HERE comes the latest HM Revenue and it is not sugary, the UK government to impose a sugar tax on soft drinks, with British soft drinks manufacturers being taxed on high-sugar products owing to the Rising levels of obesity among the poorest sections of society.

Brits will be paying higher prices for some soft drinks after the country's sugar tax on the sweet beverages came into effect on Friday. Announced in March 2016, the tax has already seen more than 50 % of manufacturers modify their products to ensure they are below the levy's sugar limit, Britain's Treasury said.

Companies will pay 24 pence (27 euro cents, 33 US cents) per liter of drink if it contains 8 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters and 18 pence per liter of drink if it contains between 5–8 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters. Because of manufacturers' efforts to reformulate their product, the Treasury now expects the levy to raise only about £240 million (€275.5 million, $338 million) in its first year, less than half the previous estimate of £520 million.

Soft drink producers such as Coca-Cola, Britvic and Lucozade Ribena Suntory have amended their recipes, but with more than 10 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters, Coca-Cola Classic — the nation's top-selling branded soft drink and Pepsi are both subject to the tax.

Retailers Tesco, Asda and Morrisons have also modified their own-brand soft drinks to be below the levy's threshold. However Germany against sugar tax has dismissed the idea of imposing a similar sugar tax in Germany to tackle the country's obesity problem.