Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau October 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is issuing a temporary rule amending the TTB regulations relating to special (occupational) tax, to reflect a 3-year tax suspension effected by section 246 of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. Section 246 amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide that, during the period from July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2008, the rate of special (occupational) tax on certain occupations will be zero. The occupations affected by the 3-year tax suspension are: Manufacturers of nonbeverage products who claim tax drawback; proprietors of distilled spirits plants, alcohol fuel plants, bonded and taxpaid wine premises, and breweries; and wholesale and retail dealers in distilled spirits, wine, and beer. The requirements to register annually and keep prescribed records remain in effect. In this notice of proposed rulemaking, we are soliciting comments from all interested parties on these regulatory amendments. The text of the regulations in the temporary rule published in the Rules and Regulations section of this issue of the Federal Register serves as the text of the proposed regulations.

This Treasury decision establishes the Dos Rios viticultural area in Mendocino County, California. The proposed 15,500-acre viticultural area is 150 miles north of San Francisco, California. We designate viticultural areas to allow vintners to better describe the origin of their wines and to allow consumers to better identify wines they may purchase.