Low Commodity Prices and the Potential Revenue Impact of Taxing LIFO Reserves

Date
2017
Authors
Tinkelman, Daniel
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Abstract
Low commodity prices have reduced LIFO reserves, making prior estimates of reserves and the impact of eliminating LIFO obsolete. Using a combination of IRS and public company data, we estimate overall U.S. LIFO reserves and the potential tax revenue impact. At a 35% (15%) rate, taxing the 2016 LIFO reserves would yield between $19 ($8) and $25 ($11) billion. Although fewer than 1% of 2013 corporate and partnership tax returns with inventory used LIFO, LIFO inventories comprised about 14% of the dollar value of U.S. inventories. The findings are relevant to tax policy and accounting standards, and also provide context for instructors teaching about inventory methods.
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Keywords
LIFO usage, LIFO reserves, Inventory methods
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