The prices of soft drinks rose overnight. That’s how much the prices changed in practice.
The soft drink tax increase came into effect today, April 1. The tax change increased the price of sugary sodas the most. It’s not an April Fool’s joke, it was already reported yesterday.
In practice, the tax increase shows up as a twenty-cent increase in the prices of soft drinks in grocery stores.
Iltalehti checked the lemonade prices of the centrally located Postitalo K-supermarket yesterday, Tuesday, and today, Wednesday.
Sugary Coca-Cola, volume half a liter, cost 20 cents more today than yesterday. The increase was 7.72 percent. The price was 2.59 euros yesterday and 2.79 euros today.
The price of half a liter of Fanta rose by 24 cents. The increase was 8.14 percent. The price was 2.95 euros yesterday and 3.19 euros today.
The prices of soft drinks rose overnight. The photos were taken at Postitalo’s K-supermarket in Helsinki. The picture on the left was taken on 31.3. and the right one 1.4. Tuuli Syrjälä
In other soft drinks, the price increase is not as great, because in the tax change, the soft drink tax was stepped into six levels based on the sugar content of the drinks.
According to the press release of the Brewery and Soft Drink Industry Association, drinks in Finland are subject to one of the highest value added taxes in Europe.
This is how prices changed overnight
Sugar-free soft drinks: the tax will rise to 20 cents per liter. In addition to sugar-free soft drinks, this applies to e.g. Vichy, mineral waters and sugar-free energy drinks. Previously, the tax was 13 cents per liter.
In addition, the soft drink tax for unsweetened and unflavored waters and mineral waters is also levied on beverages packed in a retail package of more than five liters.
Soft drinks containing sugar: the amount of tax is now 27, 35, 43, 51 or 59 cents per liter depending on the sugar content of the drink. For example, the excise tax on orange lemonade is now 59 cents per liter, while it was 32 cents before.
Among other things, Fantas are now more expensive. The photos were taken at Postitalo’s K-supermarket in Helsinki. The picture on the left was taken on 31.3. and the right one 1.4. Karolina Kakko
Alcoholic drinks: the alcohol tax on only low-alcohol drinks will be increased. The tax increase applies to mild fermented beverages containing 1.2–2.8 percent alcohol.
Plant-based drinks: the conditions for tax exemption are supplemented by a requirement for a minimum calcium content. In addition, the taxation of beverages based on leguminous plants will be harmonised.
The story was corrected on April 1, 2026 at 12:25 p.m.: The bottles in the picture are half-liter bottles. In the text, they were wrongly claimed as 1.5 liter bottles.