What is the WET rebate
The Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) is a 29% tax on the wholesale value of wine sold in Australia. Eligible producers can claim a WET rebate of up to $350,000 per financial year to offset this tax. The rebate is administered by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and is critical for small to medium winery cash flow.
Eligibility overview
To claim the WET rebate, your winery must:
- Be a producer of wine (not just a retailer or wholesaler).
- Sell wine that you have manufactured (or had manufactured on your behalf).
- Meet the ownership and control requirements (the rebate is shared among associated entities).
- Not exceed the $350,000 cap across all associated entities combined.
How Cepaos tracks WET
Cepaos tracks WET-eligible sales automatically by linking production records to commercial transactions:
| Data Point | Source in Cepaos |
|---|---|
| Wine produced | Cellar book (harvest to bottle) |
| Wholesale value | Commercial > Invoices |
| WET payable (29%) | Calculated from wholesale value |
| WET rebate claimed | Running total per financial year |
| Remaining rebate | $350,000 minus claimed amount |
Step by step
1. Configure WET settings
Go to Settings > Tax > WET. Enter:
- Your ABN (Australian Business Number).
- Whether you are claiming the full rebate or sharing it with associated entities.
- If sharing, enter the allocated amount for your entity.
- Your BAS reporting period (monthly or quarterly).
2. Tag eligible sales
When you create an invoice in Commercial > Invoices, Cepaos automatically determines WET eligibility:
- Domestic wholesale sales: WET applies, rebate eligible.
- Cellar door sales: WET applies, rebate eligible.
- Export sales: WET-free (no tax, no rebate).
- Sales to other WET-registered entities: depends on the arrangement.
You can override the WET status on any invoice if needed.
3. Monitor the rebate dashboard
Go to Compliance > WET Rebate. The dashboard shows:
- Total WET payable this financial year.
- Rebate claimed to date.
- Remaining rebate available.
- Projected exhaustion date: when you will hit the cap at current run rate.
4. Generate BAS data
At each BAS period, go to Reports > Tax > WET Summary. Cepaos generates:
- Total wine sales by category (domestic, export, cellar door).
- WET payable.
- WET rebate to claim.
- Net WET liability.
Export as PDF or CSV for your accountant or for direct entry into the ATO business portal.
Alerts
Cepaos generates automatic alerts for:
- Approaching the cap: when your cumulative rebate reaches 80% and 95% of the limit.
- BAS due dates: reminder to prepare your WET figures.
- Ineligible sales flagged as eligible: if a sale is marked WET-eligible but does not meet the criteria.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cepaos calculate WET on cellar door sales?
Yes. Cellar door sales are subject to WET based on the notional wholesale selling price. Cepaos applies the standard calculation (half the retail price, inclusive of WET and GST).
What happens when I reach the $350,000 cap?
Cepaos stops applying the rebate to new sales and shows the remaining WET as a full liability. An alert is sent when you approach the cap.
Can I track WET for multiple entities?
Yes. Each Cepaos tenant (organisation) tracks its own WET. If you have associated entities, configure the shared cap in Settings so the system accounts for the combined limit.