[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 26, Volume 7]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 26CFR1.613-4]

[Page 416-431]
 
                       TITLE 26--INTERNAL REVENUE
 
    CHAPTER I--INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 
                               (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1_INCOME TAXES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1.613-4  Gross income from the property in the case of minerals 
other than oil and gas.

    (a) In general. The rules contained in this section are applicable 
to the determination of gross income from the property in the case of 
minerals other than oil and gas and the rules contained in Sec. 1.613-3 
are not applicable to such determination, notwithstanding provisions to 
the contrary in Sec. 1.613-3. The term gross income from the property, 
as used in section 613(c)(1), means, in the case of a mineral property 
other than an oil or gas property, gross income from mining. Gross 
income from mining is that amount of income which is attributable to the 
extraction of the ores or minerals from the ground and the application 
of mining processes, including mining transportation. For the purpose of 
this section, ordinary treatment processes (applicable to the taxable 
years beginning before January 1, 1961) and treatment processes 
considered as mining (applicable to the taxable years beginning after 
December 31, 1960) will be referred to as mining processes. Processes, 
including packaging and transportation, which do not qualify as mining 
will be referred to as nonmining processes. Also for the purpose of this 
section, transportation which qualifies as mining will be referred to as 
mining transportation and transportation which does not qualify as 
mining will be referred to as nonmining transportation. See paragraph 
(f) of this section for the definition of the term mining and paragraph 
(g) of this section for rules relating to nonmining processes.
    (b) Sales prior to the application of nonmining processes including 
nonmining transportation. (1) Subject to the adjustments required by 
paragraph (e)(1) of this section, gross income from mining means (except 
as provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph) the actual amount for 
which the ore or mineral is sold if the taxpayer sells the ore or 
mineral:
    (i) As it emerges from the mine, prior to the application of any 
process other than a mining process or any transportation, or
    (ii) After application of only mining processes, including mining 
transportation, and before any nonmining transportation.

If the taxpayer sells his ore or mineral in more than one form, and if 
only mining processes are applied to the ore or mineral, gross income 
from mining is the actual amount for which the various forms of the ore 
or mineral are sold, after any adjustments required by paragraph (e)(1) 
of this section. For example, if, at his mine or quarry, a taxpayer 
sells several sizes of crushed gypsum and also sells gypsum fines 
produced as an incidental byproduct of his crushing operations, without 
applying any nonmining processes, gross income from mining will 
ordinarily be the total amount for which such crushed gypsum and fines 
are actually sold. See paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section for 
provisions defining mining and nonmining processes for various minerals.
    (2) In the case of sales between members of a controlled group 
(including sales as to which the district director exercises his 
authority under section 482 and the regulations thereunder), the prices 
for such sales (which shall be deemed to be the actual amount for which 
the ore or mineral is sold) shall be determined, if possible, by use of 
the representative market or field price method, as described in 
paragraph (c) of this section; otherwise such prices shall be determined 
by the appropriate pricing method as provided in paragraph (d)(1) of 
this section. For the definitions of the terms controlled and group, see 
paragraph (j) (1) and (2) of this section.
    (c) Cases where a representative market or field price for the 
taxpayer's ore or mineral can be ascertained--(1) General rule. If the 
taxpayer processes the ore or mineral before sale by the application of 
nonmining processes (including nonmining transportation), or uses it in 
his operations, gross income from mining shall be computed by use of the 
representative market or field price of an ore or mineral of like kind 
and grade as the taxpayer's ore or mineral after the application of the 
mining processes actually applied (if any), including mining 
transportation (if any),

[[Page 417]]

