Washington Beer Tax, Cheaper Than You Might Think

Washington state (much like the rest of the country) is broke, and the government is trying to figure out how to dig itself out of the hole we find ourselves in. Their answer seems like it is always the same: RAISE THE TAXES! MORE TAXES! CAN WE TAX THIS!?! It's enough to make someone drink… but how are the taxes on our beer? We now have some answers.

With all the talk of price increases on everything from food, utilities, entertainment, to a roof over our heads, it's frustrating. Between the constant debate on the tariffs, if they're helping and WHO ARE they helping, and the constant taxes, it looks like there is no end in sight.

At least when it comes to Washington's drink of choice and taxes, we're not getting hit as hard as other places in the country. We're pretty much in the middle.

Beer Taxes Across the U.S.

The Tax Foundation crunched the numbers on the amount of taxes each state in the country pays on beer, and ranked them.

The highest amount of taxes on beer is paid for by Tennessee (roughly $1.29 per gallon) and Alaska (at $1.07 per gallon).

On the cheap end of the beer tax, Wyoming only charges roughly $0.02 per gallon.

How Washington’s Beer Tax Compares

Where does Washington stand? In the middle! Yeah, the 25th highest rate in the country at roughly $0.26 per gallon.

"Beer exists within a complex taxation and regulatory landscape. Alcohol is generally taxed using a categorical system that treats beer, wine, and spirits differently, even after adjusting for alcohol content. Modernizing the arcane categorical system by instead taxing according to actual alcohol content would make the broader alcohol tax system simpler and more neutral."
- TaxFoundation.org

READ MORE: 7 Washington-Made Beers & Sodas You Need To Try

In layman's terms, different states tax beer differently based on the type of container, ABV (Alcohol By Volume), and where the beer came from, among others.

Would beer and alcohol sales benefit from simpler taxes? It appears so.

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