Department of the Treasury March 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document cancels a public hearing on proposed rulemaking that provides guidance relating to the allocation and apportionment of interest expense.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A). Currently the Bureau of the Public Debt within the Department of the Treasury is soliciting comments concerning the creditor's request for payment of Treasury securities belonging to a decedent's estate being settled without administration.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A). Currently the Bureau of the Public Debt within the Department of the Treasury is soliciting comments concerning the Supporting Statement of Ownership for Overdue United States Bearer Securities.

This is Supplement No. 15 to the Treasury Department Circular 570, 2011 Revision, published July 1, 2011, at 76 FR 38892.

This document contains correcting amendments to temporary regulations (TD 9564), which were published in the Federal Register relating to guidance regarding deduction and capitalization of expenditures related to tangible property.

This document contains corrections to a notice of proposed rulemaking (REG-168745-03), which was published in the Federal Register relating to sections 162, and 263 providing guidance on the deduction and capitalization of expenditures related to tangible property.

In this document, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau proposes to amend its regulations setting forth the standards of identity for distilled spirits to include Pisco as a type of brandy that must be manufactured in accordance with the laws and regulations of either Peru or Chile, as appropriate, governing the manufacture of those products. This change will remove ``Pisco brandy'' from the list of examples of geographical designations in the distilled spirits standards of identity. This document also includes a technical correction to remove ``Cognac'' from the same list of examples. These changes will provide greater clarity in distilled spirits labeling.

This document adopts as a final rule, without change, the proposed amendments to the CBP regulations that provide that where an owner or master of a vessel documented under the laws of the United States fails to timely pay the duties determined to be due to CBP that are associated with the purchase of equipment for, or repair to, the vessel while it is outside the United States, interest will accrue on the amounts owed to CBP and that person will be liable for interest. The purpose of this document is to ensure that the CBP regulations reflect that CBP collects interest as part of its inherent revenue collection functions in situations where an owner or master of a vessel fails to pay the vessel repair duties determined to be due within 30 days of CBP issuing the bill.

This document proposes amendments to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to provide that if certain imports do not comply with applicable energy conservation or labeling standards, CBP will refuse admission when so notified by the Department of Energy (DOE) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and CBP may, upon a recommendation from DOE or FTC, conditionally release the goods so that they may be brought into compliance. Specifically, CBP will refuse admission into the customs territory of the United States to consumer products and industrial equipment deemed noncompliant with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) and its implementing regulations, and for which CBP has received written notice from the DOE or the FTC that identifies merchandise as noncompliant with applicable EPCA requirements. In lieu of immediate refusal of admission, and upon written or electronic notice by DOE or FTC, CBP may conditionally release under bond to the importer such noncompliant products or equipment for purposes of reconditioning, re-labeling, or other action so as to bring the subject product or equipment into compliance with applicable energy conservation and labeling admissibility standards. If the subject import is not timely brought into compliance, CBP, at the direction of DOE or FTC, will issue a refusal of admission notice to the importer and demand redelivery of the subject products to CBP custody. A failure to comply with a demand for redelivery will result in the assessment of liquidated damages. This proposed regulation, if adopted, will implement the mandate of the EPCA, as amended, to preclude admission into the United States of certain consumer products and industrial equipment that do not meet applicable labeling or energy conservation requirements.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). The Department of the Treasury, Office of the Procurement Executive, is soliciting comments on these collections of information that are scheduled to expire.

The President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability (``Council'') will convene for an open meeting on April 9, 2012, at the Department of Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC, beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. The meeting will be open to the public. The Council will: (1) Receive reports from the Council's subcommittees (Underserved and Community Empowerment, Research and Evaluation, Partnerships, and Youth) on their progress; and (2) hear from a panel of experts about the methods in which the Administration can work with the private sector in improving financial capability.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 3949-A, Information Referral.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). The IRS is soliciting comments concerning information collection requirements related to energy efficient homes credit; manufactured homes.

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning Form 4876-A, Election to Be Treated as an Interest Charge DISC.

This advance notice of proposed rulemaking announces the intention of the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury to propose amendments to regulations regarding certain preventive health services under provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act). The proposed amendments would establish alternative ways to fulfill the requirements of section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act and companion provisions under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code when health coverage is sponsored or arranged by a religious organization that objects to the coverage of contraceptive services for religious reasons and that is not exempt under the final regulations published February 15, 2012. This document serves as a request for comments in advance of proposed rulemaking on the potential means of accommodating such organizations while ensuring contraceptive coverage for plan participants and beneficiaries covered under their plans (or, in the case of student health insurance plans, student enrollees and their dependents) without cost sharing.

This rule amends the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations on an interim basis to implement the preferential tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the United States- Korea Free Trade Agreement.

As part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, FinCEN invites comment on a proposed renewal, without change, to information collections found in regulations requiring futures commission merchants, introducing brokers, banks, savings associations, credit unions, certain non-federally regulated banks, mutual funds, and broker-dealers, to develop and implement customer identification programs reasonably designed to prevent those financial institutions from being used to facilitate money laundering and the financing of terrorist activities. This request for comment is being made pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, 44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A).

This Notice announces the availability of ``SSBCI National Standards: Compliance and Oversight for Participating States''.

This document changes the date of a public hearing on proposed regulations relating to the deduction and capitalization of expenditures related to tangible property.

This document provides notice of public hearing on proposed rulemaking regarding the definition of an ``interest in a limited partnership as a limited partner'' for purposes of determining whether a taxpayer materially participates in an activity under section 469 of the Internal Revenue Code. These proposed regulations affect individuals who are partners in partnerships.

This notice sets forth the proposed topics to be discussed for a meeting of the Department of the Treasury's Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance. The meeting is open the public. The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. The FACI will convene its first meeting on Friday, March 30, 2012, in the Cash Room, Department of the Treasury, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC, 20220, beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (``OFAC'') is publishing the names of 18 individuals whose property and interests in property have been unblocked pursuant to Executive Order 12978 of October 21, 1995, ``Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions With Significant Narcotics Traffickers.''

The Department of the Treasury, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)).