Internal Revenue Service
Revenue Ruling

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Rev. Rul. 2000-58, 2000-50 IRB 578, IRC Sec(s). 472

Inventories.

Headnote:

The October 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, October 31, 2000.

Full Text:

The following Department Store Inventory Price Indexes for October 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, October 31, 1999.

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, food, 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
                                      Oct.     Oct.      Oct. 1999 to
               Groups                 1999     2000     Oct. 2000 /1/
_____________________________________________________________________
 1. Piece Goods                       545.8    502.4        -8.0
 2. Domestics and Draperies           625.6    608.5        -2.7
 3. Women's and Children's Shoes      653.3    661.5         1.3
 4. Men's Shoes                       881.2    915.5         3.9
 5. Infants' Wear                     645.2    649.0         0.6
 6. Women's Underwear                 571.7    579.6         1.4
 7. Women's Hosiery                   328.9    346.2         5.3
 8. Women's and Girls' Accessories    536.7    555.6         3.5
 9. Women's Outerwear and Girls'
    Wear                              416.9    414.1        -0.7
10. Men's Clothing                    627.5    601.0        -4.2
11. Men's Furnishings                 631.1    632.7         0.3
12. Boys' Clothing and Furnishings    508.8    494.4        -2.8
13. Jewelry                           969.2    937.1        -3.3
14. Notions                           771.7    792.8         2.7
15. Toilet Articles and Drugs         985.6    971.1        -1.5
16. Furniture and Bedding             692.3    704.3         1.7
17. Floor Coverings                   603.3    627.7         4.0
18. Housewares                        792.9    778.0        -1.9
19. Major Appliances                  234.8    228.6        -2.6
20. Radio and Television               64.2     57.9        -9.8
21. Recreation and Education /2/       96.5     92.6        -4.0
22. Home Improvements /2/             128.8    128.9         0.1
23. Auto Accessories /2/              106.8    106.7        -0.1
Groups  1 - 15: Soft Goods            612.3    607.3        -0.8
Groups 16 - 20: Durable Goods         448.6    437.8        -2.4
Groups 21 - 23: Misc. Goods /2/       102.7    100.1        -2.5
     Store Total /3/                  550.9    543.6        -1.3
_____________________________________________________________________
     /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, food, 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).