Big Wins

Recent Activity from
WRA at the State Capitol:
BIG WINS
for small business mean
BIG SAVINGS
for you!

WE HEARD YOUR CHALLENGES AND WE ADVOCATED FOR YOU

Personal Property Tax is Officially Repealed

You will no longer pay your local municipality personal property taxes on equipment, fixtures and furnishings. Goodbye to this archaic law!
Savings will vary but we’ve heard the range can be from $450 - $21,000 PER LOCATION each & every year!

What This Means to You

Effective in the 2024 tax year, your business will no longer pay personal property taxes on equipment, fixtures and furnishings
You still have to pay 2023’s taxes in 2024. But you’ll start enjoying the financial savings in 2025!

Retailers collect sales tax from the public on behalf of state and local governments and are given a “retailers allowance” as compensation for the costs they incur in collecting the tax.
With credit card swipe fees increasing, WRA successfully advocated for a higher discount on the retailer’s allowance.

What This Means to You

As of October 1, 2023 retailers may deduct for administrative expenses a discount of 0.75%, up to $8,000 (previously $1,000) of the sales and use tax payable for that reporting period.

A third-party food delivery service can no longer list a restaurant’s name, address or logo without consent.
Food delivery service drivers are required to have knowledge of basic food safety principles.
Third-party delivery services are required to share data with the restaurant about the content of orders and the times that orders are placed.
Third party delivery companies will incur progressive fines if they do not abide by the law.

What This Means to You

Effective July 1, 2024, third party delivery companies will not be able to deliver food for your restaurant without your consent.
If a third party delivery company does not abide by the new law, they will incur progressive fines.
You can register a complaint with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection without incurring legal fees.

Act 73 (the Omnibus Alcohol Bill) brings many needed updates to Wisconsin’s alcohol statutes including legalizing common industry practices.
The new law creates a dedicated Division of Alcohol Beverages (DAB) at the Department of Revenue which will oversee enforcement and provide resources for both municipalities and industry.

What This Means to You

Effective May 1, 2024, the practice of restaurants and bars batching cocktails is finally legal.
- You can batch cocktails in containers up to 5 gallons
- Containers must be labeled with ingredients or recipe name
- Containers can only be stored for less than 48 hours
  Details on Requirements of the new law: Batching Cocktails
A new statewide Operators (Bartender) Permit will be created January 1, 2025.
Bar time during the Republican National Convention will be extended for 14 southeast Wisconsin counties effective December 8, 2023.
Effective May 1, 2024, you can recork unfinished bottles of wine for customers to take home whether the bottle has a cork or screw cap.
Effective May 1, 2024, there will no longer be a felony penalty for restaurants who purchase beer from a Class A retailer. The new law lowers the penalty from a felony to a civil forfeiture not to exceed $100 for a restaurant to purchase 15 cases of beer a month from a Class A retailer without going through a wholesaler.

Have questions on this?
Reach out to our AskWRA Team.