![]() They may also avoid the cocktails because the tax structure has led to smaller package sizes, with many canned cocktails served in four-packs while seltzers can be bought in the six-, 12- and even 18-packs more common among sales of beer. “The liquor industry is making record profits selling canned cocktails at twice the price but is now demanding a special tax break arguing they are really more like beer,” Hazlegrove wrote in an email.Įven so, those selling the canned cocktails in Eastern Washington say the sticker shock of approaching a checkout counter, unaware of the liquor tax that is tacked on at the point of sale, leads many customers to put the more expensive item back. Such growth in sales indicates the tax structure is adequate and customers aren’t being driven away from the products, said Scott Hazlegrove, executive director of the Washington Beer & Wine Distributors Association. ![]() One recent industry analysis by IWSR, a London-based research firm widely cited for its international analysis of the alcoholic drink industry, estimated an $11.6 billion growth in the industry over the next five years, as reported by Forbes. It’s a reverberation of an argument that has been taking place nationwide as consumers turn to convenient, canned cocktails with a fixed amount of alcohol. That’s still 10 times greater than the amount charged in the state for fermented drinks, such as wine and beer, King noted, and is more than double the $1.19 tax proposed in a bill that failed to reach the floor during the last legislative session. The law would impose a new, $2.50 per gallon tax on such beverages. Curtis King, R-Yakima, said Thursday, in introducing the bill to the Senate’s Labor & Commerce Committee.īut craft brewers and substance abuse advocates warn changing the rules for a popular product could have long and lasting consequences for small businesses and young adults. “I think this is a matter of fairness and of equity,” state Sen. A bill, which has been heard by lawmakers in both chambers of the Legislature, would create a new taxing category for so-called “low-proof beverages,” spirit-containing drinks of 16 ounces or less with an alcohol-by-volume content of between 0.5% and 7%, intoxicating levels similar to beer that is taxed at a much lower rate. Lawmakers, pushed by those in the booming industry of ready-to-drink cocktails, are considering changes to a tax structure that adds a liquor tax to the canned drinks because of the distilled spirits contained within. Adult beverage consumers in Washington are among the many nationwide who are paying more for what’s in their can depending on how the alcohol was made.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |