Objective: In France, an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages was introduced on 1 January 2012. Our objective was to assess perception of this tax as well as the sociodemographic characteristics of its supporters and opponents. Design: Cross-sectional study within the Nutrinet-Sante cohort. A sub-sample of 1996 individuals was selected among participants in the Nutrinet-Sante cohort study. Perceptions of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax were assessed via self-administered questionnaires. The sociodemographic and dietary profiles of supporters and opponents of this tax were explored by multinomial logistic regression. Setting: Nationally representative French sample, 2012. Subjects: Adults aged > 18 years (largest sample n 1996). Results: Half of the study sample was generally supportive of the tax and 57.7% perceived it as helpful in improving population health. Participants were more likely to support the tax model if the revenue it generated would be used for health-care system improvement (72.7%) and if such taxing was associated with a corresponding decrease in the prices of other foodstuffs (71.5%). Older participants were more likely to support the tax than were their younger counterparts (OR = 2.37; 95 % CI 1.60, 3.49 for > 65 years v.26-45 years; P < 0.001). Participants with lower educational levels were less likely to support the tax than were those with more formal education (OR = 0.31; 95 % CI 0.19, 0.52 for low educational level v.high education level; P < 0.001). In our models, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption was not associated with tax perception. Conclusions: The French sugar-sweetened beverage tax appeared to be favourably perceived by the public. Sociodemographic factors modulated such perceptions and should thus be taken into consideration when drafting future public health measures.