SoCal Homebrew Fest Needs Your Help

[LabRatBrewer]

The bill made it through the Assembly and is now in the Senate. First reading done. I believe there are three readings, a vote/consent calendar, then if it doesn't get any amendments that need to reconciled with the Assembly version it should go to the Governor.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Where we are now: Engrossing and Enrolling. This means that upon final passage by both houses, the Engrossing and Enrolling Clerk enrolls and transmits this legislation to the Governor and the Secretary of State, respectively.

CURRENT BILL STATUS


MEASURE : A.B. No. 2609
AUTHOR(S) : Nestande (Coauthors: Mansoor, Waldron, and Wilk)
(Coauthor: Senator Knight).
TOPIC : Home brewers and home winemakers.
HOUSE LOCATION : ASM
+LAST AMENDED DATE : 07/01/2014


TYPE OF BILL :
Active
Non-Urgency
Non-Appropriations
Majority Vote Required
State-Mandated Local Program
Fiscal
Non-Tax Levy

LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 08/11/2014
LAST HIST. ACTION : Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and
Enrolling.
COMM. LOCATION : SEN APPROPRIATIONS
COMM. ACTION DATE : 06/23/2014
COMM. ACTION : Senate Rule 28.8.

TITLE : An act to amend Section 23356.2 of the Business and
Professions Code, relating to alcoholic beverages.

 

[MrNatural]

August 22, 2014

Dear California AHA Member,

On Thursday, August 21, Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 2609, a bill to allow homebrewer organizations to host homebrew events in the state of California like the Southern California Homebrewers Festival and the AHA National Homebrewers Conference. The new law goes into effect January 1, 2015.

Thank you to everyone who communicated with legislators over the past year in support of this legislation. Particular thanks go to the bill sponsors: Assembly Members Brian Nestande, Allan Mansoor, Marie Waldron and Scott Wilk, and Senator Steve Knight, as well as Nanette Farag and Tim Townsend from Assembly Member Nestande’s staff. Thanks also to Christy Elshof and the California Homebrewers Association for spearheading this effort.

Sincerely,

Gary Glass
Director
American Homebrewers Association

 

[DrunkleJon]

Good to hear.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Thanks for all the letters you wrote. Its not a perfect law, and its a shame the ABC made us waste so much time an effort by over-reaching in the first place. Nonetheless, it looks like the festival (and NHC San Diego 2015) can proceed.

 

[MarPaul]

Awesome! Just when I thought there was no hope for this state, we do get it right once in a while!

 

[Gameface]

Good to beer!

 

[roadx]

Awesome! Just when I thought there was no hope for this state, we do get it right once in a while!

wow im surprised as well. looking forward to 2015 and the Southern California Home-brewers Festival and the AHA National Home-brewers Conference

 

[pharmer1]

Interesting. All the sponsors were Republicans. Both houses are 2/3 Democrat and a Democrat Governor. Looks like the parties can work together for good occasionally. Now if they could stop eroding gun rights. Just an observation; don't flame.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

The Southern California Homebrew Festival returns the First weekend in May! You need to be a member to buy a ticket. (Membership is currently $10 for the rest of this year and next, and the festival tickets will be sold separately to members only). It will be held at Vail Lake Resort. It is going to be a great festival! Thanks to everyone who helped get the legislation passed to allow us to return.

 

[Phunhog]

The Southern California Homebrew Festival returns the First weekend in May! You need to be a member to buy a ticket. (Membership is currently $10 for the rest of this year and next, and the festival tickets will be sold separately to members only). It will be held at Vail Lake Resort. It is going to be a great festival! Thanks to everyone who helped get the legislation passed to allow us to return.

Happy to see that it is taking place again.....but bummed it is moving down to Temecula. Probably won't go....especially with the NHC happening the following month. I like that the SCHF is just for "us" but would still would love to see a homebrew festival that is open to the general public. It would seem like with the number of beer festivals it is a distinct possibility.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Fest is fast approaching. Ticket sales have to stop early (April 17th), just a heads up. http://www.calhomebrewers.org/2015-schf-registration-now-open/

Thanks again to everyone who helped bring it back.

 

[Phunhog]

Fest is fast approaching. Ticket sales have to stop early (April 17th), just a heads up. http://www.calhomebrewers.org/2015-schf-registration-now-open/

Thanks again to everyone who helped bring it back.

With the new law change I have an idea that would be of great value to the membership. The CHA is a registered non profit (charity). So any donations I make to the to the CHA would be deductible on my taxes. This includes cash (membership dues) as well as "in kind" donations such as beer for the upcoming festival. It would be great if the CHA handed out some sort of donation receipt to all the brewers for tax purposes.
I have been donating beer to local charity events since the law changed. They usually send me a nice letter thanking me for my donation that I can use for tax purposes. It is probably too much for the CHA to right a personalized letter to each donor but a generic receipt like what you get at Goodwill would probably work. Something to consider.....

 

[LabRatBrewer]

With the new law change I have an idea that would be of great value to the membership. The CHA is a registered non profit (charity). So any donations I make to the to the CHA would be deductible on my taxes. This includes cash (membership dues) as well as "in kind" donations such as beer for the upcoming festival. It would be great if the CHA handed out some sort of donation receipt to all the brewers for tax purposes.
I have been donating beer to local charity events since the law changed. They usually send me a nice letter thanking me for my donation that I can use for tax purposes. It is probably too much for the CHA to right a personalized letter to each donor but a generic receipt like what you get at Goodwill would probably work. Something to consider.....

I have no idea whether the beer at fest could be a tax deduction, but I will forward your suggestion to the complete board.

