SECTION 5. MANNER OF

EFFECTING AUTOMATIC CHANGE

.01 General procedure .

(1) Complete and file a current Form 3115 . A taxpayer makes a change in method of accounting under this revenue procedure by completing and filing a current Form 3115 in duplicate. The original of the Form 3115 must be filed with the Office of Associate Chief Counsel (Domestic) (national office) on or before 180 days after the beginning of the year of change and addressed to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Attn: CC:DOM:P&SI:6, Room 5112, P.O. Box 7604, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044. In addition, a copy of the Form 3115 must be attached to the taxpayer’s timely filed (including extensions) federal income tax return for the year of change.

The 180-day filing period begins on the first day of any taxable year. If the taxable year is a short taxable year (less than 12 full months), the original of the Form 3115 must be filed with the national office no later than 180

days after the beginning of the short taxable year or, if earlier, no later than the last day of the short taxable year.

In completing the current Form 3115 (Rev. February 1996), the taxpayer must complete Schedule D, Part II, Change in Depreciation or Amortization (page 7 of the Form 3115), and any other applicable schedule. With respect to Parts I through III on pages 1 and 2 of the current Form 3115, the taxpayer must provide only the information requested on the following lines:

(a) Part I, Eligibility To Request Change (page 1)-lines 1, 2a and b, and 6;

(b) Part II, Description of Change (page 2)-line 8 and to the extent not provided elsewhere on the Form 3115, lines 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18a and b, and 19; and (c) Part III, Section 481(a) Adjustment (page 2)-lines 20, 22, 23, and 25. (2) Label . The taxpayer should type or legibly print at the top of the Form 3115: ‘‘AUTOMATIC METHOD CHANGE UNDER REV. PROC. 96– 31.’’ (3) No user fee and acknowledg- ment . No user fee is required for a Form 3115 filed under this revenue procedure and a Form 3115 filed pursuant to this revenue procedure will not be acknowledged.

.02 Permissible method of account- ing for depreciation must be used . A taxpayer must change to a permissible method of accounting for depreciation for the item of property. This method is the same method that determines the depreciation allowable for the item of property (as determined under section 7 of this revenue procedure).

.03 Year of change . The year of change is the taxable year for which the original of the Form 3115 is considered timely filed with the national office under section 5.01(1) of this revenue procedure.