720-TO

Terminal Operator Report

Agency
IRS
Revision
Rev. September 2010
Fillable fields
266
Pages
3
Official source
IRS form page
Checked
October 21, 2026
Fill 720-TO online
Page 1 of form 720-TO

Form 720-TO: Terminal Operator Report

Form 720-TO is the Terminal Operator Report. The IRS About page says terminal operators file it to report monthly receipts and disbursements of all liquid products to and from all approved terminals. The instructions define a liquid product as any liquid that is transported into storage at a terminal or delivered out of a terminal.

Page 1 has Part I for the terminal operator, Part II for the terminal and Part III for the month's transactions by product code, in net gallons. Schedule A lists receipts into the terminal and Schedule B lists disbursements by position holder. The instructions say each terminal operator files a separate Form 720-TO for each approved terminal, and that reporting is required for inactive terminals.

The instructions are written for paper filers. They say electronic filing through the Excise Summary Terminal Activity Reporting System (ExSTARS) is required for each return reporting 25 or more transactions a month. This page has the September 2010 revision of the form. The PDF can be filled out free in the browser on this page and downloaded without an account.

What's on Form 720-TO

Header: month, Corrected and Void

The month ending date the report covers, and Corrected and Void boxes used when fixing a report already filed.

Part I: Terminal Operator

Company name, EIN, address, Form 637 registration number, and a contact person with daytime telephone number, fax number and email address.

Part II: Terminal

Name of terminal, terminal control number (TCN) and terminal location.

Part III: Transactions for the Month

Lines 1 through 7 in net gallons for up to four product codes (PC): beginning inventory, receipts, total available, disbursements, the difference, stock gains and losses, and actual physical ending inventory.

Schedule A: Terminal Operator Receipts

One schedule per product code. Columns (a) to (g) list the carrier name and EIN, mode code, vessel official number, document date, document number and net gallons, with a total on line 3.

Schedule B: Disbursements by Position Holder

One schedule per position holder and product code, destination state and mode code. Columns list the carrier, vessel number, document date and number, net gallons and gross gallons, with totals on line 5.

How to fill out Form 720-TO

  1. 1

    Header and Part I

    Enter the month ending date. Then enter the company name, address, EIN and Form 637 registration number, plus the contact person's daytime telephone, fax and email. The instructions say to enter "Applied for" if an EIN was applied for but not yet received.

  2. 2

    Part II

    Enter the name and location of the terminal as published on the IRS website, and the TCN the IRS assigned to the terminal's physical location.

  3. 3

    Schedule A

    For each receipt, enter the carrier's name and EIN, the mode code from Table 1 of the instructions, the vessel official number for a barge or ship, the date received (mmddyyyy), the document number and the net gallons. Add column (g) on line 3.

  4. 4

    Schedule B

    On a separate schedule for each position holder, enter the product code, destination state and mode code, then each disbursement: carrier, date removed, document number, net gallons and gross gallons. Add columns (f) and (g) on line 5.

  5. 5

    Part III

    Line 1 is beginning inventory, which the instructions say should match the previous month's actual ending inventory. Lines 2 and 4 come from the Schedule A and Schedule B totals. Line 6 shows gains and losses, losses in parentheses, and line 7 is the actual physical ending inventory.

  6. 6

    Sign

    The instructions say the form is signed by a person who has authority to sign. Enter the title and date, and type or print the name below the signature.

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Where it goes, deadlines and corrections

Where to send

The instructions give this address: Internal Revenue Service, Attn: Excise Unit, Stop 5701G, Cincinnati, OH 45999. They say to send forms flat, not folded, stapled, torn or taped, by First-Class Mail.

Due date

The instructions say Form 720-TO is filed monthly and is due the last day of the month following the month in which the transaction occurs. A due date on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday moves to the next business day.

Electronic filing

Required for each return reporting 25 or more transactions a month, through ExSTARS. Corrections to an electronically filed return follow Pub. 3536.

Extension

The instructions say a first time request for a 30-day extension will be granted if received in writing on or before the due date. Requests go to the Cincinnati address above or by fax to 859-669-5788.

Corrections

For a paper report, send page 1 and the schedules being corrected with the Void box checked, then a new page 1 and corrected schedules with the Corrected box checked, showing only the transaction being corrected.

Records and penalties

Keep copies, or the data to reconstruct them, for at least 3 years. The instructions say a penalty may apply for not filing a correct return by the due date without reasonable cause, including a missing or incorrect EIN.

Related forms

Who files Form 720-TO?

  • Terminal operators

    The instructions say each terminal operator files a separate Form 720-TO for each approved terminal. An approved terminal is defined as one operated by a taxable fuel registrant that is a terminal operator.

  • Inactive terminals

    The instructions say reporting is required for inactive terminals. The terminal's name and location are entered as published on the IRS website, where the list of terminals is at IRS.gov/TCN.

  • Electronic filers

    Electronic filing is required for each return reporting 25 or more transactions a month, the instructions say, and all taxpayers are encouraged to file electronically through ExSTARS. Pub. 3536, Motor Fuel Excise Tax EDI Guide, covers e-filing.

  • Registered with Form 637

    The instructions say Regulations section 48.4101-1(c)(1) require pipeline operators, position holders, terminal operators and vessel operators to be registered by the IRS. The terminal operator's Form 637 registration number goes in Part I.

  • Position holders and carriers

    The schedules name the position holders and carriers in each transaction, with their EINs. A position holder is the person that holds the inventory position in a liquid product, as reflected on the terminal operator's records.

The instructions say Form 720-TO is filed by terminal operators. It is a business report sent to the IRS, not a form individuals file.

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Questions about Form 720-TO

Who files Form 720-TO?

The instructions say terminal operators file it, a separate Form 720-TO for each approved terminal. It reports monthly receipts and disbursements of all liquid products at that terminal.

When is Form 720-TO due?

Monthly. The instructions say it is due the last day of the month following the month in which the transaction occurs.

Can Form 720-TO be filed on paper?

The instructions are written for paper filers, but they say electronic filing through ExSTARS is required for each return reporting 25 or more transactions a month.

What is a position holder?

The instructions define it as the person that holds the inventory position in a liquid product in a terminal, as reflected on the terminal operator's records. It also includes a terminal operator that owns a liquid product in its terminal.

What is the difference between net and gross gallons?

The instructions say net gallons are corrected to a temperature of 60° Fahrenheit or 15° Celsius and to a pressure of 14.7 pounds per square inch. Gross gallons are measured without temperature or barometric adjustments.

How is an extension requested?

In writing, on or before the due date. The instructions say a first time request for a 30-day extension will be granted, and requests may be faxed to 859-669-5788.