Boston: Senator Kerry renews push for small brewers tax cut

Sen. John Kerry is renewing his push to give the country’s 1,600 small beer makers a tax break.

The Massachusetts Democrat on Wednesday filed what he’s calling the Brewer’s Employment and Excise Relief Act in the Senate. The bill, which Kerry also filed last session, would reduce the excise tax for small breweries from $7 to $3.50 per barrel for the first 60,000 barrels of beer each year.

For every additional barrel up to 2 million, the bill would lower the tax from $18 to $16.

Kerry said the changes would help level the playing field between small brewers and multinational beer companies.

Massachusetts is home to approximately 38 small breweries, including Northampton Brewery, Haverhill Brewery, and Sam Adams.

Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho is co-sponsoring the bill.