Federal Tax Bond & Reporting Relief Coming in 2017
Beginning January 1, 2017, the federal bond and tax reporting requirements for some breweries, wineries, and distilleries will get a little easier.
Continue ReadingBrewers’ Law 101: Federal TTB Retail Registration
The retail sale of alcoholic beverages is regulated by the federal government and the state government. Within the federal government, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is the agency charged with collecting federal taxes on alcohol and assuring compliance with alcohol permitting, labeling, and marketing requirements. Before selling alcoholic beverages within the...
Continue ReadingBrewers’ Law 101: Federal TTB Manufacturing License
The manufacture of alcoholic beverages (generally, any beverage with greater than 0.5% alcohol by volume) is regulated by the federal government and the state government. Within the federal government, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is the agency charged with collecting federal taxes on alcohol and assuring compliance with alcohol permitting, labeling,...
Continue ReadingTTB Delays & How to Minimize Them
Waiting for the TTB’s approval for a new beverage manufacturer has always been frustrating. Unfortunately, that wait could get a lot longer, especially for new breweries. TTB permit processing times According to the TTB’s posted information, the average number of days for approval of a new brewery jumped from 115 days in July 2015 to 132 days in August...
Continue ReadingLabel Laws for Florida Beverages
Labels on alcoholic beverage containers must comply with both U.S. and Florida laws and regulations. The reason these laws exist is to ensure container labels accurately represent the beverage inside. Beverage manufacturers must include specific information on the product labels. Florida manufacturers must also comply with the Florida Alcohol Beverage and Tobacco’s (ABT) label registration process and, in some...
Continue ReadingWhen an Alcohol Manufacturer Closes
Nothing lasts forever, and that is particularly true in the fickle alcoholic beverage industry. While Florida has seen tremendous growth in the number of craft breweries, wineries, and distilleries in the last 10 years, not all of them remain in business. The decisions that business owners make about when and how to close can have lasting effects for everyone...
Continue ReadingWhat to Expect When You’re Expanding
As Florida-made craft beer, spirits, and wine continue to grow in popularity, Florida beverage manufacturers may find it hard to keep up with demand. Every growing manufacturer must ask: Should we expand? Deciding to expand involves answering a slew of questions, all while keeping existing production on track. This article reviews four primary questions a manufacturer must answer when...
Continue ReadingFederal Shutdown Won’t Stop the Flow of New, In-State Beers
Among the many negative consequences of the October 1, 2013 shutdown of the Federal Government (though not the most tragic) is the furlough of most of the workers at the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), including the one person who approves labeling for new beers. This means that the TTB cannot approve new beers, including...
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