The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) will levy assessments from January 1, 2005 through September 30, 2014 on certain domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products as provided for in this subpart in order to fund the issuance of payments made under subpart B of this part and to fund other activities authorized by Title VI of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. The total amount of assessments that may be collected under this part shall not exceed $10.140 billion.

The provisions of this subpart will be administered under the general supervision of the Executive Vice President, CCC.

The definitions in this section shall apply for all purposes of administering the provisions of this subpart:

Act means Title VI of the America Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-357).

Adjusted market share means the market share of a manufacturer of tobacco products or an importer of tobacco products adjusted to reflect such entity's share of a class of tobacco during the immediately preceding calendar year quarter. With respect to the 39th and 40th quarterly payments due on September 30, 2014, the adjusted market share will be the entity's share of a class of tobacco during the April 1-June 30, 2014 quarter.

Base period means the period July 1 through June 30 immediately preceding the beginning of a fiscal year.

CCC's point of contact means, for items physically sent to CCC, “Fibers, Peanuts, and Tobacco Analysis Group, Economic and Policy Analysis Staff, Farm Service Agency, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), STOP 0515, Room 3720-S, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0515” unless otherwise specified by CCC through actual notice.

Calendar year means the period January 1 through December 31.

Class of tobacco means each of the following types of tobacco and tobacco products for which taxes are required to be paid for the removal of such into domestic commerce: cigarettes; cigars; snuff; roll-your-own tobacco; chewing tobacco; and pipe tobacco.

Domestic manufacturer of tobacco products means an entity that is required to obtain a permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the Department of the Treasury with respect to the production of tobacco products under title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Fiscal year means the period October 1 through September 30.

Gross domestic volume means the volume of tobacco products removed, as defined by section 5702 of the Revenue Code, and not exempt from tax under chapter 52 of such code at the time of their removal under that chapter or the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.

Importer of tobacco products means an entity that is required to obtain a permit from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of the Department of the Treasury with respect to the importation of tobacco products under title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Market share means the share of each domestic manufacturer and importer of a class of tobacco product, to the fourth decimal place, of the total volume of domestic sales of the class of tobacco product in the base period. Such sales shall be determined by CCC by using the total volume of such class of tobacco product that is removed into domestic commerce in the base period.

National assessment means the total amount of funding that CCC has determined to be necessary to collect in a year from domestic manufacturer and importer of tobacco products in order to reimburse CCC for expenditures that it will incur in the year for expenses incurred under sections 622 and 623 of the Act in making payments under subpart B of this part; losses sustained by CCC in the disposition of tobacco acquired under price support loan agreements as provided in section 641(c) of the Act; and costs incurred by CCC in the utilization of financial institutions in administering sections 622 and 623 of the Act.

Revenue Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

Tobacco Trust Fund means an account established for deposit of assessments collected under this subpart, plus interest that accrues on such assessments, to be used to implement this subpart.

Annually, CCC will make a determination of a national assessment in as far in advance of when the first assessment is due as CCC determines to be practicable. Based upon the amount of assessments received and expenditures incurred in a calendar year quarter, CCC may adjust the national assessment for one or more classes of tobacco established for a particular year with respect to succeeding calendar year quarters.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the national assessment will be divided by CCC among each class of tobacco based upon CCC's determination of each class's share of the excise taxes paid using for all years the tax rates that applied in fiscal year 2005. The value of the excise taxes paid for each class of tobacco will be based upon the reports filed by domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products with the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security:

(b) For fiscal year 2005, the national assessment will be divided as follows:

(1) Cigarettes, 96.331 percent;

(2) Cigars, 2.783 percent;

(3) Snuff, 0.539 percent;

(4) Roll-your-own tobacco products, 0.171 percent;

(5) Chewing tobacco, 0.111 percent; and

(6) Pipe tobacco, 0.066 percent.

(c) For fiscal years 2006 through 2014, the division of the national assessment for each class of tobacco will be adjusted annually.

(a) All domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products are required to pay to CCC their proportionate share of a calendar year's national assessment. Such entities are those that import or manufacture tobacco products in a calendar year and are required to report to the United States Department of the Treasury or to the Department of Homeland Security the removal of tobacco products into domestic commerce under the Revenue Code or are required to pay taxes under chapter 52 of such code.

