To all beer lovers,

Small brewers are facing an imminent and extremely serious threat to their businesses. The consequences of remaining silent have the very real potential of reducing your  choice of beer and dramatically increasing the price of any beer that you purchase. The Senate Finance Committee in Washington, DC is currently considering a proposal to increase and equalize the excise tax for alcohol beverages as part of healthcare
reform deliberations. This proposal would triple the excise tax for 4.5% ABV beer and impose even higher excise tax rates for higher ABV beers.

If such a proposal becomes reality, there is no question that many small brewery businesses will suffer, some will close and consumers will face higher prices and diminished choice in the marketplace. The Brewers Association brewery members and leadership have been actively engaged in building the case against an excise tax increase, recently submitting a letter to the Committee outlining our opposition.

If you live in the following states it is most urgent that you contact your Senator who is on the Senate Finance Committee:

Arizona     
Nevada - Senate Finance Committee Member: Ensign, John (NV)
Arkansas     
New Jersey
Delaware     
New Mexico
Florida     
New York
Idaho     
North Dakota
Iowa     
Oregon
Kansas     
Texas
Kentucky     
Utah
Maine     
Washington
Massachusetts     
West Virginia
Michigan     
Wyoming
Montana     
 
If your Senators are not members of that committee, ask them to contact their Finance Committee colleagues and express their opposition to this proposal moving forward.

Please tell them:

Oppose the Tax Increase. Let them know that you oppose, in the strongest possible terms, raising the federal excise tax on beer because of the serious consequences it would have on small brewers and the craft beer they brew. Additional talking points appear below.

Once again: If one of your Senators sits on the Senate Finance Committee (roster of members below), urge them to oppose this proposal in committee deliberations.

If your Senators are not members of that committee, ask them to contact their Finance Committee colleagues and express their opposition to this proposal moving forward.

Take Action - Call and/or email your Senators’ Washington or district offices and make your personal case against this massive excise tax increase.

As always, thanks for your support.

Charlie Papazian
Charlie Signature
President, Brewers Association


ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO SMALL BREWERS EXCISE TAXES

Small brewers are small Main street businesses, typically employing 10 to 50 employees.

    * Small brewers represent only 4% of the entire U.S. beer market by volume, with 95% of them being very small businesses (producing 15,000 barrels or less per year).

We strongly oppose proposals to increase the excise tax on beer.

    * Proposals to increase and equalize the tax among all types of alcohol will tax  small brewers at the highest rates because our specialty, gourmet and innovative beers typically have higher alcohol contents.

    * Brewers already pay a disproportionately higher share of taxes compared with other products – federal, state and local taxes represent over 40% of the retail price for beer while the same taxes equal nearly 24% of the price for all other purchases.

Higher taxes will worsen the economic recession – resulting in less competitive products, reduced sales and revenues, lost jobs and, for some small brewers, business closures.

    * $1 per case excise tax increase will typically cost the consumer at least $1.69 due to successive mark-ups as the case moves from brewer to wholesaler to retailer.

    * Many small brewers are struggling to deal with the consequences of the 2008 spike in ingredient and operational costs.