§ 24.271 Deferred payment return periods—annual, quarterly, and semimonthly. ( a ) *General.* This section governs payment of tax on a deferred basis. The tax on wine is paid by an Excise Tax Return, TTB F 5000.24, which is filled with a remittance (check, cash, or money order) of the full amount of tax due. Prepayments of tax on wine during the period covered by the return are shown separately on the Excise Tax Return form. If no tax is due for the return period, the filing of a return is not required.
( b ) *Return periods and due dates* — ( 1 ) *Return periods.* ( i ) *Semimonthly return period.* Except in the case of a taxpayer who qualifies for, and chooses to use, an annual or quarterly return period as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) or (b)(1)(iii) of this section, all taxpayers who defer payment of taxes must use semimonthly return periods. The semimonthly return periods run from the 1st day through the 15th day of each month, and from the 16th day through the last day of each month, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c) of this section.
( ii ) *Annual return period.* Subject to paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section, a taxpayer may choose to use an annual return period if the taxpayer was not liable for more than $1,000 in taxes with respect to wine imposed by 26 U.S.C. 5041 and 7652 in the preceding calendar year and if that taxpayer reasonably expects to be liable for not more than $1,000 in such taxes during the current calendar year. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2), the last day for paying the tax and filing the return will be the 14th day after the last day of the calendar year. 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 that 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.
( iii ) *Quarterly return period.* Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section and subject to paragraph (b)(1)(iv) of this section, 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 wine imposed by 26 U.S.C. 5041 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.
( iv ) *Additional rules for annual and quarterly return periods.* The following additional rules apply to the annual and quarterly return period procedures under this section: ( A ) 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;
( B ) “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;
( C ) A taxpayer with multiple locations must combine the wine tax liability for all locations to determine eligibility for the return procedures;
( D ) A taxpayer who has both domestic operations and import transactions must combine the wine tax liability on the domestic operations and the imports to determine eligibility for the return procedures;
( E ) 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 wine 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);
( F ) A new taxpayer is eligible to use the return procedures 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 wine taxes during that calendar year; and
( G ) If a taxpayer becomes ineligible to use a return procedure described in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) or (iii) of this section because the taxpayer's liability exceeds $1,000 or $50,000, respectively, in tax liability 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 wine taxes.
( 2 ) *Semimonthly, quarterly, and annual tax return due dates.* ( i ) *General.* Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2)(ii), the taxpayer must file the semimonthly, quarterly, or annual return, with remittance, for each return period 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 paragraph (c)(3) of this section.
( ii ) *Due dates for 2016 annual returns.* In the case of a taxpayer filing an annual return covering the 2016 calendar year, the taxpayer must file the return, with remittance, not later than January 30, 2017.
( c ) *Special September rule for taxes due by semimonthly return.* ( 1 ) *Division of second semimonthly period.* ( i ) *General.* Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section, the second semimonthly period for the month of September is divided into two payment periods, from the 16th day through the 26th day, and from the 27th day through the 30th day. The proprietor shall file a return on TTB F 5000.24, and make remittance, for the period September 16-26, no later than September 29. The proprietor shall file a return on TTB F 5000.24, and make remittance, for the period September 27-30, no later than October 14.
( ii ) *Taxpayment not by electronic fund transfer.* In the case of taxes for which remittance by electronic fund transfer (EFT) is not required by § 24.272, the second semimonthly period of September is divided into two payment periods, from the 16th day through the 25th day, and from the 26th day through the 30th day. The proprietor shall file a return on TTB F 5000.24, and make remittance, for the period September 16-25, no later than September 28. The proprietor shall file a return on TTB F 5000.24, and make remittance, for the period September 26-30, no later than October 14.
( 2 ) *Amount of payment—Safe harbor rule.* ( i ) *General.* Taxpayers are considered to have met the requirements of paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this section if the amount paid no later than September 29 is not less than 11/15ths (73.3 percent) of the tax liability incurred for the semimonthly period beginning on September 1 and ending on September 15, and if any underpayment of tax is paid by October 14.
( ii ) *Taxpayment not by EFT.* Taxpayers are considered to have met the requirements of paragraph (c)(1)(ii) of this section if the amount paid no later than September 28 is not less than 2/3rds (66.7 percent) of the tax liability incurred for the semimonthly period beginning on September 1 and ending on September 15, and if any underpayment of tax is paid by October 14.
( 3 ) *Weekends and holidays.* If the required taxpayment due date for the period September 16-25 or September 16-26, as applicable, falls on a Saturday or legal holiday, the return and remittance are due on the immediately preceding day. If the required due date falls on a Sunday, the return and remittance are due on the immediately following day.
( 4 ) *Example: Payment of tax for the month of September.* ( i ) *Facts.* X, a proprietor required to pay taxes by electronic fund transfer, incurred tax liability in the amount of $30,000 for the first semimonthly period of September. For the period September 16-26, X incurred tax liability in the amount of $45,000, and for the period September 27-30, X incurred tax liability in the amount of $2,000.
( ii ) *Payment requirement.* X's payment of tax in the amount of $30,000 for the first semimonthly period of September is due no later than September 29 (§ 24.271(b)). X's payment of tax for the period September 16-26 is also due no later than September 29 (§ 24.271(c)(1)(i)). X may use the safe harbor rule to determine the amount of payment due for the period of September 16-26 (§ 24.271(c)(2)). Under the safe harbor rule, X's payment of tax must not be less than $21,990.00, that is, 11/15ths of the tax liability incurred during the first semimonthly period of September. Additionally, X must pay the tax in the amount of $2,000 for the period September 27-30 no later than October 14 (§ 24.271(c)(1)(i)). X must also pay the underpayment of tax, $23,010.00, for the period September 16-26, no later than October 14 (§ 24.271(c)(2)).
[T.D. TTB-89, 76 FR 3509, Jan. 20, 2011, as amended by T.D. TTB-94, Aug. 24, 2011; T.D. TTB-146, 82 FR 1125, Jan. 4, 2017]