2 days Ago
A new federal bill aims to boost business for cideries in New York state by reforming a federal tax law that disincentivizes makers from offering bubblier, mixed fruit hard ciders, according to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“Right now, the arcane federal ‘bubble tax’ is flattening innovation and business for upstate NY’s craft cideries. There is no reason that craft cidermakers like Albany’s Nine Pin should get hit with a tax increase if they want to make bubblier cider that is mixed with other fruits. It hurts our craft cidermakers, hurts consumers, hurts our growers, and is slowing the growth of this booming industry,” Schumer said.
A version of the bill — called the Bubble Tax Modernization Act — was introduced earlier this year but has stalled in the U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee.
On Wednesday, Schumer joined leaders of Albany’s Nine Pin Cider at Samascott Orchards in Columbia County, which provides apples for the cidery, to speak about the bill. The “bubble tax” kicks in for cider makers when they mix additional fruits into their ciders including blackberries, peaches and raspberries (excluding apples or pears) and as the carbonation level increases. Standard hard apple and pear ciders are taxed at approximately 23 cents per gallon or about $1.
07 for fruit ciders/wines, which allows them an even playing field with similar beverages, according to a release from Schumer. When the “bubble tax” is triggered by b.
