§617. Refund on goods exported; bond to suspend tax on commodity intended for export

(a) Upon the exportation to any foreign country (and/or to the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Canal Zone, and the island of Guam) of any product processed wholly or partly from a commodity with respect to which product or commodity a tax has been paid or is payable under this chapter, the tax due and payable or due and paid shall be credited or refunded. Under regulations prescribed by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, the credit or refund shall be allowed to the consignor named in the bill of lading under which the product is exported or to the shipper or to the person liable for the tax provided the consignor waives any claim thereto in favor of such shipper or person liable for the tax. In the case of rice, a tax due under this chapter which has been paid by a tax-payment warrant shall be deemed for the purposes of this subsection to have been paid; and with respect to any refund authorized under this section, the amount scheduled by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for refunding shall be paid, any provision of law notwithstanding. In the case of sugar beets and sugarcane, this subsection shall be applicable to exports of products thereof to the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Canal Zone, and/or the island of Guam only if this chapter with respect to sugar beets and sugarcane is not made applicable thereto. The term "product" includes any product exported as merchandise, or as a container for merchandise, or otherwise.

(b) Upon the giving of bond satisfactory to the Secretary of the Treasury for the faithful observance of the provisions of this chapter requiring the payment of taxes, any person shall be entitled, without payment of the tax, to process for such exportation any commodity with respect to which a tax is imposed by this chapter, or to hold for such exportation any article processed wholly or partly therefrom.

(May 12, 1933, ch. 25, title I, §17, 48 Stat. 40 ; May 9, 1934, ch. 263, §§12, 13, 48 Stat. 676 ; Mar. 18, 1935, ch. 32, §11, 49 Stat. 48 ; Aug. 24, 1935, ch. 641, §28, 49 Stat. 770 ; June 22, 1936, ch. 690, §601(a), 49 Stat. 1739 ; Proc. No. 2695, eff. July 4, 1946, 11 F.R. 7871, 60 Stat. 1352.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

For definition of Canal Zone, referred to in subsec. (a), see section 3602(b) of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

Codification

References to the Philippine Islands in subsec. (a) were omitted from the Code as obsolete in view of the independence proclaimed by the President of the United States by Proc. No. 2695, cited to text, which is set out as a note under section 1394 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

Constitutionality

Unconstitutionality of processing and floor stock taxes, see note set out under section 616 of this title.

Amendments

1936-Subsec. (a). Act June 22, 1936, reenacted subsec. (a) for refund purposes only.

1935-Subsec. (a). Act Aug. 24, 1935, struck out first two sentences and substituted "Upon the exportation to any foreign country (and/or to the Philippine Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Canal Zone, and the island of Guam) of any product processed wholly or partly from a commodity with respect to which product or commodity a tax has been paid or is payable under this chapter, the tax due and payable or due and paid shall be credited or refunded. Under regulations prescribed by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, the credit or refund shall be allowed to the consignor named in the bill of lading under which the product is exported or to the shipper or to the person liable for the tax provided the consignor waives any claim thereto in favor of such shipper or person liable for the tax."

Act Mar. 18, 1935, inserted third sentence.

1934-Subsec. (a). Act May 9, 1934, amended subsec. (a) generally.

Subsec. (b). Act May 9, 1934, §13, substituted "partly" for "in chief value".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Separability

Validity of remainder of this chapter as not affected should any of the provisions of this chapter be declared unconstitutional, see section 614 of this title.

Appropriations

Appropriations for refunds, etc., see note set out under section 610 of this title.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Functions of all officers of Department of the Treasury, and functions of all agencies and employees of such Department, transferred, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Treasury, with power vested in him to authorize their performance or performance of any of his functions, by any of such officers, agencies, and employees, by 1950 Reorg. Plan. No. 26, §§1, 2, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, referred to in this section, is an officer of Department of the Treasury.