In Albany, New York, a recently passed tax extenders bill stops taxing cider like higher alcohol wine and champagne, which is subject to a luxury tax; this can benefit the orchards that provide apples used to make the cider.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said there were more than 200 apple orchards that could reap benefits from the tax cuts in the greater Capital Region, including 30 in Saratoga County and 23 in Rensselaer County. The state overall has 1,365 orchards on more than 47,000 acres of farmland.
The state is the second largest producer of apples in the U.S., harvesting 29.5 million bushels. In recent years, many apple producers have started brewing hard cider, which was once a widely popular drink in the U.S. and remains a favorite in Europe.
Schumer said the state’s big apple crop positions New York to be the center of the growing hard cider industry.
“Now that this legislation has been passed, apples that would have otherwise been sold at a loss or thrown away will be ripe for the cider press,” Schumer said. “By modernizing the definition of hard cider, our hard cider industry will pay less in taxes and be able to expand and compete.”
Source: oneidadispatch.com
