Economic Development Minister David Carter and Customs Minister Maurice Williamson today announced changes to wine excise tax regulations which will benefit more than half the country's wineries. From 1 July, thresholds for the payment of excise tax will lift tenfold, allowing smaller wineries to shift from monthly payments to six-monthly or yearly payments. Currently, only wineries with a tax liability of less than $10,000 are exempted from paying monthly. The new thresholds are: * $100,000 or more, excise to be paid monthly * $50,000-$100,000, excise to be paid six-monthly * $50,000 or less, excise to be paid annually.