Remission or mitigation of forfeitures shall be governed by the customs laws applicable to remission or mitigation of penalties as contained in 19 U.S.C. 1613 and 19 U.S.C. 1618.

Any person claiming an interest in property seized by an officer of the Internal Revenue Service as subject to administrative forfeiture under this part may file a petition addressed to the District Director of the internal revenue district in which the property was seized for remission or mitigation of the forfeiture of such property.

There is no standardized form provided or required by the Department of the Treasury for use in filing a petition for remission or mitigation of forfeiture. However, the petition should be typewritten on legal size paper; and must be executed under oath, prepared in triplicate, and addressed to the District Director of the internal revenue district in which the property was seized. All copies of original documents submitted as exhibits in support of allegations of the petition should be certified as true and accurate copies of originals. Each copy of the petition must contain a complete set of exhibits.

(a) Description of the property. The petition should contain such a description of the property and such facts of the seizure as will enable the Commissioner or his delegate to identify the property.

(b) Statement regarding knowledge of seizure. In the event the petition is filed for the restoration of the proceeds derived from sale of the property pursuant to an administrative forfeiture, it should contain, or be supported by, satisfactory proof that the petitioner did not know and could not have known of the seizure prior to the declaration of forfeiture. (See also § 403.39)

(c) Interest of petitioner. The petition should clearly and concisely indicate the nature and amount of his interest in the property on the date the petition is filed, and the facts relied upon to show that the petitioner was not willfully negligent and did not intend that the property be involved or used in violation of the internal revenue laws. Such petition may allege such other circumstances which in the opinion of the petitioner would justify the remission or mitigation of the forfeiture.

(d) Petitioner innocent party. If the petitioner did not commit the act which caused the seizure of his property, the petition should state how the property came into the possession of the person whose act did cause the seizure, and it should also state that the petitioner had no knowledge or reason to believe that the property would be involved or used in violation of the internal revenue laws. If the petitioner knows, at the time he files the petition, that the person in whose possession the seized property was at the time of the seizure had a record or reputation for committing commercial crimes, the petitioner should state in the petition whether the petitioner knew of such record or reputation before the petitioner acquired his interest in the property or before such other person came into possession of the property, whichever occured later. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “commercial crimes” includes, but is not limited to any of the following federal or state crimes:

(1) Offenses against the revenue laws; burglary; counterfeiting, forgery; kidnapping; larceny; robbery; illegal sale or possession of deadly weapons; prostitution (including soliciting, procuring, pandering, white slaving, keeping house of ill fame, and like offenses); extortion; swindling and confidence games; and attempting to commit, conspiring to commit, or compounding any of the foregoing crimes. Addiction to narcotic drugs and use of marijuana will be treated as commercial crimes.

(2) [Reserved]

(e) Documents supporting claim. The petition should be accompanied by copies, certified by the petitioner under oath as correct, of contracts, bills of sale, chattel mortgages, reports of investigators or credit reporting agencies, affidavits, and any other documents that would support the claims made in the petition.

(f) Costs. The petition should contain an undertaking to pay any costs assessed as a condition of allowance of the petition. Such costs include but are not limited to all expenses incurred in seizing and storing the property; the costs borne or to be borne by the United States; the taxes, if any, payable by the petitioner or imposed in respect of the property to which the petition relates; the penalty, if any, asserted by the Internal Revenue Service; and, if the property has been sold, or is in the course of being sold, the expenses incurred relating to such sale.

A complete petition for remission or mitigation must be filed before the expiration of three months after the sale or other disposition of the property with respect to which the petition is filed. For purposes of this part, the term “sale or other disposition” includes acquisition of the property for official use.

The petition should be filed in triplicate with the District Director for the internal revenue district in which the property was seized.

If the petition is filed prior to sale or other disposition of the property, proceedings to effect such sale or other disposition will be discontinued until the petition is either allowed or denied.

If the petition is defective in some correctable respect, the original of the petition will be returned by letter to the petitioner who will be allowed to submit a corrected petition, in triplicate, within a reasonable time.

(a) Petitions for remission or mitigation of forfeiture. (1) The Commissioner or his delegate shall either allow or deny any petition filed pursuant to these regulations. Such allowance or denial will constitute final action. If he allows the petition, the Commissioner or his delegate shall state the conditions, if any, of the allowance.

(2) If he allows the petition, the Commissioner or his delegate may order the property returned to the petitioner, sold for the account of the petitioner, or, pursuant to agreement with the petitioner, acquired for official use.

(3) The Commissioner or his delegate shall notify the petitioner of the allowance or denial of the petition and, in the case of allowance, the conditions, if any, under which the Commissioner or his delegate allowed the petition.

(b) Offers in compromise of liability to forfeiture. The Commissioner or his delegate shall accept or reject any offer in compromise of the liability to forfeiture of personal property seized pursuant to § 403.25 and such acceptance or rejection shall be a final action with respect to the offer.

(a) Acquisition for official use. The seized property may be purchased by the United States pursuant to agreement and retained for official use. Where the petitioner is the owner, the purchase price is the appraised value of the property less all costs. Where the petitioner is a creditor, the purchase price is the smaller of:

(1) The petitioner's equity, or (2) the appraised value of the property less the amount of all costs.

(b) Sale for account of petitioner. If the petitioner elects not to comply with the conditions, if any, set for the return of the property, the Commissioner or his delegate is authorized to sell the property. If the petitioner is the owner of the property, there is deducted from the proceeds of the sale all costs incident to the seizure, forfeiture, and sale. The Commissioner or his delegate shall pay to the petitioner, out of the proper appropriation, an amount equal to the balance, if any. Where the petitioner is a creditor, there is deducted from the proceeds of the sale all costs incident to the seizure, forfeiture, and sale, and the Commissioner or his delegate shall pay to the petitioner, out of the proper appropriation, an amount equal to the smaller of: (1) The balance, if any, or (2) the equity of the petitioner.

In determining the nature and extent of the relief to be afforded a petitioner pursuant to § 403.44 the value of the property with respect to which the petition has been allowed is the value of such property as determined by the appraisal thereof made pursuant to § 403.26(a)(2) but if the petitioner desires re-appraisal of the property, after notification as to the conditions of allowances of the petition, and makes written request therefor, undertaking in such request to pay, or to be liable for, the total costs of such re-appraisal, the property shall be re-appraised in the manner in which the original appraisal was made, and the conditions of allowance of the petition shall be modified to the extent required by such re-appraisal.