U.S. CBP modernization of tonnage tax process
Aligns the tonnage year with the fiscal year of the federal government
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) today released an interim final rule to modernize the tonnage tax process.
This rule aligns the tonnage year with the fiscal year of the federal government, starting on October 1 and ending on September 30, and allows for a single electronic receipt for tonnage tax payments. Previously, CBP calculated a unique tonnage year for each vessel based on its first entry into the United States, which complicated the tax assessment process and increased errors.
Additionally, the rule permits CBP to issue a single electronic receipt for the payment of tonnage taxes and light money.
Comments on the interim final rule must be received by the date that is 60 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register (which is scheduled to be September 16, 2025).