republic-os/legal/us/code/title-26/chapter-1/section-474.md

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LegalText	26 U.S.C. § 474	Simplified dollar-value LIFO method for certain small businesses	us	united_states_code	code_section	26	INTERNAL REVENUE CODE	1	NORMAL TAXES AND SURTAXES	474	26 U.S.C. § 474	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc26@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t26/s474	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-26/usc26.xml	ce517fa972f0cc463c7523aa3a924a68f46a045e648117cb67b3bce9fdc53577	a261f094809116f42a96648a3d5eee80fa010379d67412551c21dd5c900b27f4	4f5b856852173bb5605d687570551dd9a857042a98877a1015afff5d24d27c3b	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

26 U.S.C. § 474 - Simplified dollar-value LIFO method for certain small businesses

Text

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

(b) Simplified dollar-value method of pricing inventories For purposes of this section—

(1) In general 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) Applicable Government price index 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) Major category 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) Eligible small business 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) Special rules For purposes of this section—

(1) Controlled groups (A) In general 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) Controlled group defined 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) Election (A) In general The election under this section may be made without the consent of the Secretary.

(B) Period to which election applies 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,

unless the taxpayer secures the consent of the Secretary to the revocation of such election.

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

(4) Transitional rules (A) In general 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) Year of change 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.

(Added Pub. L. 97–34, title II, § 237(a), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 252; amended Pub. L. 99–514, title VIII, § 802(a), Oct. 22, 1986, 100 Stat. 2348.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments1986—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 AmendmentPub. 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 DatePub. 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.”