Cider-makers laud congressmen for introducing industry legislation
Manufacturers urge Congress to pass legislation to grow industry, jobs
Congressmen Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Chris Collins, R-N.Y., introduced the bipartisan Cider Industry Deserves Equal Regulation (CIDER) Act. The act would amend the section of the tax code that deals with wine and related beverages to allow hard cider-makers increased flexibility in their final products without potentially facing increased tax liability.
During the fermentation process, a variety of factors can lead to small changes in the composition of a cider’s alcohol content and carbonation. Because of the way that hard cider currently is defined in the tax code, these variations can lead to cider being taxed at a rate as much as 15 times higher than what the statute clearly intended, according to Blumenauer’s website.