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Allegheny County Alcoholic Beverage Tax

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The Allegheny County Alcoholic Beverage Tax is a county tax on retail sale of alcoholic beverages within Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

The tax, a 10% levy on served alcohol, was passed by the Allegheny County Council and signed into law by Dan Onorato, Allegheny County's Chief Executive on December 4, 2007.[1] On January 1, 2009, the tax rate was reduced to 7%.[1] The tax is collected at the point of sale by restaurants and bars and is collected by Allegheny County Treasurer on a monthly basis.[1] The funds were dedicated to fund the Port Authority of Allegheny County.

The tax encountered significant resistance and spawned an organized advocacy group called Friends Against Counter-Productive Taxation (FACT).[2][3] The organization was able to have a referendum placed on the ballot to lower the drink tax, but it was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.[4] In 2009, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl expressed a desire to acquire a portion of this tax for the city's failing pension system, a possibility that Allegheny County officials opposed, citing that the state law authorizing the tax required the money to be directed towards the Port Authority of Allegheny County.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Allegheny County Alcoholic Beverage Tax Official Rules and Regulations" (PDF). www.alleghenycounty.us. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-11-13.
  2. ^ Young, Chris (October 25, 2007). "Whiskey Rebellion II". Pittsburgh City Paper.
  3. ^ "Drink Tax Opponents Kick Off "Whiskey Rebellion"". WPXI. June 17, 2008. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
  4. ^ "State Supreme Court bars Allegheny County drink-tax referendums". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 3, 2009.
  5. ^ Brandolph, Adam (December 4, 2009). "Pittsburgh mayor wants cut of Allegheny County's 7 percent drink tax". Pittsburgh Tribune Review.[permanent dead link]
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