Treasury Regulations · 26 CFR

§ 1.471-4. Inventories at cost or market, whichever is lower.

In effect eCFR current as of October 15, 2026

Regulation text, no changes From the eCFR, current as of October 15, 2026. The eCFR is an authoritative but unofficial editorial compilation of the Code of Federal Regulations; the official text is the annual CFR on govinfo. Compare it with this section on ecfr.gov (external site) or the official annual CFR on govinfo (external site).

Regulation under 26 U.S.C. § 471

Cite as 26 CFR § 1.471-4

At a glance

Read from the text and its source citation. Not part of the regulation.

Status: In the current eCFR
Issued: November 26, 1960 by T.D. 6500
Last amended: August 9, 1993 by T.D. 8482
Issued under: 26 U.S.C. § 471
Length: 975 words · about 4 min to read
Cross-references: cites 2 Code sections and 0 regulations; cited by 5

¶(a) In general—

¶(1) Market definition. Under ordinary circumstances and for normal goods in an inventory, market means the aggregate of the current bid prices prevailing at the date of the inventory of the basic elements of cost reflected in inventories of goods purchased and on hand, goods in process of manufacture, and finished manufactured goods on hand. The basic elements of cost include direct materials, direct labor, and indirect costs required to be included in inventories by the taxpayer (e.g., under section 263A and its underlying regulations for taxpayers subject to that section). For taxpayers to which section 263A applies, for example, the basic elements of cost must reflect all direct costs and all indirect costs properly allocable to goods on hand at the inventory date at the current bid price of those costs, including but not limited to the cost of purchasing, handling, and storage activities conducted by the taxpayer, both prior to and subsequent to acquisition or production of the goods. The determination of the current bid price of the basic elements of costs reflected in goods on hand at the inventory date must be based on the usual volume of particular cost elements purchased (or incurred) by the taxpayer.

¶(2) Fixed price contracts. Paragraph (a)(1) of this section does not apply to any goods on hand or in process of manufacture for delivery upon firm sales contracts (i.e., those not legally subject to cancellation by either party) at fixed prices entered into before the date of the inventory, under which the taxpayer is protected against actual loss. Any such goods must be inventoried at cost.

¶(3) Examples. The valuation principles in paragraph (a)(1) of this section are illustrated by the following examples:

¶Example 1.

(i) Taxpayer A manufactures tractors. A values its inventory using cost or market, whichever is lower, under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. At the end of 1994, the cost of one of A's tractors on hand is determined as follows:

Direct materials	$3,000
Direct labor	4,000
Indirect costs under section 263A	3,000
Total section 263A costs (cost)	$10,000

(ii) A determines that the aggregate of the current bid prices of the materials, labor, and overhead required to reproduce the tractor at the end of 1994 are as follows:

Direct materials	$3,100
Direct labor	4,100
Indirect costs under section 263A	3,100
Total section 263A costs (market)	$10,300

(iii) In determining the lower of cost or market value of the tractor, A compares the cost of the tractor, $10,000, with the market value of the tractor, $10,300, in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section. Thus, under this section, A values the tractor at $10,000.

¶Example 2.

(i) Taxpayer B purchases and resells several lines of shoes and is subject to section 263A. B values its inventory using cost or market, whichever is lower, under paragraph (a)(1) of this section. At the end of 1994, the cost of one pair of shoes on hand is determined as follows:

Acquisition cost	$200
Indirect costs under section 263A	10
Total section 263A costs (cost)	$210

(ii) B determines the aggregate current bid prices prevailing at the end of 1994 for the elements of cost (both direct costs and indirect costs incurred prior and subsequent to acquisition of the shoes) based on the volume of the elements usually purchased (or incurred) by B as follows:

Acquisition cost	$178
Indirect costs under section 263A	12
Total § 263A costs (market)	$190

(iii) In determining the lower of cost or market value of the shoes, B compares the cost of the pair of shoes, $210, with the market value of the shoes, $190, in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section. Thus, under this section, B values the shoes at $190.

¶(b) Inactive markets. Where no open market exists or where quotations are nominal, due to inactive market conditions, the taxpayer must use such evidence of a fair market price at the date or dates nearest the inventory as may be available, such as specific purchases or sales by the taxpayer or others in reasonable volume and made in good faith, or compensation paid for cancellation of contracts for purchase commitments. Where the taxpayer in the regular course of business has offered for sale such merchandise at prices lower than the current price as above defined, the inventory may be valued at such prices less direct cost of disposition, and the correctness of such prices will be determined by reference to the actual sales of the taxpayer for a reasonable period before and after the date of the inventory. Prices which vary materially from the actual prices so ascertained will not be accepted as reflecting the market.

¶(c) Comparison of cost and market. Where the inventory is valued upon the basis of cost or market, whichever is lower, the market value of each article on hand at the inventory date shall be compared with the cost of the article, and the lower of such values shall be taken as the inventory value of the article.

¶(d) Effective date. This section applies to inventory valuations for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1993. For taxable years beginning before January 1, 1994, taxpayers must take reasonable positions on their federal income tax returns with respect to the application of section 263A, and must have otherwise complied with § 1.471-4 (as contained in the 26 CFR part 1 edition revised April 1, 1993). For purposes of this paragraph (d), a reasonable position as to the application of section 263A is a position consistent with the temporary regulations, revenue rulings, revenue procedures, notices, and announcements concerning section 263A applicable in taxable years beginning before January 1, 1994. (See § 601.601(d)(2)(ii)(b) of this chapter.)

[T.D. 6500, 25 FR 11725, Nov. 26, 1960, as amended by T.D. 8482, 58 FR 42233, Aug. 9, 1993]

Cross-references

Computed from the citations in the text of 26 CFR.

Code sections it cites

Cited by 5 other regulations

Amendment history

From the source citation at the end of the section, newest first. T.D. is a Treasury decision; FR is the Federal Register.

August 9, 1993Amended by T.D. 8482 (58 FR 42233)
November 26, 1960Issued by T.D. 6500 (25 FR 11725)

Where it sits in 26 CFR

Subchapter A Income tax
Part 1 Income taxes
Inventories

Nearby sections

§ 1.471-1 Need for inventories.
§ 1.471-2 Valuation of inventories.
§ 1.471-3 Inventories at cost.
§ 1.471-4 Inventories at cost or market, whichever is lower.
§ 1.471-5 Inventories by dealers in securities.
§ 1.471-6 Inventories of livestock raisers and other farmers.
§ 1.471-7 Inventories of miners and manufacturers.
§ 1.471-8 Inventories of retail merchants.