Title 27

SECTION 24.65

24.65 Claims for wine or spirits lost or destroyed in bond.

§ 24.65 Claims for wine or spirits lost or destroyed in bond.

(a) Claim for remission of tax on spirits. All claims for remission of tax required by this part, relating to the loss or destruction of spirits in bond, will be filed with the appropriate TTB officer within 30 days of discovery of the loss. A claim filed under this paragraph will set forth the following information:

(1) The name, registry number, and location of the distilled spirits plant which produced the spirits;

(2) The serial numbers of the containers from which the spirits were lost, the quantity lost from each, and the total quantity of spirits covered by the claim;

(3) The total amount of tax for which claim is filed;

(4) The date of the loss or destruction (or, if not known, the date of discovery);

(5) The nature and cause (if known) of the loss will be stated specifically and in sufficient detail to disclose all material facts and circumstances surrounding the loss;

(6) If lost in transit, the name of the carrier and the points between which shipped; and

(7) If lost by theft, evidence establishing that the loss did not occur as the result of negligence, connivance, collusion, or fraud on the part of the proprietor, owner, consignor, consignee, bailee or carrier, or the agents or employees of any of them.

(b) Claim for allowance of loss on wine. A claim for allowance of loss required by this part, relating to the loss or destruction of wine in bond, will be filed with the appropriate TTB officer. A claim for allowance of loss for wine lost in transit, by fire or other casualty, or any other extraordinary or unusual losses, including a loss by theft, will be filed immediately. Any other claim for allowance of loss will be attached to and submitted with the TTB F 5120.17, Report of Bonded Wine Premises Operations, for the reporting period in which the inventory required by § 24.313 is taken or, in the case of discontinuance of the premises or change in proprietorship, to the final report filed. A claim filed under this paragraph will set forth the information required by paragraphs (a)(5) to (a)(7) of this section and, in addition, will set forth the following information:

(1) The original volume of wine which sustained the loss, the tax class, the quantity of wine lost, and the percentage of wine lost;

(2) Where the claim covers losses sustained at bonded wine premises during the tax year, the claimant shall state:

(i) The quantities of wine on hand at the beginning of the tax year, received in bond during the tax year, and produced during the tax year;

(ii) Where the percentage of loss is calculated separately by tax class, the volume of wine by tax class; and

(iii) If effervescent wine is produced, the volume of wine produced by fermentation in bottles, by artificial carbonation, and by bulk processing; and

(3) Claims covering losses of wine during transit in bond will show the volume lost from each container, the serial number, if any, and the volume shipped.

(c) Claim for abatement, credit or refund. A claim for an abatement of an assessment under § 24.61, or credit or refund of tax which has been paid or determined, will be filed with the appropriate TTB officer in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph and the provisions of 27 CFR part 70, subpart F. A claim filed under this paragraph with respect to spirits, wine, or volatile fruit-flavor concentrate, will set forth the applicable information required by paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. In addition, any claim filed under this paragraph will set forth the following information:

(1) The date of the assessment for which abatement is claimed; and

(2) The name, registry number, and address of the premises where the tax was assessed (or name, address, and title of any other person who was assessed the tax, if the tax was not assessed against the proprietor).

(d) Indemnification or recompense. A claim filed under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section will specify whether the claimant has been or will be indemnified or recompensed for the spirits or wine lost and, if so, the amount and nature of indemnity or recompense and the actual value of the spirits or wine, less the tax.

(e) Supporting documents. A claim filed under paragraph (a), (b), or (c) of this section will be supported by affidavits of persons having personal knowledge of the loss or destruction. In addition, if filed for tax on wine or spirits lost in transit, the claim will be supported by a copy of the carrier's bill of lading.

(Sec. 201, Pub. L. 85-859, 72 Stat. 1323, as amended, 1381, as amended, 1382, as amended (26 U.S.C. 5008, 5370, 5373)) (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under control numbers 1512-0216 and 1512-0492) [T.D. ATF-299, 55 FR 24989, June 19, 1991, as amended by T.D. ATF-338, 58 FR 19063, Apr. 12, 1993; T.D. ATF-376, 61 FR 31030, June 19, 1996; T.D. ATF-409, 64 FR 13683, Mar. 22, 1999]