(b)(1) Such entities must provide to CCC's point of contact:

(i) Entity name; mailing address of the entity's principal place of business; an office or individual that CCC may contact for further information; an e-mail address and postal address at which they wish to receive notifications required by the Act to be made to them by CCC; and

(ii) On a monthly basis for each class of tobacco, the total amount of tobacco products, summarized by employer identification number or such other method as may be prescribed by CCC, that are required to be reported to the United States Department of the Treasury or to the Department of Homeland Security in each month beginning October 1, 2004, and ending September 30, 2014.

(2) The information required to be submitted to CCC under paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be submitted by:

(i) With respect to fiscal year 2005 activities occurring prior to February 10, 2005, by February 25, 2005; and

(ii) With respect to all other activities, on the same date the information was required to be submitted to the United States Department of the Treasury or to the Department of Homeland Security.

(a) In order to determine the assessment owed by an entity, that portion of the national assessment assigned to each class of tobacco will be further divided at the entity level. The amount of the assessment for each class of tobacco to be paid by each domestic manufacturer and importer of tobacco products will be determined by multiplying:

(1) With respect to each class of tobacco, the adjusted market share of such manufacturer or importer; by

(2) The total amount of the assessment for that class of tobacco for the calendar year quarter.

(b) For purposes of determining the volume of domestic sales of each class of tobacco products and for each entity, such sales shall be based upon the reports filed by domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco with the Department of Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security and shall correspond to the quantity of the tobacco product that is removed into domestic commerce by each such entity:

(1) For cigarettes and cigars, on the number of cigarettes and cigars reported on such reports;

(2) For all other classes of tobacco, on the number of pounds of those products.

(c) In determining the adjusted market share of each manufacturer or importer of a class of tobacco products, except for cigars, CCC will determine to the fourth decimal place an entity's share of excise taxes paid of that class of tobacco product during the immediately prior calendar year quarter. With respect to cigars, CCC will determine the adjusted market share for each manufacturer or importer of a class of tobacco products based on the number of such products removed into domestic commerce.

(d) The amount of a quarterly assessment owed by a domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products that must be remitted to CCC by the end of a calendar year quarter is based upon the application of the manufacturer's or importer's adjusted market share to the amount of the national assessment that has been allocated to one of the six specified tobacco product sectors under § 1463.5. As provided in § 1463.3, this adjusted market share is determined by the actions of such manufacturer or importer in a prior calendar year quarter. Accordingly, this amount must be remitted to CCC whether or not the manufacturer or importer is engaged in the removal of tobacco or tobacco products into commerce in the calendar year quarter in which it receives notification of the amount of assessment owed to CCC.

(a) Once CCC has determined a national assessment, CCC will collect that amount on a quarterly basis from all domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products subject to § 1463.5.

(b) 30 calendar days prior to the end of each calendar year quarter domestic manufacturers and importers of tobacco products will receive notification of:

(1) The national assessment;

(2) The percentage of the national assessment that has been allocated to each class of tobacco product and the total amount of assessments due from each such class;

(3) Any adjustments that have been from the prior fiscal year with respect to the allocation of the gross domestic volume determined for use in a fiscal year among the classes of tobacco products;

(4) An adjustment in the national assessment if CCC determines that the assessments imposed will result in insufficient funds due to changes in the amount of expenditures that CCC has determined will be made in a calendar year;

(5) The volume of gross sales of each class of tobacco that CCC has allocated to the domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products for the purposes of determining such entity's adjusted market share. The volume of gross sales of each class of tobacco allocated to such an entity shall correspond to the quantity of the tobacco product that is removed into domestic commerce by each such entity;

(6) The total volume of gross sales of each class of tobacco that CCC has allocated to a class of tobacco, within the gross domestic volume determined for use in a fiscal year, that was used for the purpose of determining a tobacco manufacturer's or tobacco importer's adjusted market share. The total volume of gross sales of each such class of tobacco shall correspond to the total quantity of the tobacco product that is removed into domestic commerce.

