Florida Beer Distributor Redirects $20 Million in Taxes to Scholarship Program

J. J. Taylor Distributing Florida, Inc. recently hosted a series of events called “Cheers to Education” at their distribution centers in Tampa, Ft. Myers and Ft. Pierce to celebrate their involvement in the Step Up For Students Scholarship Program. Business leaders and elected officials from across the state joined representatives from J.J. Taylor at these networking events, where guests sampled craft brews and hors d’oeuvres pairings.

At the “Cheers to Education” events, J.J. Taylor presented their redirection of $20 million in beer excise taxes to Step Up For Students, which provides kindergarten-12^th grade scholarships to underprivileged students in Florida. J.J. Taylor joined the program as a corporate sponsor in 2011 and has pledged the largest single redirection in the history of the program, which will provide scholarships for nearly 4,850 low-income children in Florida to attend a school that best meets their learning needs.

Guests in Tampa gathered for a behind-the-scenes tour of J.J. Taylor’s distribution center, the only fully automated beer distribution center in Florida, which has approximately 1.5 million cases of beer in inventory.

“We strive to be ‘First Choice’ in our industry, and are proud to say that our efforts have enabled us to give back to our community,” said Manuel Portuondo, president and general manager of J.J. Taylor Distributing Florida. “Through this innovative program, we are able to help Florida families choose the best learning environment for their children, an option that they would otherwise not be able to afford. And it is a simple tax redirection that comes at no cost to our company, so it is truly a win-win situation for J.J. Taylor and the students who are benefitting from the scholarship program.”

Since 2002, corporations like J.J. Taylor have contributed more than $800 million to Step Up For Students. Through this program, also known at the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program, corporations are able to redirect a portion of their Florida tax liability to fund kindergarten-12^th grade scholarships, and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit for the amount they redirect.

“We are honored to have J.J. Taylor as a contributor to the program,” said Step Up For Students President Doug Tuthill. “Because of their generosity and commitment to Florida’s low-income youth, 4,836 more children will have equal opportunities in their education. Corporate partners like J.J. Taylor are helping to positively shape the futures of these children every day.”

The Step Up For Students Scholarships are worth up to $4,011 and empower low-income families to choose from approximately 1,200 private schools throughout the state, or a family can elect to use a $500 transportation scholarship to attend an out-of-district public school. Scholarships are needs based and are awarded to children whose household incomes qualify for free or reduced lunch.

To learn more about Step Up For Students, visit www.StepUpForStudents.org.

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