Site Feedback

Title 27

Displaying title 27, up to date as of 8/07/2026. Title 27 was last amended 7/06/2026.
eCFR Content

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the official legal print publication containing the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the departments and agencies of the Federal Government. The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) is a continuously updated online version of the CFR. It is not an official legal edition of the CFR.

Learn more about the eCFR, its status, and the editorial process.

General

§ 46.1 Scope of regulations in this subpart.

The regulations in this subpart relate to the limitations imposed by 26 U.S.C. 6423, on the refund or credit of tax paid or collected in respect to any article of a kind subject to a tax imposed by 26 U.S.C. chapter 52.

[T.D. ATF-48, 44 FR 55857, Sept. 28, 1979]

§ 46.2 Meaning of terms.

When used in this subpart, where not otherwise distinctly expressed or manifestly incompatible with the intent thereof, terms shall have the meaning ascribed in this section.

Administrator. The Administrator, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, Department of the Treasury, Washington, DC.

Appropriate TTB officer. An officer or employee of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) authorized to perform any functions relating to the administration or enforcement of this part by TTB Order 1135.46, Delegation of the Administrator's Authorities in 27 CFR Part 46, Miscellaneous Regulations Relating to Tobacco Products and Cigarette Papers and Tubes.

Article. The commodity in respect to which the amount claimed was paid or collected as a tax.

Claimant. Any person who files a claim for a refund or credit of tax under this subpart.

Owner. A person who, by reason of a proprietary interest in the article, furnished the amount claimed to the claimant for the purpose of paying the tax.

Person. An individual, a trust, estate, partnership, association, company, or corporation.

Tax. Any tax imposed by 26 U.S.C. chapter 52, or by any corresponding provision of prior internal revenue laws, and in the case of any commodity of a kind subject to a tax under such chapter, any tax equal to any such tax, any additional tax, or any floor stocks tax. The term includes an exaction denominated a “tax”, and any penalty, addition to tax, additional amount, or interest applicable to any such tax.

[T.D. 6395, 24 FR 599, Jan. 28, 1959. Redesignated at 40 FR 16835, Apr. 15, 1975]

§ 46.3 Applicability to certain credits or refunds.

The provisions of this subpart apply only where the credit or refund is claimed on the grounds that an amount of tax was assessed or collected erroneously, illegally, without authority, or in any manner wrongfully, or on the grounds that such amount was excessive. This subpart does not apply to:

(a) Any claim for drawback,

(b) Any claim made in accordance with any law expressly providing for credit or refund where an article is withdrawn from the market, returned to bond, lost, or destroyed, and

(c) Any claim based solely on errors in computation of the quantity of an article subject to tax or on mathematical errors in computation of the amount of the tax due, or to any claim in respect of tax collected or paid on an article seized and forfeited, or destroyed, as contraband.

[T.D. 6395, 24 FR 599, Jan. 28, 1959. Redesignated at 40 FR 16835, Apr. 15, 1975, and amended by T.D. ATF-42, 42 FR 8372, Feb. 10, 1977]

§ 46.4 Ultimate burden.

For the purposes of this subpart, the claimant, or owner, shall be treated as having borne the ultimate burden of an amount of tax only if:

(a) He has not, directly or indirectly, been relieved of such burden or shifted such burden to any other person,

(b) No understanding or agreement exists for any such relief or shifting, and

(c) If he has neither sold nor contracted to sell the articles involved in such claim, he agrees that there will be no such relief or shifting, and furnishes bond as provided in § 46.10.

§ 46.5 Conditions to allowance of credit or refund.

No credit or refund to which this subpart is applicable shall be allowed or made, pursuant to a court decision or otherwise, of any amount paid or collected as a tax unless a claim therefor has been filed, as provided in this subpart, by the person who paid the tax and the claimant, in addition to establishing that he is otherwise legally entitled to credit or refund of the amount claimed, establishes:

(a) That he bore the ultimate burden of the amount claimed, or

(b) That he has unconditionally repaid the amount claimed to the person who bore the ultimate burden of such amount, or

(c) That

(1) the owner of the article furnished him the amount claimed for payment of the tax,

(2) he has filed with the appropriate TTB officer the written consent of such owner to the allowance to the claimant of the credit or refund, and

(3) such owner satisfies the requirements of paragraph (a) or (b) of this section.

[T.D. 6395, 24 FR 599, Jan. 28, 1959. Redesignated at 40 FR 16835, Apr. 15, 1975, as amended by T.D. ATF-472, 67 FR 8880, Feb. 27, 2002]

§ 46.6 Requirements for persons intending to file claim.

Any person who, having paid the tax with respect to an article, desires to claim refund or credit of any amount of such tax to which the provisions of this subpart are applicable must:

(a) File a claim, as provided in § 46.7,

(b) Comply with any other provisions of law or regulations which may apply to the claim, and

(c) If, at the time of filing the claim, neither he nor the owner has sold or contracted to sell the articles involved in the claim, file a bond on TTB Form 5620.10, as provided by § 46.10.

[T.D. 6395, 24 FR 599, Jan. 28, 1959. Redesignated at 40 FR 16835, Apr. 15, 1975, as amended by T.D. ATF-472, 67 FR 8880, Feb. 27, 2002]