(a) General.

(1) Each taxpayer who was liable, during a calendar year, for a gross amount equal to or exceeding five million dollars in taxes on tobacco products, cigarette papers, and cigarette tubes combining tax liabilities incurred under this part and part 41 of this chapter, shall use a commercial bank in making payment by electronic fund transfer (EFT) of taxes on tobacco products, cigarette papers, and cigarette tubes during the succeeding calendar year. Payment of taxes on tobacco products, cigarette papers, and cigarette tubes in any other form of remittance, as authorized in §40.355, is not authorized for a taxpayer who is required, by this section, to make remittances by EFT. For purposes of this section, the dollar amount of tax liability is defined as the gross tax liability on all taxable withdrawals and importations (including tobacco products, cigarette papers, and cigarette tubes brought into the United States from Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands) during the calendar year, without regard to any drawbacks, credits, or refunds, for all premises from which such activities are conducted by the taxpayer. Overpayments are not taken into account in summarizing the gross tax liability.

(2) For the purposes of this section, a taxpayer includes a controlled group of corporations, as defined in 26 U.S.C. 1563, and implementing regulations in 26 CFR §§1.563-1 through 1.1563-4. Also, the rules for a “controlled group of corporations” apply in a similar fashion to groups which include partnerships and/or sole proprietorships. If one entity maintains more than 50% control over a group consisting of corporations and one, or more, partnerships and/or sole proprietorships, all of the members of the controlled group are one taxpayer for the purpose of determining who is required to make remittances by EFT.

(3) A taxpayer who is required by this section to make remittances by EFT shall make a separate EFT remittance and file a separate return, TTB Form 5000.24, for each factory from which cigarette papers or cigarette tubes are withdrawn upon determination of tax.

(b) Requirements.

(1) On or before January 10 of each calendar year, except for a taxpayer already remitting the tax by EFT, each taxpayer who was liable for a gross amount equal to or exceeding five million dollars in taxes on tobacco products, cigarette papers, and cigarette tubes combining tax liabilities incurred under this part and part 41 of this chapter during the previous calendar year, shall notify, in writing, the appropriate TTB officer. The notice shall be an agreement to make remittances by EFT.

(2) For each return filed in accordance with this part, the taxpayer shall direct the taxpayer's bank to make an electronic fund transfer in the amount of the taxpayment to the Department of the Treasury's General Account or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as provided in paragraph (e) of this section. The request shall be made to the bank early enough for the transfer to be made to the Treasury Account by no later than the close of business on the last day for filing the return, prescribed in §40.355. The request shall take into account any time limit established by the bank.

(3) If a taxpayer was liable for less than five million dollars in taxes on tobacco products, cigarette papers, and cigarette tubes combining tax liabilities incurred under this part and part 41 of this chapter during the preceding calendar year, the taxpayer may choose either to continue remitting the tax as provided in this section or to remit the tax with the return as prescribed by §40.355. Upon filing the first return on which the taxpayer chooses to discontinue remitting the tax by EFT and to begin remitting the tax with the tax return, the taxpayer shall notify the appropriate TTB officer by attaching a written notification to TTB Form 5000.24, stating that no taxes are due by EFT, because the tax liability during the preceding calendar year was less than five million dollars, and that the remittance shall be filed with the tax return.

(c) Remittance.

(1) Each taxpayer shall show on the return, TTB Form 5000.24, information about remitting the tax for that return period by EFT and shall file the return with TTB, in accordance with the instructions of TTB Form 5000.24.

(2) Remittances shall be considered as made when the taxpayment by EFT is received by the Treasury Account. For purposes of this section, a taxpayment by EFT shall be considered as received by the Treasury Account when it is paid to a Federal Reserve Bank.

(3) When the taxpayer directs the bank to effect an EFT message as required by paragraph (b)(2) of this section, any transfer data record furnished to the taxpayer, through normal banking procedures, will serve as the record of payment, and shall be retained as part of required records.

(d) Failure to make a taxpayment by EFT. The taxpayer is subject to a penalty imposed by 26 U.S.C. 5761, 6651, or 6656, as applicable, for failure to make a taxpayment by EFT on or before the close of business on the prescribed last day for filing.

(e) Procedure. Upon the notification required under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the appropriate TTB officer will issue to the taxpayer an TTB Procedure entitled Payment of Tax by Electronic Fund Transfer. This publication outlines the procedure a taxpayer is to follow when preparing returns and EFT remittances in accordance with this part. The U.S. Customs Service will provide the taxpayer with instructions for preparing EFT remittances for payments to be made to the U.S. Customs Service.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1512-0457)

(Act of August 16, 1954, 68A Stat. 775, as amended (26 U.S.C. 6302); sec. 202, Pub. L. 85-859, 72 Stat. 1417, as amended (26 U.S.C. 5703))

[T.D. ATF-384, 61 FR 54085, Oct. 17, 1996, as amended by T.D. TTB-16, 69 FR 52423, Aug. 26, 2004; T.D. TTB-91, 76 FR 5480, Feb. 1, 2011]