REVENUE RULE 93-44

1993-2 C.B. 228, 1993-24 I.R.B. 56.

Internal Revenue Service
Revenue Ruling

LIFO; PRICE INDEXES; DEPARTMENT STORES

Published: July 6, 1993

§ 472. Last-in, First-out Inventories, 26 CFR 1.472-1: Last-in, first- out inventories.
LIFO; price indexes; department stores. The March 1993 Bureau of Labor Statistics price indexes are accepted for use by department stores employing the retail inventory and last-in, first-out inventory method for valuing inventories for tax years ended on, or with reference to, March 31, 1993.

The following Department Store Inventory Price Indexes for March 1993 were issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on April 9, 1993. The indexes are accepted by the Internal Revenue Service, under § 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, March 31, 1993.

The Department Store Inventory Price Indexes are prepared on a national basis and include (a) 23 major groups of departments, (b) three special combinations of the major groups--soft goods, durable goods, and miscellaneous goods, and (c) a store total, which covers all departments, including some not listed separately, except for the following: candy, foods, liquor, tobacco, and contract departments.

BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, DEPARTMENT STORE INVENTORY PRICE INDEXES BY DEPARTMENT GROUPS
(January 1941 = 100, unless otherwise noted)

Groups March 1992/March 1993/Percent Change from March 1992 to March 1993 [Fn1]
1. Piece Goods 469.5 476.9 1.6
2. Domestics and Draperies 633.3 624.7 -1.4
3. Women's and Children's Shoes 638.4 648.1 1.5
4. Men's Shoes 907.7 912.0 0.5
5. Infants' Wear 609.8 602.8 -1.1
6. Women's Underwear 514.9 515.5 0.1
7. Women's Hosiery 270.1 270.4 0.1
8. Women's and Girls' Accessories 560.1 574.1 2.5
9. Women's Outerwear and Girls' Wear 441.8 453.7 2.7
10. Men's Clothing 589.8 607.2 3.0
11. Men's Furnishings 569.2 570.4 0.2
12. Boys' Clothing and Furnishings 495.0 488.0 -1.4
13. Jewelry 933.6 948.4 1.6
14. Notions 610.9 573.0 -6.2
15. Toilet Articles and Drugs 810.8 827.4 2.0
16. Furniture and Bedding 609.2 614.1 0.8
17. Floor Coverings 525.0 536.5 2.2
18. Housewares 766.7 763.4 -0.4
19. Major Appliances 246.7 247.3 0.2
20. Radio and Television 88.8 87.4 -1.6
21. Recreation and Education [fn2] 114.9 115.1 0.2
22. Home Improvements [fn2] 118.4 123.6 4.4
23. Auto Accessories [fn2] 108.6 106.8 -1.7
Groups 1 - 15: Soft Goods 588.8 595.0 1.1
Groups 16 - 20: Durable Goods 459.3 458.5 -0.2
Groups 21 - 23: Misc. Goods [fn2] 114.2 114.8 0.5
Store Total [fn3] 545.4 549.1 0.7

fn1. Absence of a minus sign before percentage change in this column signifies price increase.
fn2. Indexes on a January 1986=100 base.
fn3. The store total index covers all departments, including some not listed separately, except for the following: candy, foods, liquor, tobacco, and contract departments.

DRAFTING INFORMATION

The principal author of this revenue ruling is Stan Michaels of the Office of Assistant Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting). For further information regarding this revenue ruling contact Mr. Michaels on (202) 622- 4970 (not a toll-free call).

Rev. Rul. 93-44, 1993-2 C.B. 228, 1993-24 I.R.B. 56.