INTRODUCTION
The Internal Revenue Bulletin is the authoritative instrument of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue for the announcement of official Internal Revenue rulings, and for the publication of Treasury Decisions, Executive Orders, Legislation, and court decisions pertaining to Internal Revenue matters.
It is the policy of the Service to publish in the Bulletin all substantive and procedural rulings of importance or general interest, the publication of which is considered necessary to promote a uniform application of the laws administered by the Service. It is also the policy to publish all rulings which revoke, modify, amend, or affect any published ruling. Rulings relating solely to matters of internal management are not published. The rulings are prepared in the various divisions of the National Office, including the Office of the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service. All published rulings have received the consideration and approval of the Chief Counsel.
Revenue Rulings reported in the Bulletin do not have the force and effect of Treasury Department Regulations (including Treasury Decisions), but are published to provide precedents to be used in the disposition of other cases, and may be cited and relied upon for this purpose. However, since each published ruling represents the conclusion of the Service as to the application of the law to the entire state of facts involved, Revenue officers and others concerned are cautioned against reaching the same conclusion in other cases unless the facts and circumstances are substantially the same. In applying rulings published in the Bulletin, personnel of the Service will, of course, consider the effect of subsequent legislation, regulations, court decisions, and rulings.
Each ruling is designated as a "Revenue Ruling" and should be cited by reference to the Bulletin and page where reported. Thus, Revenue Ruling No. 55-80 should be cited as “Rev. Rul. 55-80, C. B. 1955-1, —.” Rulings are keyed to the applicable sections of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations.
Internal Revenue Cumulative Bulletin 1955-1 contains all rulings, decisions, and legislation pertaining to Internal Revenue matters published in the weekly Internal Revenue Bulletins 1 to 26, inclusive, for the period January 1 to June 30, 1955. It also contains a cumulative list of announcements relating to decisions of The Tax Court of the United States published in those Bulletins.