June 3, 2022
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro Chairwoman
Committee on Appropriations
H-307 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Kay Granger
Ranking Member
Committee on Appropriations
1036 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Patrick Leahy Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
Room S-128 The Capitol
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Richard Shelby Vice Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairwoman DeLauro, Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Granger, and Vice Chairman Shelby:
We respectfully write to urge Congress to fully fund the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) within the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill at the Administration’s requested funding level of $150,863,000. This requested increase in funding is essential to help TTB prepare to take over certain responsibilities from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) related to imported beverage alcohol products by January 1, 2023, as Congress required by the enactment of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act in December 2020, while continuing to provide the beverage alcohol industry the level of service and personnel needed for TTB to conduct its responsibilities as the nation’s primary federal alcohol regulator.
In preparation for the transition of these responsibilities to TTB, the President’s FY2023 Budget Request for TTB recommends $14,929,000 and 40 full-time equivalent employees. As the TTB FY2023 Budget in Brief notes:
The Craft Beverage Modernization Act (CBMA), as amended, transfers jurisdiction for import-related provisions from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to Treasury as of January 1, 2023. Treasury intends for TTB to administer the new CBMA import claims program. TTB is taking a data-driven and risk-based approach to stand up the new claims program to provide importers the CBMA tax benefits. The FY2023 request supports the development and maintenance of custom IT modules for foreign producers and importers to enable online filing and processing of claims, as well as additional tax administration and enforcement staff necessary to timely issue refunds.1
Read more here.
