B.C. has announced new incentives geared at helping small breweries grow.
The policy change revises B.C.'s beer mark-up rate.
Previously, brewers who made more than 160,000 hectolitres (hL) of beer ceased to qualify for favourable mark-up rates. A small brewery producing 160,001 hL was taxed $1.75 per litre for packaged beer and $1.20 per litre for draft beer for all beer produced, including the first 160,000 hL.
According to the government, the change now creates "favourable" mark-up rates up to 300,000 hL, with the mark-up rate increasing incrementally between 160,000 and 300,000 hL brewed. Under the revised policy, the per-litre mark-up rate at 160,000 hL is $1.16 for packaged beer and $0.81 for draft beer.
According to the government, seven B.C.-based breweries are positioned to benefit from the revised mark-up policy.
Ian Galbraith from Stanley Park Brewery welcomed the change.
"Changes like this will go a long way towards supporting smaller craft breweries that contribute significantly to local economies in British Columbia," he said in a government statement. "These types of incentives for Stanley Park Brewery will lead to increased production which translates into the creation of more local jobs and further investment in British Columbia."
