UPDATE, 26.08.2026 11:30: Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has ruled out applying the sugar tax to drinks containing sweeteners such as Coke Zero. A sugar tax on sugar-free drinks makes no sense, he wrote on Instagram: "That won't be happening."
The German government intends to extend the planned sugar levy to a wider range of drinks. Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) told broadcasters RTL and ntv on Tuesday that "the entire federal government" stands behind the plans for the expansion. Citing the confidential nature of discussions within the government, he declined to confirm reports that the sugar levy would also be applied to products sweetened with sweeteners rather than sugar.
Klingbeil rejected the accusation that the levy was primarily designed to generate additional revenue for the state. "This isn't about the budget at all," he said, arguing that the measure was about protecting public health. The goal, he said, was to give children better protection and to strengthen the healthcare system. "That has happened in many other countries. We're doing it here too."
The newspaper Bild had previously reported on the government's concrete plans for the agreed tax on sugary drinks. The surcharge is expected to range from 26 to 38 cents per litre, with the rate depending on sugar content. That broadly matches the recommendations of an expert commission, although the surcharge is set to apply to considerably more drinks.
The black-red coalition agreed on a sugar tax from 2027 during negotiations on the savings package for Germany's statutory health insurance funds. An expert commission appointed by the federal government recommended a tiered sugar levy modelled on the British system: drinks containing more than five grams of sugar per 100 millilitres would attract around 26 cents per litre, while those containing more than eight grams would cost manufacturers 32 cents.
The Finance Ministry is planning somewhat stricter values: 26 cents per litre would apply from 4.5 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres, and 32 cents from seven grams. On top of that, a surcharge of 38 cents per litre would apply to drinks containing more than ten grams of sugar. Drinks sweetened with sweeteners, such as Coke Zero, would also face a charge of 26 cents per litre.
As the Rheinische Post and the news portal Politico reported, the sugar tax is also expected to cover fruit juices made from concentrate, milk-based mixed drinks, plant-based milk alternatives, alcohol-free beer and alcohol-free wine. This expansion would significantly increase revenue for the treasury: citing figures from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Politico put the sum at two billion euros per year. That would be far above the 650 million euros previously earmarked as revenue for 2027.
The CSU-led Federal Ministry of Agriculture emphasised that it would champion the interests of the companies affected as the plans are implemented. A spokesperson said the ministry was campaigning "in particular for the concerns of the agricultural and food industry to be appropriately taken into account and for the consequences for the affected businesses not to be lost from view". The Lebensmittelzeitung had reported earlier that Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) takes a critical view of the project and has announced a veto.
The consumer organisation Foodwatch welcomed the plan as a "major coup for the health of our children". Britain's sugar tax, it said, had demonstrated that the instrument works. "Anyone treating themselves to a Fanta in England consumes just under half as much sugar as in Germany," said Luise Molling of Foodwatch. "It is good that the federal government also wants to include drinks containing sweeteners in the tax. That creates an incentive for manufacturers to make their drinks less sweet."
Sharp criticism of the plans coming out of Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil's (SPD) department came from the Union, however. They "clearly overshoot the mark", deputy parliamentary group leader Albert Stegemann (CDU) told the news portal Politico. Extending the levy to as many drinks as possible was "evidently primarily aimed at consolidating the budget. That means the measure loses its health-policy steering purpose."
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