned levels, though the notice did not provide a full breakdown by product type.

The move matters across the beverage business because higher excise taxes can feed into retail prices and producer margins, especially in spirits and other higher-alcohol categories covered by the new rates. For importers, distributors and domestic producers operating in Russia, the increase could affect pricing plans, portfolio strategy and demand assumptions as the market adjusts to a steeper tax burden next year.

The AK&M item said its report was based on materials provided by a company and noted that the agency was not responsible for the contents or legal consequences of publication.