In general, chapter 52 of the Internal
Revenue Code (IRC, 26 U.S.C. chapter 52) imposes Federal excise tax
on all tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes manufactured
in, or imported into, the United States, while exempting such
articles removed for export, as well as all processed tobacco, from
that tax. Export warehouses receive and store such non-taxpaid
articles until they are removed without payment of tax for export
to a foreign country, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, or
for consumption beyond the internal revenue laws of the United
States. In addition, the IRC, at 26 U.S.C. 5721, requires export
warehouse proprietors to take an inventory of all tobacco products,
cigarette papers and tubes, and processed tobacco on hand at the
commencement of business, the conclusion of business, and at other
times as the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe by
regulation. Under that IRC authority, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax
and Trade Bureau (TTB) regulations in 27 CFR part 44 require export
warehouse proprietors to make opening and closing inventories, as
well as inventories at the time of certain changes in ownership and
control of the business. The regulations also require export
warehouse proprietors to make a special inventory when required by
the appropriate TTB officer. Export warehouse proprietors report
inventories on TTB F 5220.3, Inventory—Export Warehouse Proprietor.
Proprietors supply one copy of the report to TTB and keep one copy
at their business premises. As authorized by 26 U.S.C. 5741, the
TTB regulations require proprietors to retain their copies of these
inventory reports for 3 years following the close of the calendar
year in which the inventory was taken, and they must make these
reports available for inspection by any appropriate TTB officer
upon request. TTB uses the collected information to protect the
revenue. Because export warehouse proprietors hold untaxed tobacco
products and cigarette papers and tubes until such articles are
exported without payment of tax, transferred in bond to another
export warehouse, or returned to the manufacturer, TTB uses these
inventories to establish a contingent Federal excise tax liability
on such articles held by a proprietor. These inventories also aid
TTB in detecting diversion of untaxed articles into the taxable
domestic market. In addition, inventories of processed tobacco,
which is not subject to tax, help TTB detect and prevent diversion
of materials used for making tobacco products to unauthorized
manufacturers who would not be accountable to TTB.
US Code:
26
USC 5721 Name of Law: Internal Revenue Code
US Code: 26
USC 5741 Name of Law: Internal Revenue Code
There are no program changes
associated with this collection. As for adjustments, due to a
change in agency estimates resulting from a decrease in the number
of export warehouse proprietors, TTB is reducing the number of
annual respondents and responses to this information collection
from 86 to 80, and, as a result, is decreasing the estimated total
burden for this collection, from 430 to 400 hours.
$0
No
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Jesse Longbrake 202
453-2265
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.