Posted on 11/24/2014 8:50:15 PM PST by Bettyprob
The federal excise tax was first imposed during the Civil War as a temporary measure to support the Union army. Brewers paid a tax for each barrel of beer sold. In 1990, as part of the effort to balance the budget, taxes on beer and luxury items were increased. For large brewers, the beer excise tax doubled, from $9 to $18 a barrel.
Each year U.S. brewers, importers and distributors pay over $3.6 billion in federal excise taxes and almost $1.7 billion in state excise taxes. Ultimately these expenses are passed on to consumers.
Today, over 40 percent of the cost of a bottle of beer is for taxes, including federal and state excise taxes. The last time federal beer excise taxes were raised, it was devastating to the industry. Sales declined by 4.3 million barrels and tens of thousands of Americans lost their jobs.
Since that time, most of the luxury tax increases have been repealed, but the beer excise tax increase remains. The beer industry feels this is an unfair burden for beer drinkers, who typically fall in the lower and middle classes.
The brewing industry is actively supporting a rollback of the 1990 excise tax increase. This would provide relief for the lower and middle classes, allow brewers and wholesalers to expand and hire more workers, and ultimately boost the American economy.
40%? I'm sure the cigarette companies are envious.
Every tax starts out as “temporary”.
not property tax
Isn’t it amazing how the “temporary” taxes never are?
Interesting. Thanks for posting.
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