Internal Revenue Service
Revenue Ruling

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Rev. Rul. 2000-46, 2000-41 IRB 334, IRC Sec(s). 472

Inventories.

Headnote:

The August 2000 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, August 31, 2000.

Full Text:

The following Department Store Inventory Price Indexes for August 2000 were issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The indexes 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, August 31, 2000.

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)
                                                          Percent
                                                        Change from
                                      Aug.     Aug.      Aug. 1999 to
               Groups                 1999     2000      Aug. 2000 /1/

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 1. Piece Goods                       546.1    509.2        -6.8
 2. Domestics and Draperies           630.1    617.9        -1.9
 3. Women's and Children's Shoes      635.3    618.3        -2.7
 4. Men's Shoes                       882.3    913.2         3.5
 5. Infants' Wear                     623.9    619.8        -0.7
 6. Women's Underwear                 550.7    570.2         3.5
 7. Women's Hosiery                   322.1    334.7         3.9
 8. Women's and Girls' Accessories    528.1    532.0         0.7
 9. Women's Outerwear and Girls'
    Wear                              377.6    370.5        -1.9
10. Men's Clothing                    609.9    605.4        -0.7
11. Men's Furnishings                 610.6    612.9         0.4
12. Boys' Clothing and Furnishings    473.3    473.0        -0.1
13. Jewelry                           962.0    936.5        -2.7
14. Notions                           793.9    785.9        -1.0
15. Toilet Articles and Drugs         971.6    971.0        -0.1
16. Furniture and Bedding             679.3    687.9         1.3
17. Floor Coverings                   602.1    603.2         0.2
18. Housewares                        788.2    778.5        -1.2
19. Major Appliances                  234.8    230.9        -1.7
20. Radio and Television               65.7     58.8       -10.5
21. Recreation and Education /2/       97.0     92.2        -4.9
22. Home Improvements /2/             127.6    129.2         1.3
23. Auto Accessories /2/              106.8    106.2        -0.6
Groups  1 - 15: Soft Goods            589.9    585.3        -0.8
Groups 16 - 20: Durable Goods         447.4    437.2        -2.3
Groups 21 - 23: Misc. Goods /2/       102.9     99.8        -3.0
Store Total /3/                       536.9    529.7        -1.3
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     /1/ Absence of a minus sign before percentage change in this
column signifies a price increase.
     /2/ Indexes on a January 1986 = 100 base.
     /3/ 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 Alan J. Tomsic of the Office of Assistant Chief Counsel (Income Tax and Accounting). For further information regarding this revenue ruling, contact Mr. Tomsic on (202) 622-4970 (not a toll-free call).