Title 26—Internal Revenue--Volume 1
PART 51—BRANDED PRESCRIPTION DRUG FEE
§ 51.1   Overview.
(a) The regulations in this part 51 are designated “Branded Prescription Drug Fee Regulations.”
(b) The regulations in this part 51 provide guidance on the annual fee imposed on covered entities engaged in the business of manufacturing or importing branded prescription drugs by section 9008 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), Public Law 111-148 (124 Stat. 119 (2010)), as amended by section 1404 of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA), Public Law 111-152 (124 Stat. 1029 (2010)). All references in these regulations to section 9008 are references to section 9008 of the ACA, as amended by section 1404 of HCERA. Unless otherwise indicated, all other section references are to sections in the Internal Revenue Code. All references to “fee” in these regulations are references to the fee imposed by section 9008.
(c) Section 9008(b)(4) sets an applicable fee amount for each year, beginning with 2011, that will be apportioned among covered entities with aggregate branded prescription drug sales of over $5 million to government programs or pursuant to coverage under such programs. Generally, each covered entity is liable for a fee in each fee year that is based on its sales of branded prescription drugs in the sales year that corresponds to the fee year in an amount determined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under the rules of this part.
§ 51.2   Explanation of terms.
(a) In general. This section explains the terms used in this part for purposes of the fee imposed by section 9008 on branded prescription drugs.
(b) Agencies. The term Agencies means—
(1) The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services (CMS);
(2) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); and
(3) The Department of Defense (DOD).
(c) Branded prescription drug —(1) In general. The term branded prescription drug means—
(i) Any prescription drug the application for which was submitted under section 505(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. 355(b)) (FFDCA); or
(ii) Any biological product the license for which was submitted under section 351(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262(a)).
(2) Prescription drug. The term prescription drug means any drug that is subject to section 503(b) of the FFDCA.
(d) Branded prescription drug sales. The term branded prescription drug sales means sales of branded prescription drugs to any government program or pursuant to coverage under any such government program. However, the term does not include sales of orphan drugs.
(e) Covered entity —(1) In general. The term covered entity means any manufacturer or importer with gross receipts from branded prescription drug sales including—
(i) A single-person covered entity; or
(ii) A controlled group.
(2) Single-person covered entity. The term single-person covered entity means a covered entity that is not affiliated with a controlled group.
(3) Controlled group. The term controlled group means a group of two or more persons, including at least one person that is a covered entity, that is treated as a single employer under section 52(a), 52(b), 414(m), or 414(o).
(4) Special rules for controlled groups. For purposes of paragraph (e)(3) of this section (related to controlled groups)—
(i) A foreign entity subject to tax under section 881 is included within a group under section 52(a) or 52(b); and
(ii) A person is treated as being a member of a controlled group if it is a member of the group on the end of the day on December 31st of the sales year.
(5) Covered entity status —(i) Rule. An entity's status as a covered entity begins in the first fee year in which the entity has branded prescription drug sales and continues each subsequent fee year until there are no remaining branded prescription drug sales for that entity to be taken into account as described in § 51.5(c) or used to calculate the adjustment amount described in § 51.5(e).
(ii) Example. The following example illustrates the rule of paragraph (e)(5)(i) of this section:
(A) Facts. Entity A is a manufacturer with gross receipts of more than $5 million from branded prescription drugs sales in 2011. Entity A does not have any gross receipts from branded prescription drug sales before or after 2011.
