ALEXANDRIA, Va. –The National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA) is urging Republicans to uphold their campaign promises to permanently repeal the burdensome estate tax, or “death tax.”

In a letter to the 2004 Republican Platform Committee, NBWA President David K. Rehr wrote, “During the 2000 and 2002 election cycles a clear message was communicated by Republicans: in order for Congress to deliver death tax relief, we must take the White House and retain a stronghold in Congress. NBWA, beer wholesalers, small business organizations and millions of American business owners worked to realize that goal and continue to wait.”

Rehr asked the committee to make past campaign promises become reality by requesting that this year’s Republican platform contain the strongest possible language calling for permanent repeal of the death tax. He also requested that the U.S. Senate continue to be urged to act swiftly on this issue.

The U.S. House of Representatives has repeatedly voted to end this onerous tax on America’s small businesses. Unless the Senate takes action, permanent death tax repeal, as provided in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, will sunset in 2010 allowing the tax to return at full force January 1, 2011.Without permanent death tax repeal, family-owned businesses face an unpredictable future with regard to estate planning, the future of their businesses and the protection of their assets for future generations.

America’s beer wholesalers are family-owned and -operated businesses that have, in most cases, been passed down through the generations. The impact of the death tax threatens their livelihoods and the ability to pass their businesses on to their children. NBWA continues to support congressional leaders and their work to make death tax repeal permanency a reality.

A copy of the letter sent by NBWA is available upon request. Please contact Chris Blasinsky at cblasinsky@nbwa.org.