and before any nonmining transportation, subject to any adjustments 
required by paragraph (e)(1) of this section. See paragraph (e)(2)(i) of 
this section for certain other situations in which this paragraph shall 
apply. The objective in computing gross income from mining by the 
representative market or field price method is to ascertain, on the 
basis of an analysis of actual competitive sales by the taxpayer or 
others, the dollar figure or amount which most nearly represents the 
approximate price at which the taxpayer, in light of market conditions, 
could have sold his ores or minerals if, prior to the application of 
nonmining processes, the taxpayer had sold the quantities and types of 
ores and minerals to which he applied nonmining processes. If it is 
possible to determine a market or field price under the provisions of 
this paragraph, and if that price is determined to be representative, 
the taxpayer's gross income from mining shall be determined on the basis 
of that price and not under the provisions of paragraph (d) of this 
section. The taxpayer's own actual sales prices for ores or minerals of 
like kind and grade shall be taken into account when establishing market 
or field prices, provided that those sales are determined to be 
representative.
    (2) Criteria for determining whether an ore or mineral is of like 
kind and grade as the taxpayer's ore or mineral. An ore or mineral will 
be considered to be of like kind and grade as the taxpayer's ore or 
mineral if, in common commercial practice, it is sufficiently similar in 
chemical, mineralogical, or physical characteristics to the taxpayer's 
ore or mineral that it is used, or is commercially suitable for use, for 
essentially the same purposes as the uses to which the taxpayer's ore or 
mineral is put. Whether an ore or mineral is of like kind and grade as 
the taxpayer's ore or mineral will generally be determined by reference 
to industrial or commercial specifications and by consideration of 
chemical and physical data relating to the minerals and deposits in 
question. The fact that the taxpayer applies slightly different size 
reduction processes, or the fact that the taxpayer uses slightly 
different benefication processes, or the fact that the taxpayer sells 
his ore or mineral for different purposes, will not, in itself, prevent 
another person's ore or mineral from being considered to be of like kind 
and grade as the taxpayer's ore or mineral. On the other hand, the fact 
that the taxpayer's ore or mineral is suitable for the same general 
commercial use as another person's ore or mineral will not cause the two 
ores or minerals to be considered to be of like kind and grade if the 
desirable natural constituents of the two ores or minerals are markedly 
different substances. For example, anthracite coal will not be 
considered to be of like kind as bituminous coal merely because both 
types of coal can be used as fuel. Similarly, bituminous coal which does 
not possess coking qualities will not be considered to be of like grade 
as bituminous coking coal. However, in the case of a taxpayer who mines 
and uses his bituminous coal in the production of coke, all bituminous 
coals in the same marketing area will be considered to be of like kind, 
and all such bituminous coals having the same or similar coking quality 
suitable for commercial use by coke producers will be considered to be 
of like grade as the coal mined and used by the taxpayer.

Fine distinctions between various grades of minerals are to be avoided 
unless those distinctions are clearly shown to have genuine commercial 
significance.
    (3) Factors to be considered in determining the representative 
market or field price for the taxpayer's ore or mineral. In determining 
the representative market or field price for the taxpayer's ore or 
mineral, consideration shall be given only to prices of ores or minerals 
of like kind and grade as the taxpayer's ore or mineral and with which, 
under commercially accepted standards, the taxpayer's ore or mineral 
would be considered to be in competition if it were sold under the 
conditions described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section. A weighted 
average of the competitive selling prices of ores or minerals of like 
kind and grade as the taxpayer's, beneficiated only by mining processes, 
if any, in the relevant markets, although not determinative of the 
representative market or field price, is an important factor in the 
determination

[[Page 418]]