(B) Analysis. Entity A is a covered entity beginning in 2011 because it had gross receipts from branded prescription drug sales in 2011. For the 2011 fee year, Entity A does not owe a fee because the 2011 fee is based on sales data from the 2009 sales year. For the 2012 fee year, Entity A does not owe a fee because the 2012 fee is based on sales data from the 2010 sales year. Entity A continues to be a covered entity for the 2012 fee year because its branded prescription drug sales from the 2011 sales year have not yet been taken into account as described in § 51.5(c) and used to calculate the adjustment amount described in § 51.5(e). For the 2013 fee year, Entity A continues to be a covered entity because a portion of its branded prescription drug sales from the 2011 sales year are taken into account as described in § 51.5(c) for purposes of computing the 2013 fee. For the 2013 fee year, Entity A is also liable for the adjustment amount described in § 51.5(e) for the difference between its 2012 fee computed using sales data from the 2010 sales year, which is $0, and what the 2012 fee would have been using sales data from the 2011 sales year. For the 2014 fee year, Entity A continues to be a covered entity because a portion of its branded prescription drug sales for the 2011 sales year are used to calculate the adjustment amount described in § 51.5(e). Therefore, for the 2014 fee year, Entity A will receive an adjustment amount for the difference between its 2013 fee computed using sales data from the 2011 sales year, and what the 2013 fee would have been using sales data from the 2012 sales year, which is $0. After the 2014 fee year, there are no remaining branded prescription drug sales to be taken into account as described in § 51.5(c) or used to calculate the adjustment amount described in § 51.5(e) for Entity A. Accordingly, Entity A is not a covered entity after the 2014 fee year.
(f) Designated entity —(1) In general. The term designated entity means the person within a controlled group that is designated to act for the controlled group regarding the fee by—
(i) Filing Form 8947, “Report of Branded Prescription Drug Information”;
(ii) Receiving IRS communications about the fee for the group;
(iii) Filing an error report for the group, if applicable, as described in § 51.7; and
(iv) Paying the fee to the government.
(2) Selection of designated entity —(i) Controlled group selection of a designated entity. Except as provided in paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this section, the controlled group may select a person as the designated entity by filing Form 8947 in accordance with the form instructions. The designated entity must state under penalties of perjury that all members of the controlled group have consented to the selection of the designated entity. The designated entity must maintain a record of all member consents. Each member of a controlled group must maintain a record of its consent to the controlled group's selection of the designated entity.
(ii) Requirement for affiliated groups; agent for the group. If the controlled group, without regard to foreign corporations included under section 9008(d)(2)(B), is also an affiliated group whose common parent files a consolidated return for federal income tax purposes, the designated entity is the agent for the group (within the meaning of § 1.1502-77 of this title).
(iii) IRS selection of a designated entity. Except as provided in paragraph (f)(2)(ii) of this section, if a controlled group does not select a designated entity as provided in paragraph (f)(2)(i) of this section, the IRS will select a member of the controlled group as the designated entity for the controlled group. If the IRS selects the designated entity, then all members of that controlled group will be deemed to have consented to the IRS's selection of the designated entity.
(g) Fee year. The term fee year means the calendar year in which the fee for a particular sales year must be paid to the government.
(h) Government programs. The term government programs (collectively “Programs”), means—
(1) The Medicare Part B program;
(2) The Medicare Part D program;
(3) The Medicaid program;
(4) Any program under which branded prescription drugs are procured by the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(5) Any program under which branded prescription drugs are procured by the Department of Defense; and
(6) The TRICARE retail pharmacy program.
(i) Manufacturer or importer. The term manufacturer or importer means the person identified in the Labeler Code of the National Drug Code (NDC) for a branded prescription drug.
(j) NDC. The term NDC means the National Drug Code. The NDC is a unique identifier that is assigned to all drug products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including a branded prescription drug. The Labeler Code is the first five numeric characters of the NDC or the first six numeric characters when the available five-character code combinations are exhausted.
(k) Orphan drugs —(1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (k)(2) of this section, the term orphan drug means any branded prescription drug for which any person claimed a section 45C credit and that credit was allowed for any taxable year.
(2) Exclusions. The term orphan drug does not include—
(i) Any drug for which there has been a final assessment or court order disallowing the full section 45C credit taken for the drug; or
(ii) Any drug for any sales year after the calendar year in which the FDA approved the drug for marketing for any indication other than the treatment of a rare disease or condition for which a section 45C credit was allowed, regardless of whether a section 45C credit was allowed for the drug before, in the same year as, or after this FDA designation.
