Documented ATO licensing history
The original 2009 licence and later correspondence identify Constantinos Arvanitis as the holder of excise manufacturing licence 5904, associated with the premises recorded as Itis Products, 33 Adelaide Road, Pinnaroo, South Australia. These are the names recorded in the ATO correspondence; the website's trading identity, ItisScientific, should not be read as a different licence holder.
Original licence — 2009
The original ATO Manufacturer Licence No. 5904, issued in 2009, identifies Constantinos Arvanitis and the premises at 33 Adelaide Road, Pinnaroo. An original scanned licence copy was retained and supplied to a scientific equipment supplier in April 2018 for private compliance verification.
2020 renewal
On 27 August 2020, the ATO confirmed renewal of the excise manufacturing licence for the period 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2023.
2023 renewal certificate
On 22 September 2023, the ATO issued a renewal certificate covering 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026. The certificate expressly stated that previously specified conditions continued.
2024 legislative change
From 1 July 2024, changes under the Excise and Customs Legislation Amendment (Streamlining Administration) Act 2024 removed periodic renewal requirements and applicable renewal fees for excise licences. This is an ongoing-licence framework, not a new certificate automatically issued every three years.
ATO confirmation: research use (2021)
On 11 February 2021, after reviewing correspondence explicitly proposing the use of some manufactured ethanol in rocket-fuel research, the ATO confirmed the existing excise manufacturing licence remained appropriate for that proposed research. This was confirmation of its excise-licensing position—not a general propulsion-manufacturing or testing permit.
Conditions recorded in the 11 February 2021 ATO response
The licensing officer explained that all ethanol produced must be reported, even where duty is not payable; production must stay under the annual volume limit stated on the licence; and approved denaturing requirements determine whether certain ethanol may be treated as excise-free. Future activities and end uses remain subject to the licence conditions and applicable regulatory requirements.
The proposal also formed part of a series of communications with Southern Mallee District Council: its Chief Executive Officer invited discussion in January 2021 and acknowledged a confidential proposal in February 2021. The original formal council approval for the earlier bioethanol initiative has not been independently reproduced here. See the R&D history and council timeline.
Regulatory clarity: The 2023 certificate and the 2024 legal amendment establish licensing history and removal of the ordinary three-year renewal cycle. They do not independently verify that the licence has never been varied, surrendered, suspended or cancelled. The current permissions and any new process or end use must be confirmed with the ATO.