The Honorable Steven T. Mnuchin Secretary of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, D.C. 20220
Dear Secretary Mnuchin,
May 18, 2020
Thank you for the Treasury Department’s March announcement to delay the federal excise tax filing and payment due dates for beverage alcohol for 90 days. We write to respectfully ask you to again use your authority under 26 U.S.C. 7508A(a) to delay all domestic beer, wine, and distilled spirits federal excise tax deadlines for the remainder of calendar year 2020, including any interest and penalties accrued.
As you know, producers pay the federal excise tax on a semimonthly, quarterly, or annual basis, depending on the quantity of beer, wine, or distilled spirits produced. By delaying payment of the federal excise tax for the remainder of calendar year 2020, you can provide immediate liquidity to alcoholic beverage producers around the country while also ensuring that the liabilities are paid back when the economy is more stable.
Today, the alcohol industry’s workers, supply chain, and consumers face unprecedented levels of disruption and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 health crisis. From farmers and truck drivers to restaurant workers and consumers, the alcohol beverage industry is inextricably linked to every facet of the American economy. The industry also heavily relies on sectors that are some of the most severely impacted today, including hospitality, restaurant, tourism, agriculture, and retail.
In total, the industry supports a workforce of more than 5.4 million people and generates more than half a trillion dollars to the American economy annually. But without appropriate temporary relief, hardworking Americans who depend on the beer, wine, and spirits industries to feed their families will struggle to make ends meet.
Thank you for your consideration of provided needed relief to the alcohol beverage industry. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
