Kentucky bourbon makers fear hangover from Obama's corporate tax overhaul

The Hill ^ | 2/25/12 | Erik Wasson

[Libloather]

Kentucky bourbon makers fear hangover from Obama's corporate tax overhaul
By Erik Wasson - 02/25/12 07:49 AM ET

Kentucky bourbon makers say President Obama’s corporate tax overhaul could hobble their industry and cause major economic hardship in the Bluegrass State.

The makers of Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels and Evan Williams are worried about the elimination of an accounting method that allows companies to lower their tax burdens by boosting the costs associated with inventory held for a long period.

Obama’s Treasury Department sees the “last in, first out” (LIFO) accounting rule as a loophole. By eliminating it and other tax provisions, Obama would pay to lower the top corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 28 percent.

Bourbon makers, however, argue their taxes would skyrocket if the decades-old accounting system is discarded and the lower corporate rate doesn’t make up for that.

The system benefits bourbon makers especially because it allows them to count their most recent inventory costs against new revenue, which results in a lower profit margin. Without LIFO, bourbon makers would have to count inventory costs when bourbon was initially distilled and before it is aged.

For a bottle of 12-year-old bottle of bourbon, this makes a big difference given inflation.

To fight the change, bourbon makers like Brown-Forman and Heaven Hill have enlisted members of the Congressional Bourbon Caucus such as Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) and Geoff Davis (R-Ky.).

“This could cost a lot of jobs,” Yarmuth said, noting there are 9,000 people employed in distilling in Kentucky.

Bourbon makers also have a powerful ally in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

“Sen. McConnell, like the President’s own Small Business Administration, opposes the President’s proposed tax hike on job creators,” spokesman Don Stewart said.

He cited a 2009 letter from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy saying that that LIFO repeal could “force many small businesses to close.”

Though a corporate tax overhaul could be years away, Yarmuth and others in the caucus are worried LIFO could become a bargaining chip at the end of this year when Congress and Obama look to replace $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts triggered by the failure of the debt supercommittee.

Eliminating LIFO would raise $52 billion over 10 years, according to Obama’s 2013 budget. Obama has called for its elimination in his last three budgets.

At a House Budget Committee hearing last week, Yarmuth demanded Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner turn over to lawmakers an analysis examining the costs and benefits of eliminating LIFO. On Friday, Yarmuth said he had yet to receive a response.

Yarmuth said that the administration needs to look at whether the negative effects on smaller industries would actually reduce tax revenue over time.

The LIFO provision is used by more than bourbon makers. Major oil and gas companies frequently employ it as well to reduce their tax burden.

Yarmuth said exemptions for aged products like whiskey, wine and cheese could make sense.

“The American bourbon whiskey industry has been a really positive growth story, despite the uneven economic conditions,” Max Shapira, the president of Heaven Hill said. “Ten years ago, many industry analysts wanted to consign whiskey to the great liquor store in the sky.”

He said that bourbon is facing growing global demand, including in Asia, and that repealing LIFO at this time would hurt the ability of Heaven Hill to grow its exports. The Obama administration is trying to double U.S. exports over a four-year span.

Shapira said Heaven Hill has over a million barrels of bourbon aging in inventory so changing the way that inventory is valued would create huge “phantom profits,” and result in a massive tax hike.

“Would it put us out of business? Probably not” he said. “Would it impede our ability to apply capital…toward expansion? Surely it would.”

Heaven Hill pays an effective tax rate close to 35 percent, he said.

“This massive retroactive tax increase is grossly unfair,” Brown-Forman spokesman Phil Lynch said. He noted that under law, all bourbon must be aged at least two years, so makers have no choice but to keep inventory for a long time.

Lynch said that the change would not shutter Brown-Forman, but the effects could be great and may involve job cuts.

He said the company is fighting to remain American owned and operated, but the LIFO change could put it at a greater disadvantage compared to international liquor companies. As it is, Brown-Forman has paid effective tax rates north of 31 percent for several years, Lynch said.

At this point, Brown-Forman is not pushing for a special exemption from the LIFO change and is standing with other affected industries to block the change entirely.

