§474 — Title 26 Internal Revenue Code | U.S. Code

Summary

A small business can choose an easier way to use the LIFO method for valuing its inventory. Instead of tracking its own price changes, the business groups inventory into pools that match the major categories in a government price index and adjusts each pool by how much that category's index changed from the prior year. Most businesses use the Producer Price Index; a retailer using the retail method uses the Consumer Price Index. The option is open only to a business whose average yearly gross receipts for the 3 previous years are $5,000,000 or less, counting all members of a commonly controlled group as one business. The election does not need IRS consent, and it stays in effect for every later year the business remains small enough.

Title 26, §474

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(a)An eligible small business may elect to use the simplified dollar-value method of pricing inventories for purposes of the LIFO method.

(b)For purposes of this section—

(1)The simplified dollar-value method of pricing inventories is a dollar-value method of pricing inventories under which—

(A)the taxpayer maintains a separate inventory pool for items in each major category in the applicable Government price index, and

(B)the adjustment for each such separate pool is based on the change from the preceding taxable year in the component of such index for the major category.

(2)The term “applicable Government price index” means—

(A)except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Producer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or

(B)in the case of a retailer using the retail method, the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

(3)The term “major category” means—

(A)in the case of the Producer Price Index, any of the 2-digit standard industrial classifications in the Producer Prices Data Report, or

(B)in the case of the Consumer Price Index, any of the general expenditure categories in the Consumer Price Index Detailed Report.

(c)For purposes of this section, a taxpayer is an eligible small business for any taxable year if the average annual gross receipts of the taxpayer for the 3 preceding taxable years do not exceed $5,000,000. For purposes of the preceding sentence, rules similar to the rules of section 448(c)(3) shall apply.

(d)For purposes of this section—

(1)(A)In the case of a taxpayer which is a member of a controlled group, all persons which are component members of such group shall be treated as 1 taxpayer for purposes of determining the gross receipts of the taxpayer.

(B)For purposes of subparagraph (A), persons shall be treated as being component members of a controlled group if such persons would be treated as a single employer under section 52.

(2)(A)The election under this section may be made without the consent of the Secretary.

(B)The election under this section shall apply—

(i)to the taxable year for which it is made, and

(ii)to all subsequent taxable years for which the taxpayer is an eligible small business,

(3)The term “LIFO method” means the method provided by section 472(b).

(4)(A)In the case of a year of change under this section—

(i)the inventory pools shall—

(I)in the case of the 1st taxable year to which such an election applies, be established in accordance with the major categories in the applicable Government price index, or

(II)in the case of the 1st taxable year after such election ceases to apply, be established in the manner provided by regulations under section 472;

(ii)the aggregate dollar amount of the taxpayer’s inventory as of the beginning of the year of change shall be the same as the aggregate dollar value as of the close of the taxable year preceding the year of change, and

(iii)the year of change shall be treated as a new base year in accordance with procedures provided by regulations under section 472.

(B)For purposes of this paragraph, the year of change under this section is—

(i)the 1st taxable year to which an election under this section applies, or

(ii)in the case of a cessation of such an election, the 1st taxable year after such election ceases to apply.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1986—Pub. L. 99–514 amended section generally, substituting provisions relating to election by eligible small business to use simplified dollar-value method of pricing inventories for purposes of LIFO method for provisions relating to election by eligible small business which uses dollar-value method of pricing inventories under method provided by section 472(b) of this title to use one inventory pool for any trade or business of such eligible small business.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1986 Amendment Pub. L. 99–514, title VIII, § 802(c), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2350, provided that: “(1) In general.—The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section] shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1986. “(2) Treatment of taxpayers who made elections under existing section 474.—The

Amendments

made by this section shall not apply to any taxpayer who made an election under section 474 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 22, 1986]) for any period during which such election is in effect. Notwithstanding any provision of such section 474 (as so in effect), an election under such section may be revoked without the consent of the Secretary.”

Effective Date

Pub. L. 97–34, title II, § 237(c), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 253, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [enacting this section] shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 1981.”

§474 Simplified Dollar-value Lifo Method for Certain Small Businesses

Summary

Title 26, §474

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Amendments

Amendments

Effective Date

Amendments

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