(3) FDA marketing approval for treatment of another rare disease or condition. If a drug has prior FDA marketing approval for the treatment of a rare disease or condition for which a section 45C credit was allowed, and the FDA subsequently gives the drug marketing approval for the treatment of another rare disease or condition for which another section 45C credit was also allowed, the drug retains its status as an orphan drug provided the FDA has never approved the drug for marketing for any indication other than the treatment of a rare disease or condition for which a section 45C credit was allowed.
(4) Examples. The following examples illustrate the rules of this paragraph (k):
(ii) Analysis. In 2011 and 2012, Drug A is an orphan drug because: first, it was a branded prescription drug for which a person claimed a section 45C credit and for which that credit was allowed for a taxable year; second, there was not a final assessment or court order disallowing the full credit taken for the drug; and third, before 2012, the FDA did not approve the drug for marketing for any indication other than the treatment of a rare disease or condition for which a section 45C credit was allowed. However, Drug A is not an orphan drug for the 2013 sales year or later sales years because in 2012 the FDA approved Drug A for marketing for an indication other than the treatment of the rare disease or condition for which the section 45C credit was allowed and this indication was not for treatment of another rare disease or condition for which a section 45C credit was allowed.
(ii) Analysis. In 2011, Drug B is not an orphan drug because no section 45C credit was allowed and because the FDA approved Drug B for an indication other than the treatment of a rare disease or condition. In 2012, although the covered entity was allowed a section 45C credit for its qualified clinical testing expenses related to Drug B and there was no final IRS assessment or court order that disallowed the full credit, Drug B still is not an orphan drug because the FDA had approved the drug in 2011 for marketing for an indication other than the treatment of a rare disease or condition for which a section 45C credit was allowed in 2012. Thus, Drug B is not an orphan drug for the 2012 sales year or later sales years.
(ii) Analysis. In 2010 and 2011, Drug C is an orphan drug because: first, it was a branded prescription drug for which a person claimed a section 45C credit and for which that credit was allowed for a taxable year; second, there was not a final assessment or court order disallowing the full credit taken for the drug; and third, FDA had not approved the drug for marketing for any indication other than the treatment of a rare disease or condition for which a section 45C credit was allowed. In 2012, Drug C retains its orphan drug status because another section 45C credit was allowed and the FDA did not approve Drug C for marketing for any indication other than the treatment of another rare disease or condition for which a section 45C credit was allowed. Thus, Drug C is an orphan drug for the 2013 sales year.
(l) Sales taken into account. The term sales taken into account means branded prescription drug sales after application of the percentage adjustment table in section 9008(b)(2) (relating to annual sales less than $400,000,001). See § 51.5(a)(3).
(m) Sales year. The term sales year means the second calendar year preceding the fee year. Thus, for example, for the fee year of 2014, the sales year is 2012.
§ 51.3   Information requested from covered entities.
(a) In general. Annually, each covered entity may submit a completed Form 8947, “Report of Branded Prescription Drug Information,” in accordance with the instructions for the form. Generally, the form solicits information from covered entities on NDCs, orphan drugs, designated entities, rebates, and other information specified by the form or its instructions.
(b) Due date. Form 8947 must be filed by the date prescribed in guidance in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
§ 51.4   Information provided by the agencies.
(a) In general. For each sales year, the IRS will compile a list of branded prescription drugs by NDC using the data submitted on Forms 8947 and in error reports submitted as part of the dispute resolution process (described in § 51.7) and, after applying appropriate due diligence, will provide this list to the Agencies. The Agencies will provide data to the IRS on branded prescription drug sales that occurred during the sales year by Program and NDC. The Agencies will provide data for use in preparing the preliminary fee calculation (described in §§ 51.5 and 51.6) and may revise or supplement that data following review of error reports submitted as part of the dispute resolution process. The calculation methodology for calculating the sales amounts for each Program, including any reasonable estimation techniques and assumptions that the Agencies expect to use, is described in this section.
(b) Medicare Part D —(1) In general. CMS will determine branded prescription drug sales under Medicare Part D by aggregating the ingredient cost reported in the “Ingredient Cost Paid” field on the Prescription Drug Event (PDE) records at the NDC level, reduced by discounts, rebates, and other price concessions provided by the covered entity, for each sales year. CMS will only include PDE data that Part D sponsors have submitted by the PDE submission deadline (within 6 months after the end of the sales year) and that CMS has approved for inclusion in the Part D payment reconciliation.
