USC Subchapter G

in effect

26 U.S.C. § 5411 Use of brewery

The brewery shall be used under regulations prescribed by the Secretary only for the purpose of producing, packaging, and storing beer, cereal beverages containing less than one-half of 1 percent of alcohol by volume, vitamins, ice, malt, malt sirup, and other byproducts and of soft drinks; for the purpose of processing spent grain, carbon dioxide, and yeast; and for such other purposes as the Secretary by regulation may find will not jeopardize the revenue.

26 U.S.C. § 5412 Removal of beer in containers or by pipeline

Beer may be removed from the brewery for consumption or sale only in hogsheads, packages, and similar containers, marked, branded, or labeled in such manner as the Secretary may by regulation require, except that beer may be removed from the brewery pursuant to section 5414 or by pipeline to contiguous distilled spirits plants under section 5222.

26 U.S.C. § 5413 Brewers procuring beer from other brewers

A brewer, under such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe, may obtain beer in his own hogsheads, barrels, and kegs, marked with his name and address, from another brewer, with taxpayment thereof to be by the producer in the manner prescribed by section 5054.

26 U.S.C. § 5414 Transfer of beer between bonded facilities

(a) In generalBeer may be removed from one brewery to another brewery, without payment of tax, and may be mingled with beer at the receiving brewery, subject to such conditions, including payment of the tax, and in such containers, as the Secretary by regulations shall prescribe, which shall include—(1) any removal from one brewery to another brewery belonging to the same brewer, (2) any removal from a brewery owned by one corporation to a brewery owned by another corporation when—(A) one such corporation owns the controlling interest in the other such corporation, or (B) the controlling interest in each such corporation is owned by the same person or persons, and (3) any removal from one brewery to another brewery when—(A) the proprietors of transferring and receiving premises are independent of each other and neither has a proprietary interest, directly or indirectly, in the business of the other, and (B) the transferor has divested itself of all interest in the beer so transferred and the transferee has accepted responsibility for payment of the tax. (b) Transfer of liability for taxFor purposes of subsection (a)(3), such relief from liability shall be effective from the time of removal from the transferor’s premises, or from the time of divestment of interest, whichever is later.

26 U.S.C. § 5415 Records and returns

(a) RecordsEvery brewer shall keep records, in such form and containing such information as the Secretary shall prescribe by regulations as necessary for protection of the revenue. These records shall be preserved by the person required to keep such records for such period as the Secretary shall by regulations prescribe, and shall be available during business hours for examination and taking of abstracts therefrom by any internal revenue officer. (b) ReturnsEvery brewer shall make true and accurate returns of his operations and transactions in the form, at the times, and for such periods as the Secretary shall by regulation prescribe.

26 U.S.C. § 5416 Definitions of package and packaging

For purposes of this subchapter, the term “package” means a bottle, can, keg, barrel, or other original consumer container, and the term “packaging” means the filling of any package.

26 U.S.C. § 5417 Pilot brewing plants

Under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, and on the filing of such bonds and applications as he may require, pilot brewing plants may, at the discretion of the Secretary be established and operated off the brewery premises for research, analytical, experimental, or development purposes with regard to beer or brewery operations. Nothing in this section shall be construed as authority to waive the filing of any bond or the payment of any tax provided for in this chapter.

26 U.S.C. § 5418 Beer imported in bulk

Beer imported or brought into the United States in bulk containers may, under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, be withdrawn from customs custody and transferred in such bulk containers to the premises of a brewery without payment of the internal revenue tax imposed on such beer. The proprietor of a brewery to which such beer is transferred shall become liable for the tax on the beer withdrawn from customs custody under this section upon release of the beer from customs custody, and the importer, or the person bringing such beer into the United States, shall thereupon be relieved of the liability for such tax.

26 U.S.C. § 5401 Qualifying documents

(a) NoticeEvery brewer shall, before commencing or continuing business, file with the officer designated for that purpose by the Secretary a notice in writing, in such form and containing such information as the Secretary shall by regulations prescribe as necessary to protect and insure collection of the revenue. (b) BondsEvery brewer, on filing notice as provided by subsection (a) of his intention to commence business, shall execute a bond to the United States in such reasonable penal sum as the Secretary shall by regulation prescribe as necessary to protect and insure collection of the revenue. The bond shall be conditioned (1) that the brewer shall pay, or cause to be paid, as herein provided, the tax required by law on all beer, including all beer removed for transfer to the brewery from other breweries owned by him as provided in section 5414; (2) that he shall pay or cause to be paid the tax on all beer removed free of tax for export as provided in section 5053(a), which beer is not exported or returned to the brewery; and (3) that he shall in all respects faithfully comply, without fraud or evasion, with all requirements of law relating to the production and sale of any beer aforesaid. Once in every 4 years, or whenever required so to do by the Secretary, the brewer shall execute a new bond or a continuation certificate, in the penal sum prescribed in pursuance of this section, and conditioned as above provided, which bond or continuation certificate shall be in lieu of any former bond or bonds, or former continuation certificate or certificates, of such brewer in respect to all liabilities accruing after its approval. If the contract of surety between the brewer and the surety on an expiring bond or continuation certificate is continued in force between the parties for a succeeding period of not less than 4 years, the brewer may submit, in lieu of a new bond, a certificate executed, under penalties of perjury, by the brewer and the surety attesting to continuation of the bond, which certificate shall constitute a bond subject to all provisions of law applicable to bonds given pursuant to this section. (c) Exception from bond requirements for certain breweriesSubsection (b) shall not apply to any taxpayer for any period described in section 5551(d).

26 U.S.C. § 5402 Definitions

(a) BreweryThe brewery shall consist of the land and buildings described in the brewer’s notice. The continuity of the brewery must be unbroken except where separated by public passageways, streets, highways, waterways, or carrier rights-of-way, or partitions; and if parts of the brewery are so separated they must abut on the dividing medium and be adjacent to each other. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, facilities under the control of the brewer for case packing, loading, or storing which are located within reasonable proximity to the brewery packaging facilities may be approved by the Secretary as a part of the brewery if the revenue will not be jeopardized thereby. (b) BrewerFor definition of brewer, see section 5052(d).

26 U.S.C. § 5403 Cross references

(1) For authority of Secretary to disapprove brewers’ bonds, see section 5551. (2) For authority of Secretary to require the installation and use of meters, tanks, and other apparatus, see section 5552. (3) For deposit of United States bonds or notes in lieu of sureties, see section 9303 of title 31, United States Code.