The Pass-Through of Beer Taxes To Prices: Evidence From State and Federal Tax Changes

Abstract

From a policy perspective, it is crucial to understand how changes in beer taxes affect retail beer prices. This study provides new evidence of the pass-through rate of state beer taxes to prices in a post-merger era. Our estimates that use state-level beer tax changes suggest that a 10-cent increase in beer taxes raises retail prices by about 17 cents. Comparable findings from the 1991 federal beer tax increase show a rise in retail beer prices of 19�22 cents. Our findings suggest that consumers fully bear the burden of increased beer taxes.

Publication
Economic Inquiry, (54), 4, pp. 1946-1962