of Internal Revenue

Tax Administration

The function of the Internal Revenue Service is to
administer the Internal Revenue Code. Tax policy
for raising revenue is determined by Congress.
With this in mind, it is the duty of the Service to
carry out that policy by correctly applying the
laws enacted by Congress; to determine the rea-
sonable meaning of various Code provisions in
light of the Congressional purpose in enacting
them; and to perform this work in a fair and im-
partial manner, with neither a government nor
a taxpayer point of view.

At the heart of administration is interpretation of
the Code. It is the responsibility of each person
in the Service, charged with the duty of interpret-
ing the law, to try to find the true meaning of the
statutory provision and not to adopt a strained
construction in the belief that he is "protecting
the revenue." The revenue is properly protected
only when we ascertain and apply the true mean-
ing of the statute.

The Service also has the responsibility of apply-
ing and administering the law in a reasonable,
practical manner. Issues should only be raised by
examining officers when they have merit, never
arbitrarily or for trading purposes. At the same
time, the examining officer should never hesitate
to raise a meritorious issue. It is also important
that care be exercised not to raise an issue or to
ask a court to adopt a position inconsistent with
an established Service position.

Administration should be both reasonable and
vigorous. It should be conducted with as little
delay as possible and with great courtesy and
considerateness. It should never try to overreach,
and should be reasonable within the bounds of
law and sound administration. It should, however,
be vigorous in requiring compliance with law and
it should be relentless in its attack on unreal tax
devices and fraud.

The Internal Revenue Bulletin is the authoritative
instrument of the Commissioner of Internal Rev-
enue for announcing official rulings and proce-
dures of the Internal Revenue Service and for
publishing Treasury Decisions, Executive Orders,
Tax Conventions, legislation, court decisions, and
other items of general interest.

It is the policy of the Service to publish in the
Bulletin all substantive rulings necessary to pro-
mote a uniform application of the tax laws, in-
cluding all rulings that supersede, revoke, mod-
ify, or amend any of those previously published in
the Bulletin. All published rulings apply retro-
actively unless otherwise indicated. Procedures
relating solely to matters of internal management
are not published; however, statements of internal
practices and procedures that affect the rights
and duties of taxpayers are published.

Revenue Rulings represent the conclusions of
the Service on the application of the law to the
entire state of facts involved. In those that are
based on positions taken in rulings to taxpayers
or technical advice to Service field offices, iden-
tifying details and confidential information are
deleted to comply with statutory requirements.

Rulings and procedures reported in the Bulletin

do not have the force and effect of Treasury De-

partment Regulations, but they may be used as

precedents. Unpublished rulings will not be relied

on, used, or cited as precedents by Service per-

sonnel in the disposition of other cases. In ap-

plying published rulings and procedures, the ef-

fect of subsequent legislation, regulations, court

decisions, rulings, and procedures must be con-

sidered, and Service personnel and others con-

cerned are cautioned against reaching the same

conclusions in other cases unless the facts and
circumstances are substantially the same.
Cumulative Bulletin 1979-1 is a consolidation of
all items of a permanent nature published in the

weekly Bulletins 1979-1 through 1979-26 for the
period of January 1 through June 30, 1979. It in-
cludes a cumulative list of announcements relat-
ing to decisions of the Tax Court published in the
Internal Revenue Bulletins.

The Internal Revenue Cumulative Bulletin is pre-
pared in three parts as follows:

Part I.-1954 Code.

This part includes rulings and decisions based on
provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.
Arrangement is sequential according to Code and
regulations sections. The Code section is shown
at the top of each page.

Part II.-Treaties and Tax Legislation.

This part is divided into two subparts as follows:
Subpart A, Tax Conventions and related Treasury
Decisions and Revenue Rulings; Subpart B, Legis-
lation and related Committee Reports.

Part III.-Administrative, Procedural and Miscel-
laneous.

