Sugary Drink Tax Calculator
Taxes on sugary drinks can generate considerable revenue for states, cities, and the nation. The Revenue Calculator for Sugary Drink Taxes estimates potential national or state revenue from a volume-based excise tax on sugary drinks (i.e., beverages with added caloric sweeteners). Zero-calorie/reduced calorie beverages such as diet drinks are not currently included in our estimation.
Click here for more information on the data sources and methodology for the calculator.
For any questions, please contact Tatiana Andreyeva, Director of Economic Initiatives, at tatiana.andreyeva@uconn.edu.
Acknowledgements: This calculator update was funded by the Voices for Healthy Kids, an initiative of the American Heart Association.
Over many years of the tax calculator’s existence, the work on it benefited from helpful input of multiple people who are gratefully acknowledged here: Dr. Kelly D. Brownell (Duke University), Dr. Frank J. Chaloupka (University of Illinois at Chicago), Dr. Jim Krieger (Healthy Food America, University of Washington), and Dr. Lisa M. Powell (University of Illinois at Chicago). Research assistance by Xiaohan Sun and web implementation by Chris Lenz are highly appreciated.
Release: April 13, 2021.
Calculator options
In estimating tax revenues, the calculator provides options in setting important inputs to the model, including the tax pass through rate and the tax rate.
Year: The user can select a year between 2021 and 2023.
State: The user can select any state or US total in the drop-down menu. Select city-level estimates are available upon request and through the American Heart Association.
Tax pass-through rate: The default setting is 70%, with the allowable range of 50-100%.
Tax per ounce rate: The default setting is 1.50 cents/oz, with the allowable range of tax rates from 1.0 to 3.0 cents per ounce. The same rate is assumed for all sugary drinks irrespective of their sugar content (i.e., no tiers).