(2) Discounts, rebates, and other price concessions —(i) In general. For purposes of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the term discounts, rebates, and other price concessions means:
(A) Any direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) (within the meaning of paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section), which includes any DIR reported on the PDE records at the point of sale and any DIR reported on a Detailed DIR Report (within the meaning of a paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section); and
(B) Any coverage gap discount amount (within the meaning of paragraph (b)(2)(iv) of this section).
(ii) Direct and indirect remuneration. For purposes of paragraph (b)(2)(i)(A) of this section, the term direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) has the same meaning as found in the definition of actually paid in 42 CFR 423.308.
(iii) Detailed DIR Report. For purposes of paragraph (b)(2)(i)(A) of this section, the term Detailed DIR Report means the report containing any DIR (within the meaning of paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section) that is collected yearly from Part D sponsors at the NDC level.
(iv) Coverage gap discount amount. For purposes of paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B) of this section, the term coverage gap discount amount means a 50-percent manufactured-paid discount on certain drugs under the Coverage Gap Discount Program described in section 1860D-14A of the Social Security Act.
(c) Medicare Part B —(1) In general. CMS will determine branded prescription drug sales under Medicare Part B using the following two data sources:
(i) CMS will use data reported by manufacturers pursuant to section 1847A(c) of the Social Security Act to calculate the annual weighted average sales price (ASP) for each Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code for the sales year.
(ii) CMS will use the Medicare Part B National Summary Data File located at http://www.cms.gov/NonIdentifiableDataFiles/03_PartBNationalSummaryDataFile.asp to obtain the number of allowed billing units per HCPCS code for claims incurred during the sales year.
(2) Calculation —(i) In general. Using the data described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, CMS will determine branded prescription drugs sales under Medicare Part B as described in paragraphs (c)(3), (4), and (5) of this section. CMS reports sales amounts per HCPCS billing code, not per NDC. Therefore, a covered entity's total Part B sales amounts for all NDCs in a given HCPCS billing code appears under only one NDC in each HCPCS billing code and the covered entity's remaining NDCs in the HCPCS billing code are listed with a sales amount of zero.
(ii) Example of a Part B sales report:
(3) HCPCS code; single entity. For each HCPCS code consisting solely and exclusively of branded prescription drugs (as identified by their respective NDCs) manufactured by a single entity, CMS will multiply the annual weighted ASP by the total number of allowed billing units paid during the sales year to determine the total sales for all NDCs associated with the HCPCS code attributed to Medicare Part B.
(4) HCPCS code; multiple manufacturers and/or multiple drugs —(i) Step one. For each HCPCS code consisting of a mixture of branded prescription drugs made by different manufacturers and/or a mixture of branded prescription and generic drugs, CMS will determine—
(A) The annual weighted ASP for the HCPCS code;
(B) The total number of allowed billing units paid by Medicare Part B for each HCPCS code during the sales year;
(C) The names of the entities engaged in manufacturing each NDC assigned to the HCPCS code; and
(D) Those entities (if any) identified in paragraph (c)(4)(i)(C) of this section that are manufacturing branded prescription drugs assigned to the HCPCS code.
(ii) Step two. Using the information from paragraph (c)(4)(i) of this section, CMS will then do the following:
(A) Calculate the proportion of sales, expressed as a percentage, attributed to each NDC assigned to the HCPCS code by determining the percentage of total sales reported to CMS by each manufacturer of NDC(s) that are assigned to the HCPCS code. For example, if HCPCS code JXXXX contains three drugs with a total of $310,000 sales reported by manufacturers to CMS for the sales year, and $100,000 was reported for Drug A, $200,000 was reported for Drug B, and $10,000 was reported for Drug C, the proportion of sales attributed to each NDC will be 32.26 percent for Drug A, 64.52 percent for Drug B, and 3.22 percent for Drug C; and
(B) For each NDC, multiply the product of the annual weighted ASP and the total allowed billing units paid by Medicare Part B for the HCPCS code by the proportion of sales calculated in paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section to determine the sales reportable to the IRS (that is, percentage × (annual weighted ASP × allowed units) = total sales reported to IRS for the NDC). The sales for each manufacturer's NDCs assigned to a HCPCS code are summed and the total sales for each manufacturer's NDCs in a HCPCS code will be reported to the IRS.
