Rev. Rul. 88-75

1988-2 C.B. 121, 1988-37 I.R.B. 5.

                       Internal Revenue Service

                                 Revenue Ruling

                     LIFO; PRICE INDEXES; DEPARTMENT STORES

                         Published: September 12, 1988

26 CFR 1.472-1: Last-in, first-out inventories

  LIFO; price indexes; department stores. The June 1988 Bureau of Labor Statistics price indexes are accepted for use by department stores employing the retail inventory and last-in, first-out inventory methods for valuing inventories for tax years ended on, or with reference to, June 30, 1988.

  The following price indexes for June 1988 were issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on July 26, 1988, for use by department stores, and are accepted by the Internal Revenue Service, under section 1.472-1(k) of the Income Tax Regulations and Rev. Proc. 86-46, 1986-2 C.B. 739, for appropriate application to inventories of department stores employing the retail inventory and last-in, first-out inventory methods for tax years ended on, or with reference to, June 30, 1988.

  Indexes are prepared on a national basis for the store total, for 23 major groups of departments, and for three special combinations - soft goods, durable goods and miscellaneous goods. The store total index covers all departments, including some not listed separately, with the following exceptions: candy, foods, liquor, tobacco, as well as contract departments.

                 BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, DEPARTMENT STORE

                 INVENTORY PRICE INDEXES BY DEPARTMENT GROUPS

                  (January 1941 = 100 unless otherwise noted)

                                                                 Percent Change

                                                                 from June 1987

                     Groups             June 1987  June 1988       to June 1988

                                                                          [FN1]

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      1.  Piece Goods ..................... 395.3      405.8                2.7

      2.  Domestics and Draperies ......... 570.7      597.9                4.8

      3.  Women's and Children's Shoes .... 549.7      563.9                2.6

      4.  Men's Shoes ..................... 748.4      802.2                7.2

      5.  Infants' Wear ................... 527.2      555.4                5.3

      6.  Women's Underwear ............... 435.4      452.1                3.8

      7.  Women's and Girls' Hosiery ...... 237.9      241.5                1.5

      8.  Women's and Girls'

            Accessories ................... 468.8      483.5                3.1

      9.  Women's Outerwear and Girls'

            Wear .......................... 360.3      383.9                6.6

     10.  Men's Clothing .................. 500.3      513.7                2.7

     11.  Men's Furnishings ............... 492.9      513.2                4.1

     12.  Boys' Clothing and

            Furnishings ................... 431.2      443.4                2.8

     13.  Jewelry ......................... 713.6      761.9                6.8

     14.  Notions ......................... 484.7      501.4                3.4

     15.  Toilet Articles and Drugs ....... 678.3      701.2                3.4

     16.  Furniture and Bedding ........... 563.3      581.6                3.2

     17.  Floor Coverings ................. 477.6      497.0                4.1

     18.  Housewares ...................... 728.5      733.1                0.6

     19.  Major Appliances ................ 250.9      248.9               -0.8

     20.  Radio and Television ............. 97.5       94.7               -2.9

     21.  Recreation and Education

            [FN2] ......................... 101.4      105.4                3.5

     22.  Home Improvements [FN2] ......... 102.9      105.3                2.3

     23.  Auto Accessories [FN2] .......... 100.0      102.3                2.3

Groups 1-15: Soft Goods ................... 496.3      519.7                4.7

Groups 16-20: Durable Goods ............... 451.3      452.4                0.2

Groups 21-23: Misc. Goods [FN2] ........... 106.6      104.7                3.1

          Store Total ..................... 481.7      497.5                3.3

FN1. Absence of a minus sign before percentage change in this column signifies

  price increase.

FN2. Indexes on a January 1986 = 100 base.

                              DRAFTING INFORMATION

  The principal author of this revenue ruling is Floyd G. Hase of the Corporation Tax Division. For further information regarding this revenue ruling contact Mr. Hase on (202) 566-4941 (not a toll-free call).

Rev. Rul. 88-75, 1988-2 C.B. 121, 1988-37 I.R.B. 5.