bulletin Internal Revenue

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS ISSUE These synopses are intended only as aids to the reader in identifying the subject matter covered. They may not be relied upon as authoritative interpretations.

INCOME TAX

Rev. Rul. 98–16, page 18. LIFO; price indexes; department stores. The January 1998 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, January 31, 1998.

Rev. Rul. 98–17, page 21. Interest rates; underpayments and overpayments. The rate of interest determined under section 6621 of the Code for the calendar quarter beginning April 1, 1998, will be 7 percent for overpayments, 8 percent for underpayments, and 10 percent for large corporate underpayments. The rate of interest paid on the portion of a corporate overpayment exceeding $10,000 is 5.5 percent.

T.D. 8757, page 4. REG–110965–97, page 42. Final, temporary, and proposed regulations under section 141 of the Code provide guidance to state and local governments that issue bonds for output facilities. A public hearing on the proposed regulations will be held on April 28, 1998.

T.D. 8758, page 15. Final regulations under section 468A of the Code relate to requests for revised schedules of ruling amounts for nuclear decommissioning reserve funds.

Finding Lists begin on page 47.

Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service

Bulletin No. 1998–13

March 30, 1998

T.D. 8759, page 19. Final regulations under section 905 of the Code relate to the substantiation requirements for taxpayers claiming foreign tax credits.

EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS

Announcement 98–25, page 43. A list is given of organizations now classified as private foundations.

EMPLOYMENT TAX

Rev. Proc. 98–26, page 26. Electronic filing; magnetic media; 1998 Form W–4 specifications. Specifications for filing Form W–4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate, magnetically or electronically, are set forth.

ADMINISTRATIVE

Notice 98–19, page 24. The “differential earnings rate” under section 809 of the Code is tentatively determined for 1997 together with the “recomputed differential earnings rate” for 1996.

Notice 98–20, page 25. This notice provides guidance on the ordering and taxation of capital gain distributions from a charitable remainder trust in light of the changes made to section 1(h) of the Code by the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.