ALEXANDRIA, Va. - A majority of registered, bipartisan American voters believe that the federal death tax should be permanently eliminated, and 57 percent of voters would be more likely to support their U.S. Senator if he or she voted as such, according to a recent nationwide poll [1] conducted by the Tarrance Group.

“Voters representing both sides of the aisle have spoken,” said National Beer Wholesalers Association President David Rehr. “The House of Representatives has repeatedly voted to end this onerous tax on America’s small businesses, and now it’s the Senate’s turn. The death tax is bad for our nation’s economy, stifles job growth and cripples the spirit of American entrepreneurship.”

Unless the U.S. Senate takes action, permanent death tax repeal – as provided in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 – will sunset in 2010 and return at full force on January 1, 2011.

“While the Senate continues to drag its feet on this issue, small business owners are forced to divert dollars from increasing jobs and growing the business to pay for lawyers, estate planners and accountants to navigate the government’s red tape,” said Rehr.

The poll also revealed that by a more than two to one margin (54 percent) Americans favor repealing the death tax over all other tax cuts or repeals considered by Congress this year, including the alternative minimum tax (AMT), foreign sales corporation/extra-territorial income (FSC/ETI) taxes or lower corporate tax rates.

“Recently, the Senate readily passed a $170 billion dollar tax bill that includes tax breaks for foreign dog-race gamblers, bow-and-arrow makers, cruise ship operators and NASCAR track owners to name a few. The Senate is now even more obligated to vote to kill the death tax,” said Rehr.

America’s beer wholesalers are family-owned and -operated businesses that have, in most cases, been passed down through the generations since the repeal of Prohibition. The resurgence of the federal death tax continues to threaten their livelihood and their ability to pass the business on to their children. NBWA continues to urge congressional leaders to make death tax repeal permanency legislation a priority by sending it to President Bush for his signature.