Representative Hooker recently introduced a bill that would terrible for Michigan’s breweries. The bill proposes to increase the excise tax on beer by nearly 250% which would stifle growth in our industry. One common theme in our industry is that breweries and microbreweries are challenged to keep up with growth and they need every available dollar to put back into expansion and the addition of employees. This potential increase in taxation would be detrimental to Michigan’s breweries and the overall craft beer business including retailer, wholesalers and consumers. The beer industry is already heavily taxed including both the federal excise tax and the state excise tax, in addition to all other business taxes. Michigan’s tax on beer is the highest in the Great Lakes Region (higher than Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin) and should be reduced, not raised. HB 5873 would be bad for Michigan craft beer and we urge our Representatives to oppose the bill.
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