(5) HCPCS code; unable to establish a reliable proportion of sales. If CMS is unable to establish a reliable proportion of sales attributable to each NDC assigned to the HCPCS code using the method described in paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section, CMS will use Medicare Part D utilization percentages in lieu of the proportion of sales determined under paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(A) of this section to perform the calculation described in paragraph (c)(4)(ii)(B) of this section.
(d) Medicaid. (1) CMS will determine the branded prescription drug sales for Medicaid as the per-unit Average Manufacturer Price (AMP) less the Unit Rebate Amounts (URA) that CMS calculates based on manufacturer-reported pricing data multiplied by the number of units reported billed by states to manufacturers. This data will be based on the data reported to CMS for the sales year by covered entities and the states for drugs paid for by the states in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program for the sales year. The data will include all branded prescription drug units for which the states bill rebates to covered entities under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. This program includes, but is not limited to, units paid for under various health care plans such as fee for service, managed care organizations, and drugs administered in a non-retail setting such as drugs administered in a physician's office, clinic, hospital or other setting. The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program's calculated branded prescription drug fee does not include state-only pharmaceutical program sales or rebates.
(2) For any covered entity identified in the first five (or six) digits of an NDC during any of the four quarters of a sales year, CMS will use the following methodology to derive the sales figures that account for third-party payers, such as Medicare Part B:
(i) Report total dollars per NDC for AMP minus URA multiplied by the units reported by a state or states.
(ii) Determine the percentage of the total amount reimbursed that is the Medicaid amount of that reimbursement. For example, if the total amount reimbursed is $100,000, and the Medicaid amount reimbursed is $20,000, then the percentage is 20 percent.
(iii) Multiply the percentage of the Medicaid amount of that reimbursement (in the example in paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of this section, 20 percent) by the dollar figure derived from paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section (AMP minus URA multiplied by units) to get the new adjusted sales dollar totals.
(e) Department of Veterans Affairs. VA will determine branded prescription drug sales to VA by providing, by NDC, the total amount paid (net of refunds and rebates, when they are associated with a specific NDC) for each branded prescription drug procured by VA for its beneficiaries during the sales year. For this purpose, a drug is procured on the invoice (billing) date. The basis of this information will be national procurement data reported during the sales year by VA's Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor to the VA Pharmacy Benefits Management Service and National Acquisition Center. VA sales data includes the Industrial Funding Fee and the Cost Recovery Fee because these amounts are part of the price VA pays to its Pharmaceutical Prime Vendor to procure a drug.
(f) Department of Defense. DOD will determine branded prescription drug sales to DOD (for DOD programs other than the TRICARE retail pharmacy program) by providing, by Labeler Code, the manufacturer's name, the NDC, brand name, and the amount paid (net of rebates and or refunds) for each branded prescription drug procured by DOD (for DOD programs other than the TRICARE retail pharmacy program) during the sales year. For DOD programs other than the TRICARE retail pharmacy program, a drug is procured based upon the date it was ordered. DOD includes the Industrial Funding Fee and the Cost Recovery Fee in its drug sales data because these amounts are part of the price DOD pays to procure a drug.
(g) TRICARE. DOD will determine branded prescription drug sales to DOD for the TRICARE retail pharmacy program by providing, by Labeler Code, the manufacturer's name, the NDC, brand name, and the amount paid (net of rebates or refunds) for each branded prescription drug procured by DOD through the TRICARE retail pharmacy program during the sales year. For the TRICARE retail pharmacy program, a drug is procured based upon the date it was dispensed. The amount paid is based on the submitted ingredient cost paid, aggregated by NDC, for eligible TRICARE retail pharmacy claims submitted during the program year, minus any refunds or rebates for the corresponding claims.
