A House Republican wants to make liquor cheaper by introducing a bill that would significantly lower the excise tax on distilled spirits, which accounts for more than half the store cost of bottles of whiskey.
The Hill reports:
House Republican Todd Young (Ind.) has introduced legislation to reduce the excise tax on vodka, rum, gin and whiskey.
Excise taxes are paid when purchases are made on a specific good and often included in the price of the product.
The Distillery Innovation and Excise Tax Reform Act unveiled Tuesday would drop the current tax rate for distilled spirits from $13.50 per proof gallon to $2.70 per proof gallon on the first 10,000 gallons of productions for all distillers and then $9 per proof gallon after that.
While Democratic cities such as Boston are considering increasing taxes on alcohol, Young wants to cut current taxes for liquor, which are taxed higher than beer and wine.
Young said "more than half the purchase price of a bottle of spirits is used for taxes and fees, making it one of the most heavily taxed products in the country," according to the report.
"All around southern Indiana, many new craft distilleries are popping up, creating jobs and adding to the tax base," he said in a statement. "But there’s a lot of red tape involved in getting a new distillery off the ground and this bill helps reduce that burden."