The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is one of the most important Federal Agencies we have. It is dedicated to reducing violent crime, collecting revenue and protecting the public. The ATF, for short, has many different programs for alcohol, firearms, arson and explosives, and tobacco. The ATF has a long background starting in 1789. It serves a huge function to keeping illegal alcohol and guns off the streets. The ATF is in the news a lot for different reasons. It is a large agency with tremendous power.

The ATF roots have been around for hundreds of years. It all started in 1789, when the first congress imposed a tax on alcohol to pay for a war debt. Congressional lawmakers were impressed with the job that Alexander Hamilton had done with the administrative duties on this tax. By 1862, Congress created an Office of Internal Revenue within the Treasury Department. It was responsible for charging the commissioner with collection, among others, of taxes on distilled spirits and tobacco products that continue today. In 1963 they started hiring agents to investigate and punish people who tried to get away with tax evasion. The Bureau of Internal Revenue did many things

related with alcohol and tobacco; it became a burden. So when Prohibition came around they created the Treasury's Bureau of Prohibition. When Prohibition ended they created the Federal Alcohol Control Administration, the FACA. This was short lived so the came up with the FAA, Federal Alcohol Administration. In 1934 the Alcohol Tax Unit, ATU, was created. At the same time, the FAA, functioning independently within Treasury, collecting data, to establish license and permit requirements, and define the regulations that ensure a fair marketplace for the alcohol industry and the consumer. In 1940 the FAA as and merged with the ATU. In 1952 the Bureau of Internal Revenue was dismantled. All of its alcohol or tobacco related issues went to the ATU. The Bureau was renamed the Internal Revenue Service, the IRS. The IRS renamed the ATU the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division. When the Gun Control Act was passed in 1968 it gave them the responsibility of firearms. Because of this it was renamed to the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) Division. This is the ATF we know today.

The ATF does a lot. Simply said. The government funds it and they get money taxes collected from alcohol, tobacco, and firearms retailers. It is broken down into four major parts. There are the Alcohol Programs, Tobacco Programs, Firearms Programs, and Arson & Explosives Programs. The Alcohol Division is responsible for approving certificates

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