Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
04/22/2026
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
04/30/2026
65
70
325
350
65
70
In general, chapter 52 of the IRC imposes a Federal excise tax on all tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes manufactured in, or imported into, the United States, while exempting such articles removed for export, as well as all processed tobacco, from that tax. Export warehouses receive and store such non-taxpaid articles until they are removed without payment of tax for export to a foreign country, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands, or for consumption beyond the internal revenue laws of the United States. In addition, section 5721 of the IRC requires export warehouse proprietors to take an inventory of all tobacco products, cigarette papers and tubes, and processed tobacco on hand at the commencement of business, the conclusion of business, and at other times as the Secretary prescribes by regulation. Under that IRC authority, the TTB regulations in 27 CFR part 44 require all export warehouse proprietors to take and report an inventory on TTB F 5220.3 at the opening and closing of their business, when certain changes in control of the business occur, and if required by TTB. As authorized by section 5741 of the IRC, the TTB regulations in part 44 also require export warehouse proprietors to retain record copies of their inventory reports for 3 years following the close of the calendar year in which the inventory was taken, available for TTB inspection upon request. Because export warehouse proprietors hold untaxed tobacco products and cigarette papers and tubes until such articles are exported without payment of tax, transferred in bond to another export warehouse, or returned to the manufacturer, TTB uses these inventories to establish a contingent Federal excise tax liability on such articles. These inventories also aid TTB in detecting diversion of untaxed articles into the taxable domestic market. In addition, inventories of processed tobacco, which is not subject to tax, help TTB detect and prevent diversion of materials used for making tobacco products to unauthorized manufacturers.
There is no program change associated with this collection. As for adjustments, due to a change in agency estimates resulting from a decrease in the number of export warehouse proprietors, TTB is reducing the estimated number of annual respondents and responses to this information collection from 70 to 65 each, and, as a result, is decreasing the estimated annual burden hours for this collection from 350 to 325. The per-response burden of 5 hours remains the same as previously reported.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.