Environmental taxes are imposed on crude oil and petroleum products (oil spill liability), the sale or use of ozone-depleting chemicals (ODCs), and imported products containing or manufactured with ODCs. In addition, a floor stocks tax is imposed on ODCs held on January 1 by any person (other than the manufacturer or importer of the ODCs) for sale or for use in further manufacture.

Figure the environmental tax on Form 6627. Enter the tax on the appropriate lines of Form 720 and attach Form 6627 to Form 720.

For environmental tax purposes, United States includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any possession of the United States, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the continental shelf areas (applying the principles of Internal Revenue Code section 638), and foreign trade zones. No one is exempt from the environmental taxes, including the federal government, state and local governments, Indian tribal governments, and nonprofit educational organizations.

The oil spill liability tax is reported on Form 6627, Environmental Taxes, and Form 720, Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return (IRS Nos. 18 and 21). The oil spill liability tax rate is $.08 per barrel and generally applies to crude oil received at a U.S. refinery and to petroleum products entered into the United States for consumption, use, or warehousing. The tax also applies to certain uses and the exportation of domestic crude oil.

Crude oil includes crude oil condensates and natural gasoline. Petroleum products include crude oil, refined and residual oil, and other liquid hydrocarbon refinery products.

Tax is imposed on crude oil when it is received at a United Sates refinery. The operator of the refinery is liable for the tax.

Tax is imposed on domestic crude oil used or exported before it is received at a United States refinery. However, the use of crude oil for extracting oil or natural gas on the premises where such crude oil was produced is not taxable. The user or exporter is liable for the tax.

Tax is imposed on petroleum products when they enter the United States for consumption, use, or warehousing. The person entering the petroleum product into the country is liable for the tax, including the tax on imported crude oil, even if it is subsequently received at a U.S. refinery.

Tax is imposed only once on any imported petroleum product. Thus, the operator of a U.S. refinery that receives imported crude oil must establish that the petroleum tax has already been imposed on such crude oil in order not to be liable for the tax.