§ 270.165a - Payment of tax by electronic fund transfer.

(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 parts 275 and 285 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 by cash, check, or money order, as described in § 270.168, 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 1.1563-1 through 1.1563-4, except that the words “at least 80 percent” shall be replaced by the words “more than 50 percent” in each place it appears in subsection (a) of 26 U.S.C. 1563, as well as in the implementing regulations. 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a separate EFT remittance and file a separate return, Form 5000.24, for each factory from which tobacco products are withdrawn upon determination of tax.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 parts 275 and 285 of this chapter, during the previous calendar year, shall notify, in writing, the regional director (compliance), for each region in which taxes are paid. 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 tax payment to the Treasury Account 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 § 270.165 or § 270.167. 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 parts 275 and 285 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 on as prescribed by § 270.168. Upon filing the first return 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 regional director (compliance) by attaching a written notification to 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, Form 5000.24, information about remitting the tax for that return period by EFT and shall file the return with the ATF, in accordance with the instructions on Form 5000.24.

(2) Remittances shall be considered as made when the taxpayment by electronic fund transfer is received by the Treasury Account. For purposes of this section, a taxpayment by electronic fund transfer 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 electronic fund transfer 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 tax payment 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 regional director (compliance) will issue to the taxpayer an ATF 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.