 

[xghfy]

There should be little change to your circumsatnces and I do belive you are completely correct that it is the ABC's interpritation that is wrong

 

[LabRatBrewer]

With the new law change I have an idea that would be of great value to the membership. The CHA is a registered non profit (charity). So any donations I make to the to the CHA would be deductible on my taxes. This includes cash (membership dues) as well as "in kind" donations such as beer for the upcoming festival. It would be great if the CHA handed out some sort of donation receipt to all the brewers for tax purposes.
I have been donating beer to local charity events since the law changed. They usually send me a nice letter thanking me for my donation that I can use for tax purposes. It is probably too much for the CHA to right a personalized letter to each donor but a generic receipt like what you get at Goodwill would probably work. Something to consider.....

Still looking into your question. Just a thought: one difference is that this is a members only event, closed to the public, and the donors drink all the donations. There is no selling the beer for a charity here.

 

[Phunhog]

Still looking into your question. Just a thought: one difference is that this is a members only event, closed to the public, and the donors drink all the donations. There is no selling the beer for a charity here.

Well that is something that has always seemed a little weird. Not only do I have to bring beer I have to buy a ticket to drink my beer At Casitas I knew a ton of people who went who didn't brew or even bring beer. Yet we paid the same price for a ticket. The whole "members only" is really only a way to get around the law. Charge 10 dollars for a membership plus 25 dollars for a ticket vs. 35 dollars for a ticket. Going forward the ABC has determined that yes.....the SCHF is "selling" beer as a charity because money is changing hands otherwise they wouldn't require a one day license.
It just seems like providing some sort of donation receipt is the right thing for the CHA to do. They are a fully registered 501c3 and any and all donations cash or "in kind" should be fully tax deductible as the law allows. Thanks for persuing this!!

 

[DrunkleJon]

I think the hardest part of the receipt/tax deductableness would be placing a value on the homebrew donated. Since Homebrew is not typically sold (by law) what scale would these donations be based off of? The Macrobrews where a bottle is <$1 a bottle, or are we getting up to the craft pricing of something ridiculous like Heady and go $8 for a 12 oz portion? Maybe by cost of ingredients? but then again that would be a pain to determine and file.

 

[Phunhog]

I think the hardest part of the receipt/tax deductableness would be placing a value on the homebrew donated. Since Homebrew is not typically sold (by law) what scale would these donations be based off of? The Macrobrews where a bottle is <$1 a bottle, or are we getting up to the craft pricing of something ridiculous like Heady and go $8 for a 12 oz portion? Maybe by cost of ingredients? but then again that would be a pain to determine and file.

You are right it could be difficult but that part is on the donor. Just like when I donate stuff to Goodwill they just give me a receipt with what I donated. It is up to me to assign a value to the donation. When I did my taxes I only write off the supplies that go into making the beer....since it doesn't have any commercial value.

 

[Phunhog]

Ended up not going to the fest but curious if they provided donation receipts......

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Ended up not going to the fest but curious if they provided donation receipts......

I didn't see anyone providing donation receipts, nor do I recall overhearing anyone discuss it.

 

[Phunhog]

I didn't see anyone providing donation receipts, nor do I recall overhearing anyone discuss it.

That is unfortunate. Since the law change I have been donating beer to several charity events. These charities have always given me a donation receipt for tax purposes. It is small thing that shows the charity actually values and appreciates your donation.

 

[tkirkpatrick124]

Lame ass government, once more sticking their dirty grubby hands into our everyday lives and hobbies where it is of no concern :/

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

That is unfortunate. Since the law change I have been donating beer to several charity events. These charities have always given me a donation receipt for tax purposes. It is small thing that shows the charity actually values and appreciates your donation.

The CHA isn't a charity, is it?

Reading the text of AB 2609, we were allowed this event as a bona fide exhibition, not as a charity.

 

[Phunhog]

The CHA isn't a charity, is it?

Reading the text of AB 2609, we were allowed this event as a bona fide exhibition, not as a charity.

Well the CHA is a legal 501c (3)....educational non profit IIRC. In fact that the only way to get a one day alcohol permit is to be a legal non profit. The reason the law was written that way was so that any ol' homebrew club couldn't just say they are going to have an "exhibition".
Maybe it is just me...but if I am going to go through the trouble/expense of brewing up some kegs I would rather donate them to a charity event that can make some money. I know up in Humboldt they have an event called Homebrew for Hunger. It is a bunch of clubs/individuals that pour homebrew and all proceeds go to a charity. Plus the brewers get in free. Personally I would really like to see the SCHF go in that direction.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Well the CHA is a legal 501c (3)....educational non profit IIRC. In fact that the only way to get a one day alcohol permit is to be a legal non profit. The reason the law was written that way was so that any ol' homebrew club couldn't just say they are going to have an "exhibition".
Maybe it is just me...but if I am going to go through the trouble/expense of brewing up some kegs I would rather donate them to a charity event that can make some money. I know up in Humboldt they have an event called Homebrew for Hunger. It is a bunch of clubs/individuals that pour homebrew and all proceeds go to a charity. Plus the brewers get in free. Personally I would really like to see the SCHF go in that direction.

Phunhog,
I like your idea and brought it up with the board. We are looking into it for next year. There are two separate sections in the new law. We were not pouring under the charity section, but rather the exhibition. There is no fund raising and the beer is consumed by the members. We need to reach out to a tax person and clarify whether the beer can be a tax donation. If it can, then perhaps we can provide the forms. At any rate, I am glad you are brewing for the charities, they sound like they are doing good work.

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Thank you again to everyone who helped us get the fest back. It was a great weekend! It was nice to meet bwarbiany and everyone else.