Craft Brewers Would Get Permanent Tax Break Under New Bill

Some “hoppy” news for breweries: Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) introduced legislation to make tax breaks for craft beer brewers, cider makers, vintners, and distilleries permanent.

The 2017 tax overhaul gave beer, wine, and spirits producers a two-year reduction in federal excise taxes—including deep tax cuts for small domestic brewers, whose tax rates were halved to $3.50 from $7 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels. However, those provisions are set expire at the end of 2019, and trade groups as well as brewers and winemakers have been lobbying to have the benefits extended.

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