Lace ‘em up! Shoulders back, chin up, we’ve got work to do. And we don’t have long to do it. Use this link to voice your opinion about HB 2079. Your message need not be long or eloquent. Just make your opinion heard! OPPOSE the increase to the beer excise tax proposed in HB 2079!
Today (April 15, 2025), some Olympia lawmakers proposed a hike to the already high excise tax paid by Washington’s breweries. The Washington Brewers Guild calls it a 100% increase in the tax that a Washington brewery already pays on every drop of beer it produces. The drastic tax hike is seen as a way to help address the State’s budgetary shortfall. However, after doing some math, it will have very little impact on the approximately $13 billion shortfall. It’s a tiny drop in a huge bucket, but it will devastate craft breweries. It is not worth attacking these small businesses.
The cost of HB 2079 would inevitably be passed on to consumers, but it also jeopardizes our state’s vibrant brewing industry. Breweries operate on an increasingly slim margin. For some, this tax increase could prove the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back. Adding insult to injury, Washington’s breweries already face an uncertain future and increased costs due to the tariffs.
The Washington Brewers Guild wants you to consider the following:
- The new tax would add the equivalent of a 2% sales tax on every beer sold, hitting consumers directly at taprooms, bars, and grocery stores.
- The proposed tax rate would rank Washington #9 nationally in beer excise tax burden, nearly seven times higher than Oregon and four times higher than Idaho. That puts our local breweries at a serious disadvantage.
- Breweries are already facing increases in the cost of aluminum and ingredients due to tariffs. Adding increased excise taxes will drive up prices even further for both brewers and consumers.
- Craft breweries are still recovering from the financial impacts of the COVID shutdowns. Many are operating on thin margins and can’t absorb another hit. A tax hike like this risks stalling recovery and shutting down beloved local businesses.
- Washington’s small breweries employ thousands and support local farms, artists, food vendors, and the tourism industry.
Stay tuned. We will share information as this situation develops.
