Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is a subdivision of the Department of the Treasury responsible for enforcing and administering laws covering the production, use, and distribution of alcohol and tobacco products. The agency ensures that these products are labeled, advertised, and marketed in accordance with the law, and it collects excise taxes on alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and ammunition. It also works to prevent unfair and unlawful market practices and to protect consumers. It was established in 2003 under the Homeland Security Act. Regulation of alcohol, tobacco, and firearms have existed in some form by federal agencies since 1789.

In FY 2024,

$544M

was spent by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
In FY 2024,

<0.1%

of Dept. of the Treasury spending was by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

How much does the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau spend?

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau spent a net total of $543.9 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.041% of the $1.32 trillion spent by the Department of the Treasury, which itself was 19.5% of all federal spending. The TTB ranked third among TREAS subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau ranked third among Department of the Treasury divisions in net spending in 2024.

TREAS net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s federal spending has decreased from $740.2 million in 2003 to $543.9 million in 2024.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2003.

Yearly federal net spending by TTB, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 2003–2024

Since 2003, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's spending has decreased 26.5%, while overall spending has increased 83.3%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. TTB spending grew less than overall federal spending since 2003, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, TTB accounted for 0.008% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 2003.

Net spending by TTB as a share of federal spending, FYs 2003–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau transferred 72.4% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net TTB spending.

How did the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to TTB, FY 2024

How many people work for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau?

Some 518 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau as of September 2024. This is 2% more people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has increased 2% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for TTB, September 2010–2024

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau accounts for 0.022% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.024%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau's share of the workforce (0.022%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.008%).

Who leads the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau?

The TTB is led by an administrator. This individual is appointed by the president of the United States and does not require Senate confirmation. The TTB administrator reports to the Secretary of the Treasury. There is no fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

  • Office of Personnel Management

    FedScope

  • Office of Management and Budget and US Department of the Treasury

    Budget of the US Government and Monthly Treasury Statement

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