of that price. The taxpayer's own competitive sales prices for minerals 
which have been subjected only to mining processes shall be taken into 
account in computing such a weighted average. For purposes of the 
preceding sentence, if the district director has exercised his authority 
under section 482 and the regulations thereunder and has determined the 
appropriate price with respect to specific sales transactions by the 
taxpayer, that price shall be deemed to be a competitive sales price for 
those transactions. Sales or purchases, including the taxpayer's, of 
ores or minerals of like kind and grade as the taxpayer's, will be taken 
into consideration in determining the representative market or field 
price for the taxpayer's ore or mineral only if those sales or purchases 
are the result of competitive transactions. The identity of the 
taxpayer's relevant markets (including their accessibility to the 
taxpayer), and the representative market or field price within those 
markets, are necessarily factual determinations to be made on the basis 
of the facts and circumstances of each individual case. For the purpose 
of determining the representative market or field price for the 
taxpayer's ore or mineral, exceptional, insignificant, unusual, tie-in, 
or accommodation sales shall be disregarded. Except as provided above, 
representative market or field prices shall not be determined by 
reference to prices established between members of a controlled group. 
See paragraph (j) of this section for the definitions of the terms 
controlled and group.
    (4) Use of prices of mineral of different grade. If there is no 
representative market or field price for a mineral of like kind and 
grade as the taxpayer's, representative market or field prices for an 
ore or mineral which is of like kind but which is not of like grade as 
his ore or mineral may be used, with appropriate adjustments for 
differences in mineral content. Representative market or field prices of 
an ore or mineral of like kind but not of like grade may be used only if 
such adjustments are readily ascertainable. For example, it may be 
appropriate in a particular case to establish the representative market 
or field price for an ore having 50 percent X mineral content by 
reference to the representative market or field price for the same kind 
of ore having 60 percent X mineral content with an appropriate 
adjustment for the differences in the valuable mineral content of the 
two ores, any differences in processing costs attributable to 
impurities, and any other relevant factors.
    (5) Information to be furnished by a taxpayer computing gross income 
from mining by use of a representative market or field price. A taxpayer 
who computes his gross income from mining pursuant to the provisions of 
this paragraph shall attach to his return a summary statement indicating 
the prices used by him in computing gross income from mining under this 
paragraph and the source of his information as to those prices, and the 
relevant supporting data shall be assembled, segregated, and made 
readily available at the taxpayer's principal place of business.
    (6) Limitation on gross income from mining computed under the 
provisions of this paragraph. It shall be presumed that a price is not a 
representative market or field price for the taxpayer's ore or mineral 
if the sum of such price plus the total of all costs of the nonmining 
processes (including nonmining transportation) which the taxpayer 
applies to his ore or mineral regularly exceeds the taxpayer's actual 
sales price of his product. For example, if on a regular basis the total 
of all costs of nonmining processes applied by the taxpayer to coal for 
the purpose of making coke is $12 per ton, and if the taxpayer's actual 
sale price for such coke is $18 per ton, a price of $7 per ton would not 
be a representative market or field price for the taxpayer's coal which 
is used for making coke. In order to rebut the presumption set forth in 
the first sentence of this subparagraph, it must be established that the 
loss on nonmining operations is directly attributable to unusual, 
peculiar and nonrecurring factors rather than to the use of a market or 
field price which is not representative. For example, the first sentence 
of this subparagraph shall not apply if the taxpayer establishes in an 
appropriate case that the loss on nonmining operations is directly 
attributable to an event such as a fire, flood, explosion, earthquake, 
or strike.

[[Page 419]]
Gilsonite.
    (d) Cases where a representative market or field price cannot be 
ascertained-- (1) General rule. (i) If it is impossible to determine a 
representative market or field price as described in paragraph (c) of 
this section then, except as provided in subdivision (ii) of this 
subparagraph, gross income from mining shall be computed by use of the 
proportionate profits method as set forth in subparagraph (4) of this 
paragraph. A method of computing gross income from mining under the 
provisions of this paragraph shall not be deemed to be a method of 
accounting for purposes of paragraph (e) of Sec. 1.446-1.
    (ii)(a) The Office of the Assistant Commissioner (Technical) may 
determine that a method of computation is more appropriate than the 
proportionate profits method or the method being used by the taxpayer. 
The taxpayer may request such a determination (see (d) of this 
subdivision (ii)). If the taxpayer is using a method of computation 
which has been determined by the Office of Assistant Commissioner 
(Technical) to be more appropriate than the proportionate profits 
method, such method shall continue to be used until it is determined by 
the Office of Assistant Commissioner (Technical) that either the 
proportionate profits method or another method is more appropriate.
    (b) The proportionate profits method is more appropriate than the 
method being used under (a) if, under the particular facts and 
circumstances, the method being used under (a) consistently fails to 
clearly reflect gross income from mining and the proportionate profits 
method more clearly reflects gross income from mining for the taxable 
year.
    (c) An alternative method (a method other than the method being used 
under (a) (if any) and the proportionate profits method) is more 
appropriate than the method being used under (a) (if any) and the 
proportionate profits method if, under the particular facts and 
circumstances, the latter methods consistently fail to clearly reflect 
gross income from mining, and the alternative method being considered 
more clearly reflects gross income from mining on a consistent basis 
than the method being used under (a) (if any) and the proportionate 
profits method. When determining whether a method of computation clearly 
reflects gross income from mining, it is relevant to compare the gross 
income from mining produced by such method with the gross income from 
mining, on an equivalent amount of production, which results from the 
computation methods used by competitors. When determining the 
acceptability of proposed alternative methods, primary consideration 
will be given to computation methods based upon representative charges 
for ores, minerals, products, or services. See paragraph (c) of this 
section for principles determining the representative character of a 
charge.
    (d) Application for permission to compute gross income from mining 
by use of an alternative method shall be made by submitting a request to 
the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Attention: Assistant Commissioner 
(Technical), Washington, DC 20224.
    (e) Among the alternative methods of computation to which 
consideration will be given, provided that the requirements of this 
subdivision (ii) are met, are the methods listed in subparagraphs (5), 
(6), and (7) of this paragraph. The order in which these methods are 
listed is not significant, and the listing of these methods does not 
preclude a request to make use of a method which is not listed.
    (iii) Approval and continued use of any method of computation under 
this paragraph depends upon all the facts and circumstances in each 
case, and shall be subject to such terms and conditions as may be 
necessary in the opinion of the Commissioner to reflect clearly the 
gross income from mining. Accordingly, the use of such a method for any 
taxable year shall be subject to review and change.
    (2) Costs to be used in computing gross income from mining by use of 
methods based on the taxpayer's costs. In determining the taxpayer's 
gross income from mining by use of methods based on the taxpayer's 
costs, only costs actually paid or incurred shall be taken into 
consideration. In general, if the taxpayer has consistently employed a 
reasonable method of determining the costs of the various individual 
phases

