2012 US Code
Title 26 - Internal Revenue Code
Subtitle E - Alcohol, Tobacco, and Certain Other Excise Taxes (§§ 5001 - 5891)
Chapter 51 - DISTILLED SPIRITS, WINES, AND BEER (§§ 5001 - 5692)
Subchapter I - Miscellaneous General Provisions (§§ 5551 - 5562)
Section 5551 - General provisions relating to bonds

No individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association, intending to commence or to continue the business of a distiller, warehouseman, processor, brewer, or winemaker, shall commence or continue the business of a distiller, warehouseman, processor, brewer, or winemaker until all bonds in respect of such a business, required by any provision of law, have been approved by the Secretary of the Treasury or the officer designated by him.

The Secretary of the Treasury or any officer designated by him may disapprove any such bond or bonds if the individual, firm, partnership, or corporation, or association giving such bond or bonds, or owning, controlling, or actively participating in the management of the business of the individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association giving such bond or bonds, shall have been previously convicted, in a court of competent jurisdiction, of—

(1) any fraudulent noncompliance with any provision of any law of the United States, if such provision related to internal revenue or customs taxation of distilled spirits, wines, or beer, or if such an offense shall have been compromised with the individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association on payment of penalties or otherwise, or

(2) any felony under a law of any State, or the District of Columbia, or the United States, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, importation, or transportation of distilled spirits, wine, beer, or other intoxicating liquor.

In case the disapproval is by an officer designated by the Secretary of the Treasury to approve or disapprove such bonds, the individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or association giving the bond may appeal from such disapproval to the Secretary of the Treasury or an officer designated by him to hear such appeals, and the disapproval of the bond by the Secretary of the Treasury or officer designated to hear such appeals shall be final.

(Added Pub. L. 85–859, title II, §201, Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1394; amended Pub. L. 94–455, title XIX, §§1905(c)(5), 1906(b)(13)(B), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1823, 1834; Pub. L. 96–39, title VIII, §807(a)(51), July 26, 1979, 93 Stat. 288.)

A prior section 5551, act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 680, consisted of provisions similar to those comprising this section, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859.

Provisions similar to those comprising subsec. (c) of this section were contained in prior section 5177(c), act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 630, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859.

1979—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–39 substituted “warehouseman, processor” for “bonded warehouseman, rectifier” in two places.

1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–455, §1906(b)(13)(B), substituted “Secretary of the Treasury” for “Secretary”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 94–455, §§1905(c)(5), 1906(b)(13)(B), substituted “Secretary of the Treasury” for “Secretary” in provisions preceding par. (1) and struck out “Territory, or” after “State,” in par. (2).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–455, §1906(b)(13)(B), substituted “Secretary of the Treasury” for “Secretary”.

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–39 effective Jan. 1, 1980, see section 810 of Pub. L. 96–39, set out as a note under section 5001 of this title.

Amendment by section 1905(c)(5) of Pub. L. 94–455 effective on first day of first month which begins more than 90 days after Oct. 4, 1976, see section 1905(d) of Pub. L. 94–455, set out as a note under section 5005 of this title.

Section effective July 1, 1959, see section 210(a)(1) of Pub. L. 85–859, set out as a note under section 5001 of this title.