TAXED TO THE MAX

Here is a shocker for you, 59% of every bottle of spirits you buy goes to taxes and across the country, states are proposing legislation to raise that amount. Not only does that tax affect you, the consumer, but it eventually affects all of us who work in the industry, including your local bartender and waiter at your neighborhood joint. History shows that taxes on alcohol are actually regressive. Back in 1991, the federal government gave a tax hike to alcohol. Spirits receipts and revenues actually fell, and it took 10 years before they regained their pre-1991 levels. When profits slow, owners cut expenses and the quickest way to do that is to cut back on staffing which means lost jobs of hard working folks. I would say, at well over fifty percent of the purchase price, beverage alcohol is already paying a fair share of taxes.

Beverage alcohol taxes by any name or for any purpose are unmistakably “Hospitality Taxes.” Hospitality jobs like bartenders, servers and small business owners depend on beverage alcohol sales.  And with the soft economy putting a severe strain on the Hospitality Industry, the nation’s 2nd largest employer can ill-afford the burden of higher government-imposed taxes. 

If you want to protect your right to responsibly enjoy a drink and help save jobs, check out this web site http://www.axetaxesnotjobs.com 

 

You can also join our facebook page by clicking here

Cheers

See you next week …enjoy your drinks responsibly and don’t forget to turn the lights out when you leave.

Dale aka kingcocktail