§ 51.5   Fee calculation.
(a) Fee components —(1) In general. For every fee year, the IRS will calculate a covered entity's total fee as described in this section. The IRS will determine a covered entity's total fee by applying, if applicable, the adjustment amount described in paragraph (e) of this section to the entity's allocated fee described in paragraph (d) of this section.
(2) Calculation of branded prescription drug sales. Each covered entity's allocated fee for any fee year is equal to an amount that bears the same ratio to the applicable amount as the covered entity's branded prescription drug sales taken into account during the sales year bears to the aggregate branded prescription drug sales of all covered entities taken into account during the sales year.
(3) Applicable amount. The applicable amounts for fee years are—
(4) Sales taken into account. A covered entity's branded prescription drug sales taken into account during any calendar year are as follows:
(b) Determination of branded prescription drug sales. The IRS will compile each covered entity's branded prescription drug sales for each Program by NDC. Each NDC will be attributed to the covered entity identified in the Labeler Code as of the end of the day on December 31st of the sales year. For a covered entity that is a controlled group, this includes all NDCs in which a member of the covered entity is identified. For this purpose, the IRS may revise the list of NDCs as a result of information received in the dispute resolution process, and the data the IRS uses to produce the final fee calculation will include any revisions provided by the Agencies at the completion of the dispute resolution process. Each covered entity's branded prescription drug sales will be reduced by its Medicaid state supplemental rebate amounts in the following manner. If CMS has Medicaid state supplemental rebate information for a sales year, CMS will report to the IRS branded prescription drug sales for Medicaid net of Medicaid state supplemental rebates. If CMS does not have complete Medicaid state supplemental rebate information for a sales year, the IRS will reduce the branded prescription drug sales that CMS reported for Medicaid by Medicaid state supplemental rebates reported by the covered entities on Form 8947.
(c) Determination of sales taken into account. (1) For each sales year and for each covered entity, the IRS will calculate sales taken into account. The resulting number is the numerator of the ratio described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section.
(2) For each sales year, the IRS will calculate the aggregate branded prescription drug sales taken into account for all covered entities. The resulting number is the denominator of the ratio described in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.
(d) Allocated fee calculation. For each covered entity for each fee year, the IRS will calculate the entity's allocated fee by multiplying the applicable amount from paragraph (a)(2) of this section by a fraction—
(1) The numerator of which is the covered entity's branded prescription drug sales taken into account during the sales year (described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section); and
(2) The denominator of which is the aggregate branded prescription drug sales taken into account for all covered entities during the same year (described in paragraph (c)(2) of this section).
(e) Adjustment amount —(1) In general. In addition to the allocated fee computed under paragraph (d) of this section, the IRS will also automatically calculate for each covered entity an adjustment amount. An adjustment amount reflects the difference between the allocated fee determined for the covered entity in the immediately preceding fee year, using data from the second calendar year preceding that fee year, and what the allocated fee would have been for that entity for the immediately preceding fee year using data from the calendar year immediately preceding that fee year. For example, for 2014, the adjustment amount for a covered entity will be the difference between the entity's 2013 allocated fee, using 2011 data, and what the 2013 allocated fee would have been using 2012 data. Although the adjustment reflects a revision of the prior year's fee based on data from the year immediately preceding the prior fee year, the adjustment is only taken into account by adding it to or subtracting it from the allocated fee computed under paragraph (d) of this section for the current fee year to arrive at the total fee for the current fee year. An adjustment amount is treated as a component of the current year's fee. For purposes of section 6601, any increase in the allocated fee computed under paragraph (d) of this section for the current fee year resulting from any adjustment amount, along with the remainder of the fee, is treated as a fee liability due on the due date for the current year's fee. For purposes of sections 6511 and 6611, any adjustment amount that decreases the allocated fee computed under paragraph (d) of this section for the current fee year is treated as a payment towards the current fee liability made on the due date of the current fee year.
