Rev. Rul. 55-100

Internal revenue distilled spirits bottle strip stamps (red, green and blue) will, on and after January 1, 1955, be furnished to qualified persons without cost. Under the provisions of section 5008 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, the charge of one cent each (one-fourth cent in the case of the denomination of less than one-half pint) for strip stamps, which was imposed under the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, is eliminated.

On and after January 1, 1955, strip stamps will be issued without charge on the basis of orders, properly approved, on Form 403, `Order for Bottle Stamps-Bottled-in-Bond Strips,' and Form 428, `Order for Bottle Stamps-Other than Bottling-in-Bond Strips.' The money value strip stamps heretofore provided will be devaluated and will continue to be issued after January 1, 1955, but without charge. It is contemplated that in the future the prefix symbol indicating the internal revenue collection district will be omitted from the symbols appearing on the strip stamps, but each stamp, except the strip stamps of less than one-half pint denomination, will bear a serial number.

The issuance of strip stamps without charge will make it unnecessary for owners of such stamps to present unusable stamps to District Directors for exchange. Such stamps will be turned over to the storekeeper-gauger for destruction.

Claims for redemption of strip stamps purchased on or before December 31, 1954, will be filed with the appropriate Assistant Regional Commissioner, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax, by the owners thereof. Such claims should be accompanied by the stamps, unless the stamps were reissued pursuant to a verified inventory, and an inventory of the stamps. Inventories of stamps held by domestic bottlers will be verified by storekeeper-gaugers at the premises and the stamps reissued to the bottlers for use on and after January 1, 1955. Stamps held in this country by importers will be surrendered to the appropriate Assistant Regional Commissioner, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax, for verification of inventory and, where desired, for reissuance. Stamps held abroad by importers or their agents or foreign suppliers may be surrendered for verification of inventories and reissuance, to such internal revenue or customs officers on duty abroad, as may be designated to perform this task by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and the Commissioner of Customs. Claims of the type herein referred to will be processed in the regular manner for payment. Attention is invited to the regulations which provide that the redemption of this kind of stamp may be made only in quantities of the money value of $5 or more and where claim is filed within 2 years from the date of issue of the stamps