Stop the NC Beer Tax
The cost of your favorite beer will jump significantly if a proposed beer tax is instituted. Our passion and our brewery friends are being unfairly singled out by the governor and you can stop it with just a little bit of effort.
Governor Perdue is planning to impose a greater ’sin tax’ on beer and wine. (She initially pushed to almost double the level of excise tax.) Please go on line and e-mail the governor and your legislators to tell them that a beer and wine tax increase is a bad idea.
Beer and wine lovers are not “sinners,” nor we did not cause the recession, and we should not be singled out as a solution.
Many of the 100 North Carolina micro breweries and wineries could be put out of business with a tax increase.
North Carolina has 6th highest beer tax in the country and the 16th highest on wine.
North Carolina beer and wine taxes currently contributes close to $3 billion.
North Carolina already generates more beverage tax than more populous New York state!
I’m asking you to do two things.
First, please go to www.governor.state.nc.us and the ‘Contact Us’ link, where you will find a space to enter a comment, like “Don’t threaten our fledgling brewing industry with a tax increase. We’re already paying more than our fair share.” You can also go to www.ncleg.net Enter your zip code to find your legislators and send them an e-mail. This is a zip plus four. If you don’t know yours, use the county feature to get your representatives’ addresses.
Second, please go to www.stopthencbeertax.com. Fill this in and it will be printed and collated with other forms and hand delivered the the appropriate elected official.
Doing both of these things will make a huge difference. Please pass this along to your beer-loving network. This is urgent.
Cheers,
Daniel Bradford
Publisher - All About Beer Magazine
beer, north carolina tax
July 8th, 2009 at 11:16 am
I can tell you firsthand what happens when taxes are raised on microbreweries: People buy less of it. I know because out here in California, the government did exactly that and put a big tax on alcahol. Its a good thing we make most of our own beer because lately a plain-jane 6 pack of fat tire now costs almost $9. That’s ridiculous. Thus I seldom buy anything anymore. I imagine the same is especially true for those who don’t make their own. Not a good thing.
July 9th, 2009 at 8:33 am
Here’s a wonderful letter somebody wrote. Admitting that FIGHTING our governor on this is a a loosing battle (it is), he makes the very logical argument to at least stay away from the local breweries.
http://www.topfermented.com/2009/07/08/the-north-carolina-beer-tax/
July 9th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Alcohol Tax Increase – The Governor recommends
adding a 5.0% tax surcharge to all
alcohol purchases. This additional tax would
take effect on September 1, 2009 and would
help North Carolina cover the added health
costs incurred from alcohol consumption. This
increase is expected to generate $157.5 and
$210.0 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11, respectively.
From the state’s explanation, located here: http://data.osbm.state.nc.us/pls/pbis/dyn_osbmweb_libtopicgroups.show?p_arg_names=context&p_arg_values=budget&p_arg_names=topic_group&p_arg_values=budget