Small Brewer Federal Excise Tax Legislation Gains Support as Congress Enters August Recess

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Small brewer excise tax recalibration legislation, The Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce Act (Small BREW Act) continues to gain support in both chambers of the 113th U.S. Congress. H.R. 494 was introduced on February 5 by Representatives Jim Gerlach (R-PA) and Richard E. Neal (D-MA). Joining as original co-sponsors of the bill were Representatives Peter De Fazio (D-OR), Erik Paulsen (R-MN), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC). The bill now has a total of 177 sponsors.

On May 9, Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced S. 917 in the U.S. Senate. The bill now has the support of 47 Senate sponsors.

The Small BREW Act seeks to reduce the small brewer rate on the first 60,000 barrels by 50 percent (from $7.00 to $3.50/barrel) and institute a new rate $16.00 per barrel on beer production above 60,000 barrels up to 2 million barrels. Breweries with an annual production of 6 million barrels or less would qualify for these tax rates. Legislation introduced last session, H.R. 1236, gained a total of 174 total sponsors. In the Senate, companion legislation S.534 realized 44 total sponsors.