(a) General rule. If, on or after October 1, 1966, a tire or inner tube is delivered by the manufacturer thereof to a retail outlet of the manufacturer, the manufacturer is liable for tax in respect of the tire or tube at the rate set forth in section 4071 in the same manner as if the tire or tube had been sold at the time it was delivered to the retail outlet. The amount of tax payable shall be computed in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b)(2) of §48.4071-1, and of §48.4071-2.

(b) Definition of retail outlet. For purposes of this section, the term “retail outlet” includes the term “retail store.” A retail outlet is a facility maintained by a manufacturer for selling tires or tubes at retail. A facility may be a retail outlet even though some sales are made at wholesale at such facility; see paragraph (d)(1) of this section. A facility may also be considered to a retail outlet for the purposes of this section notwithstanding that its main activity is in another area than selling tires or inner tubes. For example, if a manufacturer operates a facility for both automotive repair and the selling of tires at retail, the facility is considered a retail outlet for the purposes of this section even if the primary activity of the facility is automotive repair. No facility is considered a retail outlet for the purposes of this section if it is determined that less than 15 percent of the taxable tires and inner tubes removed from such facility are sold at retail by such facility. The determination described in the preceding sentence is made on the basis of the experience of a representative period, of at least 12 consecutive calendar months during the 2-year period immediately preceding the first day included in the return period for which tax under section 4071(b) is reported. If a facility has not been in existence during such a 12-month period, the determination is made on the basis of the available experience of the manufacturer. See also paragraph (c)(3) of this section, relating to imposition of tax where a retail outlet is maintained as an adjunct to a production facility or distribution center.

(c) Delivery—(1) In general. A manufacturer of tires or inner tubes may, at its option, treat either of the following events as constituting delivery to a retail outlet:

(i) Delivery of tires or inner tubes to a common carrier (or, where the tires or tubes are transported by the manufacturer, the placing of the tires or tubes into the manufacturer's over-the-road vehicle) for shipment from the plant in which the tires or tubes are manufactured, or from a regional distribution center of tires and inner tubes, to a retail outlet or to a location in the immediate vicinity of a retail outlet primarily for future delivery to the retail outlet.

(ii) Arrival of the tires or tubes at the retail outlet, or, where shipment is to a location in the immediate vicinity of a retail outlet primarily for future delivery to the retail outlet, the arrival of the tires or tubes at such location.

In its excise tax return for the first return period beginning after September 30, 1966, a manufacturer of tires or inner tubes must elect to determine the date of delivery to retail outlets in accordance with one of the two subdivisions of this paragraph (c)(1) and must determine the dates of all deliveries made to all retail outlets in accordance with the subdivision which the manufacturer has elected to apply. The election may be made in a statement attached to the return for such period. Having elected to treat one of the events listed in subdivision (i) or (ii) of this paragraph (c)(1) as constituting delivery to a retail outlet for purposes of its return for the first return period after September 30, 1966, the manufacturer may not use a different criterion for a subsequent return period unless permission of the district director is obtained in advance.

(2)  Deliveries made in the immediate vicinity of a retail outlet primarily for future delivery to the retail outlet. (i) For purposes of this section, any delivery which is made in the immediate vicinity of a retail outlet primarily for future delivery to the retail outlet is deemed to be a delivery to the retail outlet. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, a location is considered to be in the immediate vicinity of a retail outlet if the distance between the location and the retail outlet is sufficiently small so that it is feasible to transport tires and inner tubes between the location and the retail outlet by means of dollies, fork lift trucks, pushcarts, and similar vehicles of the type normally used around the premises of factories and similar establishments, as opposed to highway motor vehicles. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, it is immaterial that a public thoroughfare must be used in order to transport tires or inner tubes to a retail outlet from another location. Tires and inner tubes delivered to a location in the immediate vicinity of a retail outlet are considered to be delivered to the location “primarily for future delivery” to the retail outlet if it is determined that a majority (by number) of the tires and tubes removed from the location are delivered to the retail outlet. The determination described in the preceding sentence is made on the basis of the experience of a representative period of at least 12 consecutive calendar months during the 2-year period immediately preceding the first day included in the return period for which tax under section 4071(b) is reported. If a facility has not been in existence during such a 12-month period, the determination is made on the basis of the available experience of the manufacturer. If it is determined that the majority of all tires and inner tubes removed from a given location are delivered to a retail outlet of the manufacturer in the immediate vicinity of the location, tax is imposed upon all tires and tubes delivered by the manufacturer to the location, even though all or part of the tires or tubes comprising a particular shipment to the location may be intended for further transportation to a location other than the retail outlet. If it is determined that a majority of all tires and inner tubes removed from a given location are not delivered to a retail outlet of the manufacturer in the immediate vicinity of the location, tax is imposed upon the removal of a tire or inner tube from the location to the premises of the retail outlet. See also paragraph (d)(2) of this section, relating to sales by the manufacturer at facilities other than retail outlets.

(ii) The provisions of this paragraph (c)(2) may be illustrated by the following examples.

(3) Retail outlet maintained as adjunct of production or distribution facility. If a retail outlet is maintained as an adjunct to and in the immediate vicinity of a facility which is not a retail outlet (as, for example, a production plant or a regional distribution center), delivery to the retail outlet is deemed to occur at the earlier of:

(i) The date when a tire or inner tube is removed from the general storage facilities in the facility which is not a retail outlet for transfer to the premises of the retail outlet, or

(ii) The date when a tire or inner tube is designated to be sold by or at the retail outlet.

(d) Special rules—(1) Retail outlets which also sell at wholesale. Tax applies to all shipments of tires and inner tubes delivered to a retail outlet as defined in paragraph (b)(2) of this section. Thus, for the purposes of section 4071(b) and this section, it is immaterial that all or part of the tires or inner tubes of a particular delivery to a retail outlet are intended for sale at wholesale. See also paragraph (d)(3) of this section.

(2) Sales by manufacturer at facilities other than retail outlets. Sales by the manufacturer of tires and inner tubes at facilities other than retail outlets are subject to tax under section 4071(a).

(3) Deliveries of tires or tubes on which tax has been previously imposed.

(i) Tax is not imposed under section 4071(b) and this section on any tire or inner tube in respect of which there was previously imposed a tax under section 4071(a). Similarly, a tire or inner tube is taxed only once under section 4071(b) and this section.

(ii) The provisions of this paragraph (d)(3) may be illustrated by the following example:

(Secs. 4071(b), 4071(c), 4073(c), and 7805, Internal Revenue Code of 1954. (80 Stat. 331, 26 U.S.C. 4071(b); 68A Stat. 482, 26 U.S.C. 4071(c); 70 Stat. 389, 26 U.S.C. 4073(c); 68A Stat. 917, 26 U.S.C. 7805))

[T.D. 7809, 47 FR 6005, Feb. 10, 1982]