1076 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 5 / Friday, January 7, 2000 / Proposed Rules

16–17. The actions that are currently

required by that AD take approximately

2 work hours per airplane to

accomplish, at an average labor rate of

$60 per work hour. Based on these

figures, the cost impact of the currently

required actions on U.S. operators is

estimated to be $6,240, or $120 per

airplane. However, the adoption of this

proposed rescission would eliminate

those costs.

Regulatory Impact

The regulations proposed herein

would not have a substantial direct

effect on the States, on the relationship

between the national Government and

the States, or on the distribution of

power and responsibilities among the

various levels of government. Therefore,

it is determined that this proposal

would not have federalism implications

under Executive Order 13132.

For the reasons discussed above, I

certify that this proposed regulation (1)

is not a ‘‘significant regulatory action’’

under Executive Order 12866; (2) is not

a ‘‘significant rule’’ under the DOT

Regulatory Policies and Procedures (44

FR 11034, February 26, 1979); and (3) if

promulgated, will not have a significant

economic impact, positive or negative,

on a substantial number of small entities

under the criteria of the Regulatory

Flexibility Act. A copy of the draft

regulatory evaluation prepared for this

action is contained in the Rules Docket.

A copy of it may be obtained by

contacting the Rules Docket at the

location provided under the caption

‘‘ADDRESSES.’’

List of Subjects in 14 CFR Part 39

Air transportation, Aircraft, Aviation

safety, Safety.

The Proposed Amendment

Accordingly, pursuant to the

authority delegated to me by the

Administrator, the Federal Aviation

Administration proposes to amend part

39 of the Federal Aviation Regulations

(14 CFR part 39) as follows:

PART 39—AIRWORTHINESS

DIRECTIVES

1. The authority citation for part 39

continues to read as follows:

Authority: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113, 44701.

§ 39.13 [Amended]

2. Section 39.13 is amended by

removing amendment 39–10693.

Cessna Aircraft Company: Docket 99–NM–

229–AD. Rescinds AD 98–16–17,

Amendment 39–10693.

Applicability: All Model 750 Citation X

series airplanes, certificated in any category.

Issued in Renton, Washington, on January

3, 2000.

Donald L. Riggin,

Acting Manager, Transport Airplane

Directorate, Aircraft Certification Service.

[FR Doc. 00–377 Filed 1–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–13–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Internal Revenue Service

26 CFR Part 40

[REG–103827–99]

RIN 1545–AX11

Deposits of Excise Taxes

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS),

Treasury.

ACTION: Advance notice of proposed

rulemaking.

SUMMARY: This document invites

comments from the public on issues that

the IRS may address in proposed

regulations relating to the requirements

for excise tax returns and deposits. All

materials submitted will be available for

public inspection and copying.

DATES: Written and electronic comments

must be submitted by April 6, 2000.

ADDRESSES: Send submissions to:

CC:DOM:CORP:R (REG–103827–99),

room 5226, Internal Revenue Service,

POB 7604, Ben Franklin Station,

Washington, DC 20044. Submissions

may be hand delivered Monday through

Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and

5 p.m. to: CC:DOM:CORP:R (REG–

103827–99), Courier’s Desk, Internal

Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution

Avenue NW., Washington, DC.

Alternatively, taxpayers may send

submissions electronically via the

Internet by selecting the ‘‘Tax Regs’’

option on the IRS Home Page, or

directly to the IRS Internet site at http:/

/www.irs.ustreas.gov/taxlregs/

regslist.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Concerning submissions, the

Regulations Unit, (202) 622–7180;

concerning the proposals, Susan Athy,

(202) 622–3130 (not toll-free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Excise Tax Procedural Regulations (26

CFR part 40) set forth the requirements

related to filing the Quarterly Federal

Excise Tax Return, Form 720, and

making deposits of excise taxes. Certain

provisions of the current regulations are

complicated. The IRS is interested in

simplifying the filing and deposit rules

both as to the timing and the calculation

of the correct amount to deposit.

Simplification would reduce

recordkeeping burdens and costs for

taxpayers, improve compliance, and

facilitate proper administration of the

excise taxes and trust funds. The IRS

requests comments on how the

regulations can be simplified; comments

are requested in particular on the

following issues.

Time for Filing Returns

The regulations currently provide that

the Form 720 generally must be filed by

the last day of the first calendar month

following the quarter for which it is

made. However, in the case of returns

related to taxes imposed by chapter 33

(communications and air transportation)

and section 4681 (ozone-depleting

chemicals), the due date is the last day

of the second calendar month following

the quarter for which it is made.

The IRS requests comments on

whether there should be one filing date

for all Form 720 filers, such as 30 days

after the end of the quarter. This would

be a simple rule that would apply

equally to all taxpayers.

Use of Government Depositaries

Background

The regulations currently provide that

excise taxes must be deposited on a

semimonthly basis. Generally, taxes

must be deposited by the 9th day of the

semimonthly period following the

semimonthly period for which the

deposit is made (the 9-day rule). There

are, however, exceptions to this rule.

Taxes on ozone-depleting chemicals

must be deposited by the end of the

second semimonthly period following

the semimonthly period for which the

deposit is made (the 30-day rule). In

addition, for taxes imposed by section

4081 (gasoline, diesel fuel, and

kerosene), communications taxes, and

air transportation taxes, taxpayers may

choose a deposit rule other than the 9-

day rule. For section 4081 taxes, section

518 of the Highway Revenue Act of

1982 provides that a qualified person

may deposit by the 14th day of the

semimonthly period following the

semimonthly period for which it is

made if the deposit is made by

electronic funds transfer (the 14-day

rule). For communications and air

transportation taxes, if a person

computes the amount of tax to be

reported and deposited on the basis of

amounts considered as collected, the

person may deposit the taxes considered

as collected during a semimonthly

period by the third banking day after the

seventh day of the semimonthly period

(the alternative method).

Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 5 / Friday, January 7, 2000 / Proposed Rules 1077

The regulations also provide that the

amount of the deposit for a

semimonthly period must equal the

amount of net tax liability incurred

during that period unless either the

look-back quarter safe harbor rule or the

current liability safe harbor rule applies.

In general, the look-back quarter safe

harbor rule is met if the deposits for

each semimonthly period in the quarter

are at least 1⁄6 of the net liability

reported for that tax in the second

calendar quarter preceding the current

quarter, and the current liability safe

harbor rule is met if the deposit for each

semimonthly period is at least 95

percent of the net tax liability for the

semimonthly period. Safe harbor rules

apply separately to each class of tax.

Each semimonthly deposit must be

timely made at an authorized

Government depository. Also, the

amount of any underpayment must be

paid by the due date of the return,

without extension. A failure to meet all

the deposit requirements of a safe

harbor rule for any semimonthly period

eliminates the availability of that safe

harbor for the entire quarter.

As the above description of current

regulations illustrates, the deposit rules

are quite complicated, and taxpayers

have experienced difficulty in

complying with them. In addition,

under existing safe harbor rules,

penalties for failure to deposit may be

imposed for all semimonthly periods in

a quarter if a taxpayer fails to deposit

timely and in the correct amount during

any semimonthly period in that quarter.

Request for Comments

With respect to the deposit rules, the

IRS specifically requests comments on

the following issues:

1. Whether there should be a single

deposit date for all excise taxes, such as

14 days after the end of the

semimonthly period. (The IRS believes

it would be appropriate to retain the

alternative method allowing

communications and air transportation

tax collectors to file returns and make

deposits based on amounts billed or

tickets sold.)

2. Whether a taxpayer should have to

deposit at least 95 percent of tax

liability incurred for the corresponding

semimonthly period (in lieu of the

current requirement of 100 percent with

safe harbor rules).

3. Whether the amount required to be

deposited for a quarter should be

computed without reduction for the

amounts of any claims made on

Schedule C of Form 720 for that quarter.

Judith C. Dunn,

Associate Chief Counsel (Domestic).

[FR Doc. 00–15 Filed 1–6–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4830–01–U

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Coast Guard

33 CFR Part 117

[CGD01–99–029]

RIN 2115–AE47

Drawbridge Operation Regulations;

Merrimack River, MA.

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to

change the drawbridge operating

regulations for the Newburyport US1

Bridge, mile 3.4, across the Merrimack

River between Newburyport and

Salisbury, Massachusetts. The bridge

owner asked the Coast Guard to change

the regulations to allow the bridge to

open only on the hour and half hour,

from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

This action is expected to help reduce

vehicular traffic delays on Route 1 by

scheduling bridge opening times while

still meeting the reasonable needs of

navigation.

DATES: Comments must reach the Coast

Guard on or before March 7, 2000.

ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to

Commander (obr), First Coast Guard

District, Bridge Branch, at 408 Atlantic

Avenue, Boston, MA. 02110–3350, or

deliver them at the same address

between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday

through Friday, except Federal holidays.

The telephone number is (617) 223–

8364. The First Coast Guard District,

Bridge Branch, maintains the public

docket for this rulemaking. Comments

and material received from the public,

as well as documents indicated in this

preamble as being available in the

docket, will become part of this docket

and will be available for inspection or

copying at the First Coast Guard

District, Bridge Branch, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.,

Monday through Friday, except, Federal

holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

John McDonald, Project Officer, First

Coast Guard District, (617) 223–8364.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Request for Comments

We encourage you to participate in

this rulemaking by submitting

comments or related material. If you do

so, please include your name and

address, identify the docket number for

this rulemaking (CGD01–99–029),

indicate the specific section of this

document to which each comment

applies, and give the reason for each

comment. Please submit all comments

and related material in an unbound

format, no larger than 81⁄2 by 11 inches,

suitable for copying. If you would like

to know if they reached us, please

enclose a stamped, self-addressed

postcard or envelope. We will consider

all comments and material received

during the comment period. We may

change this proposed rule in view of

them.

Public Meeting

We do not now plan to hold a public

meeting. But you may submit a request

for a meeting by writing to the First

Coast Guard District, Bridge Branch, at

the address under ADDRESSES explaining

why one would be beneficial. If we

determine that one would aid this

rulemaking, we will hold one at a time

and place announced by a later notice

in the Federal Register.

Background and Purpose

The Newburyport US1 Bridge, mile

3.4, across the Merrimack River has a

vertical clearance of 35 feet at mean

high water and 42 feet at mean low

water in the closed position. The

current regulations in 33 CFR 117.605(a)

require the bridge to open on signal

from May 1 through November 15, from

6 a.m. to 10 p.m. At all other times the

draw must open on signal if at least a

one-hour advance notice is given by

calling the number posted at the bridge.

The bridge owner, the Massachusetts

Highway Department (MHD), asked the

Coast Guard to change the regulations to

allow scheduled opening times to help

alleviate vehicular traffic delays on

Route 1 that occur from Memorial Day

through Labor Day. During the summer

months the bridge opens more

frequently for vessel traffic while the

volume of vehicular traffic on Route 1

is the heaviest. The traffic delays on

Route 1 has prompted the local

communities to ask for relief to help

reduce the traffic delays during the

summer months.

The Coast Guard, in response to the

bridge owner’s request for assistance,

published a notice of temporary

deviation from the operating regulations

(64 FR 25438) on May 12, 1999. The

purpose of the deviation was to test a

new schedule for bridge openings for a

period of 90 days from June 3, 1999,

through August 31, 1999. The bridge

operating schedule during the test