[[Page 420]]

of his mining and nonmining processes (such as extraction, loading for 
shipment, calcining, packaging, etc.), such method shall not be 
disturbed. The amount of any particular item to be taken into account 
shall, for taxable years beginning after November 30, 1968, be the 
amount used in determining the taxpayer's income for tax purposes. For 
example, the depreciation lives, methods, and records used for tax 
purposes, if different from those used for book purposes, shall be the 
basis for determining the amount of depreciation to be used. However, a 
taxpayer may continue to use a reasonable method for determining those 
costs on the basis of the amounts computed for cost control or similar 
financial or accounting books and records if that method has been used 
consistently and is applied to the determination of all those costs.
    (3) Treatment of particular items in computing gross income from the 
mining by use of methods based on the taxpayer's costs. (i) Except as 
specifically provided elsewhere in this section, when determining gross 
income from mining by use of methods based on the taxpayer's costs, the 
costs attributable to mining transportation shall be treated as mining 
costs, and the costs attributable to nonmining transportation shall be 
treated as nonmining costs. Accordingly, except as specifically provided 
elsewhere in this section, all profits attributable to mining 
transportation shall be treated as mining profits, and all profits 
attributable to nonmining transportation shall be treated as nonmining 
profits. For this purpose, mining transportation means so much of the 
transportation of ores or minerals (whether or not by common carrier) 
from the point of extraction from the ground to plants or mills in which 
other mining processes are applied thereto as is not in excess of 50 
miles or, if the taxpayer files an application pursuant to paragraph (h) 
of this section and the Commissioner finds that both the physical and 
other requirements are such that the ores or minerals must be 
transported a greater distance to such plants or mills, the 
transportation over the greater distance. Further, for this purpose, 
nonmining transportation includes the transportation (whether or not by 
common carrier) of ores, minerals, or the products produced therefrom, 
from the point of extraction from the ground to nonmining facilities, or 
from a mining facility to a nonmining facility, or from one nonmining 
facility to another, or from a nonmining facility to the customers who 
purchase the taxpayer's first marketable product or group of products. 
See paragraph (e)(2) of this section for provisions relating to 
purchased transportation to the customer and paragraph (g)(3) of this 
section for provisions relating to transportation the primary purpose of 
which is marketing or distribution. In the absence of other methods 
which clearly reflect the costs of the various phases of transportation, 
the cost attributable to nonmining transportation shall be an amount 
which is in the same ratio to the costs incurred for the total 
transportation as the distance of the nonmining transportation is to the 
distance of the total transportation. As an example, where the plants or 
mills in which mining processes are applied to ores or minerals are in 
excess of 50 miles from the point of extraction from the ground (or in 
excess of a greater distance approved by the Commissioner), the costs 
incurred for transportation to those plants or mills in excess of 50 
miles (or of that greater distance) shall be treated as nonmining costs 
in determining gross income from mining. Accordingly, all profits 
attributable to that excess transportation are treated as nonmining 
profits. However, except in the case of transportation performed in 
conveyances owned or leased by the taxpayer, the preceding sentence 
shall apply only to taxable years beginning after November 30, 1968.
    (ii) In determining gross income from mining by use of methods based 
on the taxpayer's costs, a process shall not be considered as a mining 
process to the extent it is applied to ores, minerals, or other 
materials with respect to which the taxpayer is not entitled to a 
deduction for depletion under section 611. The costs of such 
nondepletable ores, minerals, or materials; the costs of the processes 
(including blending, size reduction, etc.) applied thereto; and the 
transportation costs thereof, if