Brown-Forman is part of a lobbying coalition that includes Exxon Mobil, wholesalers, wineries and grocery stores.

Working against the affected distillers is the fact that major player Jim Beam, which distills Maker’s Mark, does not use LIFO and is sitting out the fight.

Spokesman Clarkson Hine said Jim Beam is still evaluating the Obama tax plans.

[DuncanWaring]

... Congressional Bourbon Caucus ...

I never knew such a group existed.

There's a CBC I'm in favor of.

[Brandonmark]

[Aevery_Freeman]

I, too, was a computer guy. While in Europe I noticed that Jack Daniels and Marlboro Red Box were highly prized. Also, my grandfather was a moonshiner until his death in '58. Bourbon has the same cachet for me as baseball and apple pie.

I will, however, gladly bow to your greater knowledge of rums.

à ta santé

[FerociousRabbit]

“It can only be produced in Bourbon County, Kentucky.”

I agree with your sentiments 100% on the merits of bourbon but feel the need to correct a small mistake. Bourbon is produced all over central Kentucky.

Bardstown, KY is the bourbon capital of the world and is in Nelson County (home to such delights as Heavan Hills’ Evan Williams and Elijah Craig and my personal favorite, Ridgemont Reserve’s 1792). Jim Beam is in Bullitt County (with rick houses all over the place out here). Makers Mark is in Marion County.

Come to think of it, Bourbon County, KY is a silly dry county and I am not sure they even distill or rick bourbon there (anymore, anyway). They might have a lesser animal of bourbon distilled there.

From the article itself I take offense! Jack Daniels isn’t even bourbon. It is a nasty tasting Tennessee sour mash. Blech! I think that other Tennesse libation, Gentleman Jack, however, gives most Kentucky bourbons a pretty good run for their money — I hope my neighbors don’t find out I said that...

BTW, Scotch whiskey is aged in old, used boubon barrels. Why? Because scotch needs all the help it can get.

Here’s to you Aevery_Freeman, I will now raise a glass of Kentucky’s finest in your honor, a fellow connoisseur of the gentlemens’ drink of choice.

Cheers!

[ProudFossil]

I, too, was a computer guy. While in Europe I noticed that Jack Daniels and Marlboro Red Box were highly prized. Also, my grandfather was a moonshiner until his death in '58. Bourbon has the same cachet for me as baseball and apple pie. I will, however, gladly bow to your greater knowledge of rums. à ta santé

When I was doing the consulting I had to make a trip back to Illinois. I added a week and the wife and I visited several locations in central Kentucky. While driving back home through Tennessee I stopped at a small mom&pop filling station. When the owner asked where I was from (probably from my western accent) he became very friendly. I told him I would like to try some "white lightning". He expressed his regret that he had none because the last batch he had made did a number on a couple of people, including temporary blindness. Needless to say I have never drank any.

I did try a local beer from Ohio I think named "Stone City Beer". If you could stand the taste you are a miracle worker. It was the worst beer in the world. Even "Lime Lager" back in the 80's did not come close. It was the only time I threw 5 1/2 cans of beer away.

Viva la Rhum!

[FerociousRabbit]

Why would Sir Thomas Moore be saying that though, I wonder? :>)

[StAnDeliver]

"I guess these guys shouldn’t have voted for Obama."

Ky went deep red in '08 by 57-41; in that preceding primary, Hillary beat Bobo 65-29, and in some counties, Bobo received below 10% of the primary vote.

[Gilbo_3]

bourbon pingy...

[StAnDeliver]

"Come to think of it, Bourbon County, KY is a silly dry county and I am not sure they even distill or rick bourbon there (anymore, anyway)."

Bourbon Co. is not dry -- too many hardboots like the mash with their steak dinner -- but they do not distill any liquor there.

[FerociousRabbit]

Thanks. Got it bassackwards then. No bourbon distilled in Bourbon County, they just drink it.

[Aevery_Freeman]

I brew beer and wine as a hobby and a survival skill. My friends really like my homebrews and wild fruit wines often insisting that I bring them when visiting.

My brother also distills brandy using a $1000 still - family tradition, you know. Sorry you got rotgut.

Blue Mountain Stills