(7) For that quarter, the adjusted market share of the domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products;

(8) Beginning with the 2nd quarter of 2008, or as soon as practicable thereafter, the applied market share for that quarter of each other manufacturer and importer, for the applicable class of tobacco product of those manufacturers and importers that have provided such information to CCC in accordance with the provisions of § 1463.6, as determined by the Deputy Administrator, Farm Service Agency.

(9) The manner in which assessments are to be remitted to CCC; and

(10) Identification of those Department of the Treasury and Department of Homeland Security forms filed by the domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products that are used to calculate assessments.

(a) Assessments under this subpart are imposed for the expenditures CCC has determined it will incur in the 2005 through 2014 calendar years. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, payment of such assessments are due to CCC no later than the end of each calendar year quarter. If prior to 30 calendar days before the end of a calendar year quarter CCC has not notified an entity of the amount that is required to be remitted in that quarter, no interest will be assessed by CCC under paragraph (d) of this section until 30 calendar days have elapsed from the date CCC provided notification of the amount owed.

(b) Payments due under this subpart must be submitted to CCC by electronic fund transfer unless prior written approval has been obtained from CCC.

(c) The final two calendar year quarterly payments due to CCC under this part shall be due to CCC on September 30, 2014.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if CCC has not received payment of assessments determined to be owed at the end of a calendar year quarter, CCC will assess interest on such unpaid amount beginning on the first day of the calendar year quarter immediately following the end of such prior quarter. Such interest will be at the rate CCC assesses on delinquent debts in accordance with part 1403 of this title.

(e) With respect to funds placed in escrow that are refunded to the domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products due to the resolution of an appeal, interest will be paid on such amount from the date of receipt by CCC until the date of the refund. Such interest rate will be at the rate charged by the U.S. Treasury for CCC's borrowing that is in effect on the date of receipt by CCC of such funds.

(a) Any person who knowingly fails to provide information required to be filed under this subpart, or provides false information under this subpart, may be subject to the penalties prescribed in 15 U.S.C. 714m, 18 U.S.C. 1003, and such other civil and criminal statutes as the United States determines to be appropriate.

(b) In addition to an action that may be taken under paragraph (a) of this section, with respect to any person who knowingly fails to provide information required to be filed under this subpart, or that provides false information under this subpart, a person may be subject to assessment of a civil penalty by CCC. Such civil penalty will be imposed by CCC taking into account the severity of the action; whether the action is of a repetitive nature; and the disruption the action has caused with respect to other parties subject to this subpart. Any such civil penalty will not exceed two percent of the value of the kind of tobacco products manufactured or imported by such entity in the fiscal year in which the violation occurred.

(a) An entity may appeal any adverse determination made under this subpart, including with respect to the amount of the assessment, by submitting a written statement that sets forth the basis of the dispute to Darlene Soto, Tobacco Transition Assessment Program Manager, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 3722, Mail Stop 0515, Washington DC 20250-0514, within 30 business days of the date of receipt of the notification by CCC of its determination.

(b) The Executive Vice President shall assign a person to act as the hearing officer on behalf of CCC. The duty of the hearing officer will be to develop an administrative record that will provide the Executive Vice President, or a designee, with sufficient information to render a final determination on the matter in dispute. The hearing to be conducted by the hearing officer will be an informal hearing at which the appellant may present oral and written evidence in support of the appellant's position. A copy of the rules of conduct that will be applicable to the proceeding will be provided to the appellant upon receipt of the appeal by CCC.

(c) For any appeals filed after October 1, 2014, appellants must submit all supporting documentation within 30 calendar days following the date of the initial written appeal to CCC. Any documents received after that time will not be considered by the hearing officer.

(1) The final date that entities may file an appeal is January 14, 2016.

(2) If 30 calendar days elapse following receipt by CCC of the final submission of supporting documentation by an appellant with respect to any appeal filed under this section regarding an assessment imposed on a domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products, without a final administrative decision by CCC, then all administrative remedies available to the appellant will be deemed to be exhausted; except, if the 30th calendar day would fall on a weekend day or federal holiday, then the 30th calendar day will be deemed the next business day following such weekend day or federal holiday.

(d) Any domestic manufacturer or importer of tobacco products aggrieved by a determination made by CCC under this subpart may seek review of the determination upon the exhaustion of the administrative remedies provided by this part in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or for the district in which such importer or manufacturer has its principal place of business.