Afternoon Brief, August 10th

Santa Barbara Commandeers and Destroys Illegally Submerged Wine Bottles; Perpetrators Accept Plea Deal: Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that, in accordance with a plea agreement, it destroyed 2,000 bottles of wine and other alcohol illegally possessed for sale in connection with an illegal underwater wine aging and sale operation...

Excise tax rates affect the price of every alcoholic beverage. Because of CBMA credits, federal excise taxes are more confusing than ever. And each state has different rates depending on commodity and ABV. Now some states have begun to establish special tax rates for spirits-based RTDs. Virtually everybody in your organization needs quick access to excise tax rates. DTC shippers pay the excise taxes in the states where their customers live. Although wholesalers often pay the state excise taxes on wine sold through the three-tier system, knowing what your wholesaler is paying helps suppliers set the price and determine the margin on your products. The Digest of Wine and Spirits Law’s Excise Tax table makes it easy to see how your products will be taxed, everywhere in the nation. More details are found in the Excise Taxes article for each state. Both are updated regularly. Take the hassle out of looking up the excise tax rates for wine and distilled spirits. Subscribe today and