To the extent practicable, pertinent cross refer-
ences to these subjects are contained in the
other Parts and Subparts. Included in this Part
is a list of persons disbarred or suspended from

practice before the Internal Revenue Service.

The Bulletin Index-Digest System, a research and

reference service supplementing the Bulletin,

may be obtained from the Superintendent of

Documents on a subscription basis. It consists

of four Services: Service No. 1, Income Tax,

Service No. 2, Estate and Gift Taxes; Service No.

3, Employment Taxes; Service No. 4, Excise

Taxes. Each Service consists of a basic volume

and a cumulative supplement that provide (1)

finding lists of items published in the Bulletin,
(2) digests of Revenue Rulings, Revenue Proce-
dures, and other published items, and (3) topical
indexes of Public Laws, Treasury Decisions, and
Tax Conventions.

Revenue Rulings and Revenue Procedures (hereinafter referred to as “rulings") that have an effect on previous rulings use the following defined terms to describe the effect:

a

Amplified describes situation where no change is being made in a prior published position, but the prior position is being extended to apply to a variation of the fact situation set forth therein. Thus, if an earlier ruling held that a principle applied to A, and the new ruling holds that the same principle also applies to B, the earlier ruling is amplified. (Compare with modified, below).

Clarified is used in those instances where the language in a prior ruling is being made clear because the language has caused, or may cause, some confusion. It is not used where a position in a prior ruling is being changed.

Distinguished describes a situation where a ruling mentions a previously published ruling and points out an essential difference between them.

Modified is used where the substance of a previously published position is being changed. Thus, if a prior ruling held that a principle applied to A but not to B, and the new ruling holds that it applies to both A and B, Abbreviations

The following abbreviations in cur-
rent use and formerly used will appear
in material published in the Bulletin.
A, B, C, etc.-Names of individuals.
Acq.-Acquiescence.
A.R.R.-Committee on Appeals and
Review recommendation.
A.T.-Alcohol and tobacco tax rul-
ing.

B.T.A.-Board of Tax Appeals.
C.B.-Cumulative Bulletin.

CFR-Code of Federal Regulations.
C.T.-Carriers Taxing Act of 1937.
Ct.D.-Court Decision.

Del. Order-Delegation Order.
D.C.-Treasury Department circular.
DISC-Domestic International Sales
Corporations.

E.O.-Executive Order.

the prior ruling is modified because it corrects a published position. (Compare with amplified and clarified, above).

Obsoleted describes a previously published ruling that is not considered determinative with respect to future transactions. This term is most commonly used in a ruling that lists previously published rulings that are obsoleted because of changes in law or regulations. A ruling may also be obsoleted because the substance has been included in regulations subsequently adopted.

Revoked describes situations where the position in the previously published ruling is not correct and the correct position is being stated in the new ruling.

Superseded describes a situation where the new ruling does nothing more than restate the substance and situation of a previously published ruling (or rulings). Thus, the term is used to republish under the 1954 Code and regulations the same position published under the 1939 Code and regulations. The term is also used when it is desired to republish in a single ruling a series of situations, names, etc., that were previously published over a period of time in sepa

O.D.-Office Decision.

P.T.E.-Prohibited Transactions Exemption.

rate rulings. If the new ruling does more than restate the substance of a prior ruling, a combination of terms is used. For example, modified and superseded describes a situation where the substance of a previously published ruling is being changed in part and is continued without change in part and it is desired to restate the valid portion of the previously published ruling in a new ruling that is self contained. In this case the previously published ruling is first modified and then, as modified, is superseded.

Supplemented is used in situations in which a list, such as a list of the names of countries, is published in a ruling and that list is expanded by adding further names in subsequent rulings. After the original ruling has been supplemented several times, a new ruling may be published that includes the list in the original ruling and the additions, and supersedes all prior rulings in the series.

Suspended is used in rare situations to show that the previous published rulings will not be applied pending some future action such as the issuance of new or amended regulations. the outcome of cases in litigation, or the outcome of a Service study.