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Alcohol Licensing

Do you offer alcohol to your clients or are thinking of offering alcohol? If so, you need to be aware of the government Alcohol Licensing Regulations.

Do I need a license?

We have spoken to our local licensing officer about this issue and unless you were giving away the alcoholic drink to anyone, for free, without any paid for hair or beauty service, then you do need both a premises and personal license. The Premise License ensures that your salon is safe and suitable for the sale of alcohol, whereas the Personal License shows there is a designated ‘premises supervisor’ that can oversee the alcohol sales. To find out more on Alcohol Licensing or to apply for your license, head to www.gov.uk/alcohol-licensing However, many licensing officers and local authorities take a pragmatic view and as such would issue a warning before any prosecution would take place. You are taking a risk if you decide to offer any alcoholic drinks without both a personal and premises license.

HMRC

If you have a license then you have to ensure you are properly accredited with HM Revenue and Customs. Any business selling alcohol will need to ensure it is only buying stock from a properly registered wholesaler only. This is to ensure that only duty paid alcohol is sold. It may well be that the requirement to register with HMRC is a method of ensuring that only those with a premises and personal license can purchase alcohol from a wholesaler, however this remains to be seen, and would not impact you if you buy alcoholic drinks from the supermarket.