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TTB NEWSLETTER | Weekly News

November 22, 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

Greetings! This week’s top news includes a reminder to file your operational reports on time, tips when calling TTB for assistance, an opportunity to comment on TTB information collections, and a guilty plea in a criminal case in which TTB participated.

OPERATIONAL REPORTS MUST BE FILED ON TIME - KNOW YOUR DUE DATES

We did an analysis which showed that a surprising number of industry members who are required to file operational reports do not file them on time in compliance with federal regulations.

We’d like to take this opportunity to remind members of the wine, beer, distilled spirits, and tobacco industries who are required to file operational reports of the due dates for these reports:

• Filing due dates for operational reports

FILING TIPS:

• Visit our Automated Reminders for Filing Tax Returns and Operational Reports page to subscribe to receive email reminders when it’s time to file.
• File your operational reports via Pay.gov. We have noticed that industry members who use Pay.gov have a better record of filing on time! Why not sign up to use Pay.gov today?
• Check the back of the form or instructions for the correct mailing address. Operational reports should not be mailed to our office in Washington, DC.

 “WE ARE EXPERIENCING UNUSUALLY HIGH CALL VOLUMES”

These are words no one wants to hear because you need assistance now.  One of TTB’s core values is accessibility. We take pride in assisting industry members, and our goal is to do so in a timely fashion. We acknowledge that our NRC and ALFD call centers are not always performing up to the levels you expect, and we ask for your patience as we take steps to address our internal challenges.

Here are some tips when you have TTB questions:

• Try searching our web site, www.TTB.gov, for the answers to your questions.  We recently updated the wine labeling pages with lots of useful information, and we added  5 new videos that explain the basics of Trade Practices.
• You can check the status of your TTB application by logging into the applicable system at any time of day. If the status is “received” or “review in progress” chances are we haven’t started working on it yet, and our call center staff won’t have any additional details to share with you.  Once a specialist begins reviewing your application it won’t be long before you hear from us.
• Speaking of applications, check our TTB Application Processing Times pages to get an idea of how long the current wait time is for each application type.
• Avoid getting locked out of your Permits Online account by changing your password  before it expires.  Government IT security protocols mandate that passwords expire every 60 days and your account will be locked if you don’t change your password in time.
• We currently have two call centers and each handles different areas of TTB workload.  Be sure to call the right call center, based on your question:
• The National Revenue Center (NRC) handles permits and taxes.
• The Alcohol Labeling and Formulation Division (ALFD) handles labels and formulas.
• If your request isn’t urgent, leave us a message instead of waiting on hold, and we’ll get back to you, usually within 2 to 3 business days.
• Refrain from leaving or sending multiple messages on the same topic.  Since we often have a backlog of calls and emails to return this actually makes things harder for call center staff.

HERE’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON TTB FORMS, SURVEYS, AND OTHER INFORMATION WE ASK YOU TO  MAINTAIN

On November 18, 2019, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act, we published a notice requesting public comments on seven existing TTB information collections (forms, recordkeeping requirements, and surveys).  The information collections open for comment are:

• OMB No. 1513–0016, Drawback on Wines Exported (TTB F 5120.24);
• OMB No. 1513–0031, Specific and Continuing Transportation Bonds—Distilled Spirits and Wines Withdrawn for Transportation to Manufacturing Bonded Warehouse, Class Six (TTB F 5100.12 and TTB F 5110.67);
• OMB No. 1513–0056, Distilled Spirits Plants—Transaction and Supporting Records (TTB REC 5110/05);
• OMB No. 1513–0061, Letterhead Applications and Notices Relating to Denatured Spirits (TTB REC 5150/2);
• OMB No. 1513–0086, Marks on Equipment and Structures (TTB REC 5130/3), and Marks and Labels on Containers of Beer (TTB REC 5130/4);
• OMB No. 1513–0111, COLAs Online Access Request (TTB F 5013.2); and
• OMB No. 1513–0124, Customer Satisfaction Surveys for Permit Applications, Permits Online (PONL), Formulas Online (FONL), and COLAs Online.

To view this public notice and any comments received in response to it, go to Docket No. TTB–2019–0001 at Regulations.gov. To submit a comment electronically, use the Regulations.gov comment form for this notice.
Comments on these information collections are due by January 17, 2020.

RECENT ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY

On Tuesday, November 19, 2019, Douglas Haig, 57, of Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty to engaging in the business of manufacturing ammunition without a license.  The case arose out of a joint investigation by the FBI and ATF with assistance from the Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation of the October 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas.

A copy of the press release may be found on the website for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.

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Please visit the homepage of TTB.gov for the most recent news, or visit the Contact Us page if you have any questions.