Tester wants to cut taxes for breweries

After touring the Triple Dog Brewing Company in Havre on March 21, Sen. Jon Tester announced he will again sponsor legislation to cut taxes for Montana’s local breweries.

Tester’s bipartisan bill, the Small BREW Act, will lower the excise tax for small brewers from $7 to $3.50 for the first 60,000 barrels of beer produced each year and provide a $2 reduction for every barrel produced between 60,000 barrels and 2 million.

“The folks running small breweries are adding value to local agriculture products and creating jobs in towns across our state,” Tester said. “Cutting taxes for Montana’s breweries will help these businesses grow, reinvest in their communities, and allow them to continue producing the nation’s best beer.”

Tester toured Triple Dog Brewing Company with co-owner Michael Garrity to discuss the impacts cutting the excise tax would have on business.

More than 50 licensed breweries in Montana use more than 3 million pounds of malted grain from local farmers. Tester sponsored the Small BREW Act last Congress.