Qatar started the new year by imposing, as foreigners have called it, a “sin tax”. The tax is on goods that are prohibited under Islamic law. Qatar’s General Authority of Customs introduced the new tax on January 1, 2019. The tax applies to “specific goods that the state of Qatar deems harmful to human health and the environment” or alcohol, pork, tobacco, soda, and energy drinks. The percentage of the Texas are below.
Alcohol – 100 percent. A 12 pack of beer now costs $78 USD.
Pork – 100 percent. 14 ounces of bacon now costs $14 USD.
Energy Drinks – 100 percent.
Tobacco – 100 percent.
Soda – 50 percent.
This is a big deal to foreigners as locals are prohibited from consuming any of the above products. The rumors of the tax began swirling months ago. A lot of foreigners began stockpiling the cheaper goods in preparation.
Final Word
This tax could be a way for the country to recover money that was lost during the gulf blockade or money used to prepare for the 2022 World Cup. Either way, I would choose not to consume any of the products in the country due to the high prices.
What do you make of the tax increase in Qatar?
H/T NBCNews