(2) Amounts paid to a covered entity because of an adjustment amount. If a covered entity's adjustment amount reduces the fee computed under paragraph (d) of this section below zero and results in an amount due to the covered entity for the fee year, the IRS will pay this amount due to the covered entity. A covered entity does not file Form 843, Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement, to receive this amount owed to a covered entity.
§ 51.6   Notice of preliminary fee calculation.
(a) Content of notice. For each sales year, the IRS will make a preliminary calculation of the fee for each covered entity as described in § 51.5. The IRS will notify each covered entity of its preliminary fee calculation for that sales year. The notification to a covered entity of its preliminary fee calculation will include—
(1) The covered entity's allocated fee;
(2) The covered entity's branded prescription drug sales, by NDC, by Program;
(3) The covered entity's branded prescription drug sales taken into account after application of § 51.5(a)(4);
(4) The aggregate branded prescription drug sales taken into account for all covered entities;
(5) The covered entity's adjustment amount calculated as described in § 51.5(e); and
(6) A reference to the fee dispute resolution procedures set forth in guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
(b) Time of notice. The IRS will send each covered entity notice of its preliminary fee calculation by the date prescribed in guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.
§ 51.7   Dispute resolution process.
(a) In general. Upon receipt of its preliminary fee calculation, each covered entity will have an opportunity to dispute this calculation by submitting to the IRS an error report as described in this section. The IRS will provide its final determination with respect to error reports no later than the time the IRS provides a covered entity with a final fee calculation.
(b) Error report information. To assert that there have been one or more errors in the drug sales data reported by a Program, the mathematical calculation of the fee, the rebate data, the listing of an NDC for an orphan drug, or any other error, a covered entity must submit an error report with each asserted error reported on a separate line. The report must include the following information—
(1) Entity name, address, and Employer Identification Number (EIN) as previously reported on the Form 8947;
(2) The name, telephone number, fax number, and email address (if available) of one or more employees or representatives of the entity with whom the IRS may discuss the claimed errors. If the representative is not an employee of the covered entity who is authorized under section 6103 or designated on Form 8947 to discuss the information reported on Form 8947 with the IRS, a Form 2848, “Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative,” must be filed with the error report;
(3) For an error in the drug sales data reported by a Program, the name of the Program that reported the data, the NDC, the specific amount of sales data disputed, the proposed corrected amount, an explanation of why the Agency should use the proposed corrected data instead, and documentation of any Program drug sales data or other information used to establish the existence of any errors.
(4) For a mathematical calculation error, the specific calculation element(s) that the entity disputes and its proposed corrected calculation;
(5) For a rebate data error, the NDC for the drug to which it relates; a discussion of whether the data used in the preliminary fee calculation matches previously reported Form 8947 data on rebates; and, if the data used in the preliminary fee calculation does match the Form 8947 data, an explanation of why the Form 8947 data was erroneous and why the IRS should use the proposed corrected data instead;
(6) For the listing of an NDC for an orphan drug, the name and NDC of the orphan drug; a discussion of whether the data used in the preliminary fee calculation matches previously reported Form 8947 data on orphan drugs; and, if the data used in the preliminary fee calculation does match the Form 8947 data, an explanation of why the Form 8947 data was erroneous and why the IRS should use the proposed corrected data instead;
(7) For any other asserted error, an explanation of the nature of the error, how the error affects the fee calculation, an explanation of how the entity established that an error occurred, the proposed correction to the error, and an explanation of why the IRS or Agency should use the proposed corrected data instead;
(8) If an entity is using data to establish the existence of an error and that data was not reported on Form 8947 or contained in the notification of the preliminary fee calculation, a description of what the data is, how the entity acquired the data, and who maintains it; and
(9) Documentation of any rebate and orphan drug data, or other information used to establish the existence of any errors.
(c) Form, manner, and timing of submission. Each covered entity must submit its error report(s) in the form and manner that is prescribed in guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin. This guidance will also prescribe the date by which each covered entity must submit its report(s).
