The BC Craft Brewers Guild has started a 乌鸦传媒淧rotect BC Craft Beer乌鸦传媒� advocacy campaign, rallying beer lovers across the province to demand a fairer tax system that stops favouring foreign-owned beer conglomerates.
The Guild wants the province to support B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 craft breweries instead, which employ more than 6,000 people in 70 communities across B.C.. The Comox Valley is home to several breweries which belong to the guild, Ace Brewing Company, Gladstone Brewing Company, Land and Sea Brewing Company and Cumberland Brewing Co.
Darren Adam of Cumberland Brewing Company reiterates the need for reform for fairness, commenting that foreign owned mega-breweries never see a tax increase, instead they get rebates from taxpayers.
乌鸦传媒淭he rate of taxation we pay as craft breweries escalates as we grow. We are not asking for a handout, we are asking to have a fair playing field as far as expenses go. Being one of five breweries in the Comox Valley, I think everyone knows that we are a huge local employer, using local ingredients and suppliers as much as possible,乌鸦传媒� said Adam. 乌鸦传媒淲e would like to see more breweries in B.C. survive, and fair taxation is one way to help. Other provinces have seen the light, and reduced these taxes, now it is time for B.C. to join their peers and do the same. It is an easy way for the Provincial Government to support buying local, and show they truly support small, locally owned businesses.乌鸦传媒�
Adam encourages the community to contact the local MLAs to voice their opinion on the matter, helping local breweries with their costs.
He said that 乌鸦传媒�$9 million per year goes to foreign beer giants in tax rebates. Meanwhile, 20 of our fellow B.C. breweries closed this year."
This means there has been upwards of $60 million in rebates to these conglomerates since 2016, with no increases to the taxation amounts in almost a decade. Local craft breweries have faced a 30 per cent rise in costs since 2020, with new U.S. tariffs on aluminum and ingredients along with raises in tax rates as they get bigger. Corporate breweries however pay a flat rate no matter how large they are.
乌鸦传媒淔or over a year, B.C.乌鸦传媒檚 craft brewing industry has been calling on government for urgent reforms to a tax structure that unfairly benefits foreign-owned mega brewers while leaving local craft brewers behind,乌鸦传媒� says Ken Beattie, Executive Director of the BC Craft Brewers Guild, which represents over 219 breweries across the province. 乌鸦传媒淲ithout change, many of our members won乌鸦传媒檛 make it, some have already closed their doors. This reform isn乌鸦传媒檛 just about fairness; it乌鸦传媒檚 about survival.乌鸦传媒�
Closures of local breweries have an effect on the community they serve. In some instances, they are not only a place of employment for the locals, they are also a gathering place - with several breweries having open mic nights, stops for local musicians and food - oftentimes serving up local ingredients.
The B.C. craft breweries are asking for fairness in the taxation from the Government of British Columbia, who are essentially sending millions of taxpayer dollars south of the border and overseas.
As a solution, the Guild is asking for tax reform that is revenue-neutral for the government and could save B.C. craft breweries approximately $16.3 million annually. This money could be invested in local jobs, ingredients and help combat rising prices from U.S. tariffs. The Guild points out that other provinces have already taken these steps, such as Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
乌鸦传媒淟ike other provinces in Canada, our craft breweries are facing immense financial pressure,乌鸦传媒� says Cameron Forsyth, Co-Founder of Main St. Brewing in Vancouver. 乌鸦传媒淏ut the difference is that these other provinces have provided relief to their small businesses, while we continue to hope that B.C. will join with provincial cousins and help our sector. We乌鸦传媒檙e simply asking B.C. to do the same, to recognize the value of what we bring to our communities and help us survive.乌鸦传媒�
The campaign calls on the provincial government to work with the BC Craft Brewers Guild to find a sustainable solution immediately, one that supports small businesses, removes barriers to growth, and keeps hard-earned tax dollars in British Columbia to help this homegrown industry thrive.
