Could you unknowingly be an alcohol wholesaler?

Have you supplied alcohol to your local fete or do you have a regular customer that buys in bulk?

Then you might be one of 20,000 businesses that needs to sign up to the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme (AWRS) by December.

HMRC has not provided a definition determining the difference between a traditional wholesaler and a large retailer, but an online flowchart is available to anyone who believes they need to sign up to escape a potential £10,000 fine.

The Federation of Wholesale Distributors said these retailers will have to provide evidence they are using a legal alcohol supplier.

The scheme aims to eliminate the illegal alcohol trade that costs the taxpayer £1.3bn a year.

For more information contact visit the HMRC website.