(d) Finality. A covered entity must assert any basis for contesting its preliminary fee calculation during the dispute resolution period. In the interest of providing finality to the fee calculation process, the IRS will not accept an error report after the end of the dispute resolution period or alter the final fee calculation on the basis of information provided after the end of the dispute resolution period.
§ 51.8   Notification and payment of fee.
(a) Notification of final fee calculation. No later than August 31st of each fee year, the IRS will send each covered entity its final fee calculation for that year. In any fee year, the IRS will base its final fee calculation on data provided to it by the Agencies as adjusted pursuant to the dispute resolution process. The notification to a covered entity of its final fee calculation will include—
(1) The covered entity's allocated fee;
(2) The covered entity's adjustment amount calculated as described in § 51.5;
(3) The covered entity's branded prescription drug sales, by NDC, by Program;
(4) The covered entity's branded prescription drug sales taken into account after application of § 51.5(a)(4);
(5) The aggregate branded prescription drug sales taken into account for all covered entities; and
(6) The final determination with respect to error reports.
(b) Differences in preliminary fee calculation and final fee calculation. A covered entity's final fee calculation may differ from the covered entity's preliminary fee calculation because of changes made pursuant to the dispute resolution process described in § 51.7. Even if a covered entity did not file an error report described in § 51.7, a covered entity's final fee may differ from a covered entity's preliminary fee because of a change in data reported by the Agencies after resolution of error reports, including a change in the aggregate prescription drug sales figure. A change in aggregate prescription drug sales data can affect each covered entity's fee because each covered entity's fee is a fraction of the aggregate fee collected from all covered entities. A covered entity's final fee may also differ from its preliminary fee calculation because the data used in the preliminary fee calculation may have contained inaccurate branded prescription drug sales information that was corrected or updated at the conclusion of the dispute resolution process.
(c) Payment of final fee. Each covered entity must pay its final fee by September 30th of the fee year. For a controlled group, the payment must be made using the designated entity's EIN as reported on Form 8947. The fee must be paid by electronic funds transfer as required by § 51.6302-1. There is no tax return to be filed for the fee.
(d) Joint and several liability. In the case of a controlled group that is liable for the fee, all members of the controlled group are jointly and severally liable for the fee. Accordingly, if a controlled group's fee is not paid, the IRS will separately assess each member of the group for the full amount of the controlled group's fee.
§ 51.9   Tax treatment of fee.
(a) Treatment as an excise tax. The fee imposed by section 9008 is treated as an excise tax for purposes of subtitle F of the Internal Revenue Code (Code) (sections 6001-7874). Thus, references in subtitle F to “taxes imposed by this title,” “internal revenue tax,” and similar references, are also references to the fee imposed by section 9008. For example, the fee imposed by section 9008 is assessed (section 6201), collected (sections 6301, 6321, and 6331), enforced (section 7402 and 7403), subject to examination and summons (section 7602), and subject to confidentiality rules (section 6103) in the same manner as taxes imposed by the Code.
(b) Deficiency procedures. The deficiency procedures of sections 6211-6216 do not apply to the fee imposed by section 9008.
(c) Limitation on assessment. The IRS must assess the amount of the fee for any fee year within three years of September 30th of that fee year.
(d) Application of section 275. The fee is treated as a tax described in section 275(a)(6) (relating to taxes for which no deduction is allowed).
§ 51.10   Refund claims.
Any claim for a refund of the fee must be made by the person that paid the fee to the government and must be made on Form 843, “Claim for Refund and Request for Abatement,” in accordance with the instructions for that form.
§ 51.11   Applicability date.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, §§ 51.1 through 51.10 apply on and after July 28, 2014.
(b) Section 51.2(e)(3) applies on and after July 24, 2017.
§ 51.6302-1   Method of paying the branded prescription drug fee.
(a) Fee to be paid by electronic funds transfer. Under the authority of section 6302(a), the fee imposed on branded prescription drug sales by section 9008 and § 51.5 must be paid by electronic funds transfer as defined in § 31.6302-1(h)(4)(i) of this title, as if the fee were a depository tax. For the time for paying the fee, see § 51.8.
(b) Effective/applicability date. This section applies on and after July 28, 2014.