[[Page 421]]

any, shall be considered as nominating costs in determining gross income 
from mining. If a mining process is applied to an admixture of 
depletable and nondepletable material, the cost of the process and the 
cost of transportation, if any, attributable to the nondepletable 
material shall be considered as nonmining costs in determining gross 
income from mining. Accordingly, all profits attributable thereto are 
treated as nonmining profits. In the absence of other methods which 
clearly reflect the cost attributable to the processing and 
transportation, if any, of the nondepletable admixed material, that cost 
shall be deemed to be that proportion of the costs which the tonnage of 
nondepletable material bears to the total tonnage of both depletable and 
nondepletable material.
    (iii) In determining gross income from mining by use of methods 
based on the taxpayer's costs:
    (a) The costs attributable to containers, bags, packages, pallets, 
and similar items as well as the costs of materials and labor 
attributable to bagging, packaging, palletizing, or similar operations 
shall be considered as nonmining costs.
    (b) The costs attributable to the bulk loading of manufactured 
products shall be considered as nonmining costs.
    (c) The costs attributable to the operation of warehouses or 
distribution terminals for manufactured products shall be considered as 
nonmining costs.

Accordingly, all profits attributable thereto are treated as nonmining 
profits.
    (iv) In computing gross income from mining by the use of methods 
based on the taxpayer's costs, the principles set forth in paragraph (c) 
of Sec. 1.613-5 shall apply when determining whether selling expenses 
and trade association dues are to be treated, in whole or in part, as 
mining costs or as nonmining costs. To the extent that selling expenses 
and trade association dues are treated as nonmining costs, all profits 
attributable thereto are treated as nonmining profits.
    (v) See paragraph (e)(1) of this section for provisions excluding 
certain allowances from the taxpayer's gross sales and costs of his 
first marketable product or group of products.
    (4) Proportionate profits method. (i) The objective of the 
proportionate profits method of computation is to ascertain gross income 
from mining by applying the principle that each dollar of the total 
costs paid or incurred to produce, sell, and transport the first 
marketable product or group of products (as defined in subdivision (iv) 
of this subparagraph) earns the same percentage of profit. Accordingly, 
in the proportionate profits method no ranking of costs is permissible 
which results in excluding or minimizing the effect of any costs 
incurred to produce, sell, and transport the first marketable product or 
group of products. For purposes of this subparagraph, members of a 
controlled group shall be treated as divisions of a single taxpayer. See 
paragraph (j) of this section for the definitions of the terms 
controlled and group.
    (ii) The proportionate profits method of computation is applied by 
multiplying the taxpayer's gross sales (actual or constructive) of his 
first marketable product or group of products (after making the 
adjustments required by paragraph (e) of this section) by a fraction 
whose numerator is the sum of all the costs allocable to those mining 
processes which are applied to produce, sell, and transport the first 
marketable product or group of products, and whose denominator is the 
total of all the mining and nonmining costs paid or incurred to produce, 
sell, and transport the first marketable product or group of products 
(after making the adjustments required by this paragraph and paragraph 
(e) of this section). The method as described herein is merely a 
restatement of the method formerly set forth in the second sentence of 
Regulations 118, section 39.23(m)-1 (e)(3) (1939 Code). The 
proportionate profits method of computation may be illustrated by the 
following equation:

