Maryland Alcohol Tax Stagnates Sales - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

MARYLAND - Liquor sales have flattened in Maryland, and the alcohol industry is blaming the state's new 9 percent tax. 

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, in Maryland, there's only been a .2 percent increase in sales, well below the national average of 3.1%.  That's even farther away from Delaware's  8.8 increase over the past year.

One local business owner who's shop is just off the Maryland-Delaware line in Delmar, Maryland says he's seen nearly a 50% decline in business, "if I put it in a dollar, lets say I was doing about $300 a day, I'm doing about $125/120 if I'm lucky.  If its a good day.  The slowest days, I don't think so, I don't make that much."

That shop owner says many times, customers will come up to the counter with beer or wine and leave the store once they realize they're still in Maryland, and not tax free Delaware.