[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 136 (Monday, July 17, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36457-36458]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-17380]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Internal Revenue Service


Tax on Certain Imported Substances (Methyl Methacrylate); Filing 
of Petition

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the acceptance, under Notice 89-61, of a 
petition requesting that methyl methacrylate be added to the list of 
taxable substances in section 4672(a)(3). Publication of this notice is 
in compliance with Notice 89-61. This is not a determination that the 
list of taxable substances should be modified.

DATES: Submissions must be received by September 15, 1995. Any 
modification of the list of taxable substances based upon this petition 
would be effective October 1, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Send submissions to: CC:DOM:CORP:T:R (Petition), room 5228, 
Internal Revenue Service, POB 7604, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, 
DC 20044. In the alternative, submissions may be hand delivered between 
the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to: CC:DOM:CORP:T:R (Petition), 
Courier's Desk, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Hoffman, Office of Assistant 
Chief Counsel (Passthroughs and Special Industries), (202) 622-3130 
(not a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The petition was received on October 13, 
1994. The petitioner is Rohm and Haas Texas, Inc., a manufacturer and 
exporter of this substance. The following is a 

[[Page 36458]]
summary of the information contained in the petition. The complete 
petition is available in the Internal Revenue Service Freedom of 
Information Reading Room.

HTS number: 2916.14.00.20
CAS number: 80-62-6

    Methyl methacrylate is derived from the taxable chemicals methane, 
ammonia, propylene, benzene, and sulfuric acid and is a liquid produced 
predominantly by the catalytic reaction of acetone cyanohydrin and 
methyl alcohol. The methyl methacrylate is then purified by 
distillation.
    The stoichiometric material consumption formula for this substance 
is:
    3 CH4 (methane) + NH3 (ammonia) + C3H6 
(propylene) + C6H6 (benzene) + H2SO4 (sulfuric 
acid) + 2.5 O2 (oxygen)  C5H8O2 (methyl 
methacrylate) + NH4HSO4 (ammonium bisulfate) + 
C6H6O (phenol) + CH3OH (methanol) + H2O (water) + 2 
H20 (hydrogen)
    According to the petition, taxable chemicals constitute 77.9 
percent by weight of the materials used to produce this substance. The 
rate of tax for this substance would be $10.12 per ton. This is based 
upon a conversion factor for methane of 0.47, a conversion factor for 
ammonia of 0.22, a conversion factor for propylene of 0.6, a conversion 
factor for benzene of 0.94, and a conversion factor for sulfuric acid 
of 1.63.

Comments and Requests for a Public Hearing

    Before a determination is made, consideration will be given to any 
written comments (a signed original and eight (8) copies) that are 
submitted timely to the IRS. All comments will be available for public 
inspection and copying. A public hearing may be scheduled if requested 
in writing by a person that timely submits written comments. If a 
public hearing is scheduled, notice of the date, time, and place for 
the hearing will be published in the Federal Register.
Dale D. Goode,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, Assistant Chief Counsel (Corporate).
[FR Doc. 95-17380 Filed 7-14-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4830-01-U