HR 4278, a bill seeking to enact a graduated beer excise tax rate of $3.50 and $16 for America's small brewers has been introduced on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Richard Neal of Massachusetts.
With Congressman Kevin Brady of Texas as an original cosponsor, this bipartisan bill is the result of months of intensive effort on the part of these Members of Congress, many craft brewers and the Brewers Association to ensure American small brewers are given the best chance to remain strong and competitive.
Currently, a small brewer that produces less than 2 million barrels of beer per year is eligible to pay $7.00 per barrel on the first 60,000 barrels produced each year. Reducing this rate to $3.50 per barrel would provide approximately $15.5 million per year to help strengthen our nation's smallest brewers and support their efforts to maintain and generate jobs.