(a) Requirement for filing. This section governs payment of tax on a deferred basis. Each brewer must pay the tax on beer (unless prepaid) by return on Form 5000.24. The brewer must file Form 5000.24 as a return regardless of whether tax has been prepaid as provided in §25.175 during the return period. The brewer must file a return on Form 5000.24 for each return period even though no beer was removed for consumption or sale.

(b) Payment of tax. The brewer must include for payment with the return the full amount of tax required to be determined (and which has not been prepaid) on all beer removed for consumption or sale during the period covered by the return.

(c) Return periods—

(1) Semimonthly return period. Except in the case of a taxpayer who qualifies for annual or quarterly return periods as provided in paragraphs (c)(2) or (c)(3) of this section, all taxpayers must use semimonthly return periods for deferred payment of tax. The semimonthly return periods run from the brewer's business day beginning on the first day of each month through the brewer's business day beginning on the 15th day of that month, and from the brewer's business day beginning on the 16th day of the month through the brewer's business day beginning on the last day of the month, except as otherwise provided in §25.164a.

(2) Annual return period. Subject to paragraph (b)(4) of this section, a taxpayer who reasonably expects to be liable for not more than $1,000 in taxes with respect to beer imposed by 26 U.S.C. 5051 and 7652 in the current calendar year, and that was liable for not more than $1,000 in such taxes in the preceding calendar year, may choose to use an annual return period. However, the taxpayer may not use the annual return period procedure for any portion of the calendar year following the first date on which the aggregate amount of tax due from the taxpayer during the calendar year exceeds $1,000, and any tax which has not been paid on that date will be due on the 14th day after the last day of the quarterly or semimonthly period in which that date occurs.

(3) Quarterly return period. A taxpayer may choose to use a quarterly return period if the taxpayer was not liable for more than $50,000 in taxes with respect to beer imposed by 26 U.S.C. 5051 and 7652 in the preceding calendar year and if that taxpayer reasonably expects to be liable for not more than $50,000 in such taxes during the current calendar year. In such a case the last day for paying the tax and filing the return will be the 14th day after the last day of the calendar quarter. However, the taxpayer may not use the quarterly return period procedure for any portion of the calendar year following the first date on which the aggregate amount of tax due from the taxpayer during the calendar year exceeds $50,000, and any tax that has not been paid on that date will be due on the 14th day after the last day of the semimonthly period in which that date occurs.

(4) Additional rules for annual and quarterly return periods. The following additional rules apply to the annual and quarterly return period procedure under this section:

(i) A “taxpayer” is an individual, corporation, partnership, or other entity that is assigned a single Employer Identification Number as defined in 26 CFR 301.7701-12;

(ii) “Reasonably expects” means that there is no existing or anticipated circumstance known to the taxpayer (such as an increase in production capacity) that would cause the taxpayer's tax liability to exceed the prescribed limit;

(iii) A taxpayer with multiple locations must combine the beer tax liability for all locations to determine eligibility for the return procedures;

(iv) A taxpayer who has both domestic operations and import transactions must combine the beer tax liability on the domestic operations and the imports to determine eligibility for the return procedures;

(v) The controlled group rules of 26 U.S.C. 5061(e), which concern treatment of controlled groups as one taxpayer, do not apply for purposes of determining eligibility for the return procedures. However, a taxpayer who is eligible for the return procedures, and who is a member of a controlled group that owes $5 million or more in beer excise taxes per year, is required to pay taxes by electronic fund transfer (EFT). Payments via EFT must be transmitted in accordance with section 5061(e);

(vi) A new taxpayer is eligible to use the return procedures in the first year of business simply if the taxpayer reasonably expects to be liable for not more than $1,000 (in the case of the annual return procedure) or $50,000 (in the case of the quarterly return procedure) in beer taxes during that calendar year; and

(vii) If a taxpayer becomes ineligible to use a return procedure prescribed in paragraph (c)(2) or (c)(3) of this section because the taxpayer's liability exceeds $1,000 or $50,000, respectively, during a taxable year, that taxpayer may resume using that return procedure only after a full calendar year has passed during which the taxpayer's liability did not exceed $1,000 or $50,000, as the case may be. A taxpayer may not use an annual or quarterly return procedure during any calendar year in which the taxpayer reasonably expects to be liable for more than $1,000, in the case of the annual return procedure, or $50,000, in the case of the quarterly return procedure, in beer taxes.

(d) Time for filing returns and paying tax. Except as otherwise provided in §25.164a for semimonthly tax returns, the brewer must file the tax return, TTB F 5000.24, for each return period, and make remittance as required by this section, not later than the 14th day after the last day of the return period. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the return and remittance are due on the immediately preceding day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, except as otherwise provided in §25.164a(c).

(e) Timely filing.

(1) When the brewer sends the semimonthly, quarterly, or annual tax return, Form 5000.24, by U.S. mail, in accordance with the instructions on the form, as required by this section, with remittance as provided for in this section, or without remittance as provided for in §25.165, the date of the official postmark of the United States Postal Service stamped on the cover in which the return and remittance were mailed is considered the date of delivery of the return and the date of delivery of the remittance, if enclosed with the return. When the postmark on the cover is illegible, the burden is on the brewer to prove when the postmark was made.

(2) When the brewer sends the semimonthly, quarterly, or annual return with or without remittance by registered mail or by certified mail, the date of registry or the date of the postmark on the sender's receipt of certified mail will be treated as the date of delivery of the return and of the remittance, if enclosed with the return.

(Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1513-0083)

(Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 775, as amended (26 U.S.C. 6302); sec. 201, Pub. L. 85-859, 72 Stat. 1335, as amended (26 U.S.C. 5061))

[T.D. TTB-146, 82 FR 1129, Jan. 4, 2017]