§5608 — Title 26 Internal Revenue Code | U.S. Code

§5608 Penalty and Forfeiture for Fraudulent Claims for Export Drawback or Unlawful Relanding

Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle E— Alcohol, Tobacco, and Certain Other Excise Taxes › Chapter 51— DISTILLED SPIRITS, WINES, AND BEER › Subchapter J— Penalties, Seizures, and Forfeitures Relating to Liquors › Part I— PENALTY, SEIZURE, AND FORFEITURE PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO DISTILLING, RECTIFYING, AND DISTILLED AND RECTIFIED PRODUCTS › § 5608

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

If someone lies to get a tax refund (called a drawback) on distilled spirits, or claims more than they paid, they must pay three times the wrongful amount and can go to prison for up to 5 years. A ship owner, captain, or anyone who knowingly helps that fraud or alters the spirits can be fined up to $5,000, jailed up to 3 years, or both, and the ship used can be seized by the U.S. even without a conviction. If someone brings spirits back into the U.S. after they were shipped for export to get that refund, intending to cheat, or helps do this, they can be fined up to $5,000, jailed up to 3 years, or both. The relanded spirits and any ship, vehicle, or aircraft used to move them will be seized.

Title 26, §5608

Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Every person who fraudulently claims, or seeks, or obtains an allowance of drawback on any distilled spirits, or fraudulently claims any greater allowance or drawback than the tax actually paid or determined thereon, shall forfeit and pay to the Government of the United States triple the amount wrongfully and fraudulently sought to be obtained, and shall be imprisoned not more than 5 years; and every owner, agent, or master of any vessel or other person who knowingly aids or abets in the fraudulent collection or fraudulent attempts to collect any drawback upon, or knowingly aids or permits any fraudulent change in the spirits so shipped, shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both, and the ship or vessel on board of which such shipment was made or pretended to be made shall be forfeited to the United States, whether a conviction of the master or owner be had or otherwise, and proceedings may be had in admiralty by libel for such forfeiture.

(b)Every person who, with intent to defraud the United States, relands within the jurisdiction of the United States any distilled spirits which have been shipped for exportation under the provisions of this chapter, or who receives such relanded distilled spirits, and every person who aids or abets in such relanding or receiving of such spirits, shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both; and all distilled spirits so relanded, together with the vessel from which the same were relanded within the jurisdiction of the United States, and all vessels, vehicles, or aircraft used in relanding and removing such distilled spirits, shall be forfeited to the United States.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 5608, act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 685, related to penalty for making or fermenting mash on unauthorized premises, illegal use of spirits, unlawful removal of vinegar, etc., prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859. See section 5505(i), 5601(a)(7), (8), (9)(A), (12), 5615(4), and 5687 of this title. Provisions similar to those comprising this section were contained in prior section 5648, act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 694, prior to the general revision of this chapter by Pub. L. 85–859.

Amendments

1965—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 89–44 substituted “, with intent to defraud the United States,” for “intentionally” after “Every person who”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1965 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 89–44 effective July 1, 1965, see section 805(g)(1) of Pub. L. 89–44, set out as a note under section 5008 of this title.