Title 26, Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-102
§5243 Sale of Abandoned Spirits for Denaturation Without Collection of Tax
Title 26 › Subtitle E — Alcohol, Tobacco, and Certain Other Excise Taxes › CHAPTER 51 — DISTILLED SPIRITS, WINES, AND BEER › Subchapter C — Operation of Distilled Spirits Plants › PART II — OPERATIONS ON BONDED PREMISES › Subpart D — Denaturation › § 5243
Summary
The federal government can sell distilled spirits that were abandoned to it to the owner of a distilled spirits plant so the spirits can be denatured or redistilled and denatured, and the buyer does not have to pay the federal tax on them, but only in cases the Secretary allows by rule.
Full Legal Text
Title 26, §5243
Internal Revenue Code, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any distilled spirits abandoned to the United States may be sold, in such cases as the Secretary may by regulation provide, to the proprietor of any distilled spirits plant for denaturation, or redistillation and denaturation, without the payment of the internal revenue tax thereon.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Prior Provisions
A prior section 5243, acts Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 645; Sept. 2, 1958, Pub. L. 85–859, § 206(c), 72 Stat. 1431, related to bottling of distilled spirits in bond, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859. See section 5171, 5172, 5175, 5178(a)(3)(C), (4)(A), 5202(g), 5206(c), 5214(a)(4), and 5233(a) to (c), (e)(1) of this title and section 121 of Title 27, Intoxicating Liquors. Provisions similar to those comprising this section were contained in prior section 5333, act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 662, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859.
Amendments
1976—Pub. L. 94–455 struck out “or his delegate” after “Secretary”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
26 U.S.C. § 5243
Title 26, Internal Revenue Code
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102