JUST three per cent of gin-lovers know they are paying a staggering 70 per cent tax on a bottle of their favourite spirit.

The shocking new research piles pressure on Jeremy Hunt to keep duty frozen at the upcoming Budget.

The duties are already on ice until August, after which a new system of duties will be revealed which could put them at risk of the highest tax increase since 1642.

YouGov polling for the UK Spirits Alliance showed that nearly two thirds of Brits say that the current 70 per cent duty on the average bottle of spirits is too high.

Half of Brits think alcohol duty is less than 40 per cent of the total cost.

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Another 28 per cent said they had no idea how much tax they were paying on their much-loved tipple.

UK excise duty on spirits is already among the highest in the G7 countries.

A spokesman for the UK Spirits Alliance said last night: "Our members call on the Chancellor to extend the freeze on alcohol duty beyond 1 August and to rule out any changes to a new alcohol taxation system that would further disadvantage distillers, hospitality businesses and consumers.

"Any increase now in duty on spirits will damage our struggling pubs and bars, where spirits represent 34 per cent of all alcohol sales".

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