[[Page 422]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TC08OC91.003

    (iii) Those costs which are paid or incurred by the taxpayer to 
produce, sell, and transport the first marketable product or group of 
products, and which are not directly identifiable with either a 
particular mining process or a particular nonmining process shall, in 
the absence of a specific provision of this section providing an 
apportionment method, be apportioned to mining and to nonmining by use 
of a method which is reasonable under the circumstances. One method 
which may be reasonable in a particular case is an allocation based on 
the proportion that the direct costs of mining processes and the direct 
costs of nonmining processes bear to each other. For example, the salary 
of a corporate officer engaged in overseeing all of the taxpayer's 
processes is an expense which may reasonably be apportioned on the basis 
of the ratio between the direct costs of mining and nonmining processes. 
On the other hand, an expense such as workmen's compensation premiums 
would normally be apportioned on the basis of direct labor costs. For 
the rule relating to selling expenses, see paragraph (c)(4) of Sec. 
1.613-5.
    (iv) As used in this section, the term first marketable product or 
group of products means the product (or group of essentially the same 
products) produced by the taxpayer as a result of the application of 
nonmining processes, in the form or condition in which such product or 
products are first marketed in significant quantities by the taxpayer or 
by others in the taxpayer's marketing area. For this purpose, bulk and 
packaged products are considered to be essentially the same product. 
Sales between members of a controlled group (as defined in paragraph (j) 
of this section) shall not be considered in making a determination under 
this subdivision. The first marketable product or group of products does 
not include any product which results from additional manufacturing or 
other nonmining processes applied to the product or products first 
marketed in significant quantities by the taxpayer or others in the 
taxpayer's marketing area. For example, if a cement manufacturer sells 
his own finished cement in bulk and bags and also sells concrete blocks 
or dry ready-mix aggregates containing additives, the finished cement, 
in bulk and bags, constitutes the first marketable product or group of 
products produced by him. Similarly, if an integrated iron ore and steel 
producer sells both pig iron in various sizes and rolled sheet iron or 
shapes, his first marketable product is the pig iron in its various 
sizes. Further, if an integrated clay and brick producer sells both 
unglazed bricks and tiles of various shapes and sizes and additionally 
manufactured bricks and tiles which are specially glazed, the unglazed 
products, both packaged and unpackaged, constitute his first marketable 
product or group of products.
    (v)(a) As used in this subparagraph, the term gross sales (actual or 
constructive) means the total of the taxpayer's actual competitive sales 
to others of the first marketable product or group of products, plus the 
taxpayer's constructive sales of the first marketable product or group 
of products used or retained for use in his own subsequent operations, 
subject to the adjustments required by paragraph (e) of this section. 
See (b) of this subdivision in the case of actual sales between members 
of controlled groups and in the case of constructive sales. A 
constructive sale occurs when a miner-manufacturer is deemed, for 
percentage depletion purposes, to be selling the first marketable 
product or group of products to himself.
    (b) In the case of sales between members of a controlled group as to 
which the district director has exercised his authority under section 
482 and the regulations thereunder and has determined the appropriate 
price with respect to specific sales transactions, that price shall be 
deemed, for those transactions, to be the actual amount for which the 
first marketable product or group of products is sold for purposes of 
this subdivision (v). In the case

[[Page 423]]

of all other sales between members of a controlled group, and in the 
case of constructive sales, the prices for such sales shall be 
determined by use of the principles set forth in paragraph (c) of this 
section, subject to the adjustments required by paragraph (e) of this 
section. In the case of constructive sales, see paragraph (c)(4) of this 
section for rules relating to information to be furnished by the 
taxpayer.
    (vi) The provisions of this subparagraph may be illustrated by the 
following examples:

    Example 1. (a) Facts. A is engaged in the mining of a mineral to 
which section 613 applies and in the application thereto of nonmining 
processes. During 1968, A incurred extraction costs of $35,000; other 
mining costs of $56,000; $150,000 for manufacturing costs; $46,000 for 
other nonmining processes; and $14,000 for the company president's 
salary and similiar costs resulting from both nonmining and mining 
processes. During that year, A produced and sold 70,000 tons of his 
first marketable product for an actual gross sales price of $420,000, 
after the adjustments required by paragraph (e) of this section. A 
representative market or field price for A's mineral before the 
application of nonmining processes cannot be established.
    (b) Computation. (1) The computation of A's gross income from mining 
by use of the proportionate profits method involves two steps. The first 
step is to apportion A's costs to mining and to nonmining. A apportions 
the company president's salary and similiar costs to mining and to 
nonmining in the manner described in the second and third sentences of 
subdivision (iii) of this subparagraph, and apportions his remaining 
costs as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  Cost                     Mining   Nonmining    Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Extraction.............................    $35,000  .........    $35,000
Other mining processes.................     56,000  .........     56,000
Manufacturing..........................  .........   $150,000    150,000
Other nonmining processes..............  .........     46,000     46,000
                                        ------------
    Subtotal...........................     91,000    196,000    287,000
President's salary and similar costs...      4,439      9,561     14,000
                                        ------------
    Total costs........................     95,439    205,561    301,000
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (2) The second step is to apply the proportionate profits fraction 
so as to compute A's gross income from mining. To do this, A first 
computes his gross sales of his first marketable group of products, in 
this case $420,000. A multiplies his actual gross sales of $420,000 by 
the proportionate profits fraction, whose numerator consists of his 
total mining costs ($95,439) and whose denominator consists of his total 
costs ($301,000). Thus, A's gross income from mining is $133,170 (i.e., 
95,439/301,000ths of A's actual gross sales of $420,000).
    Example 2. B, who leases a mineral property from C, is engaged in 
the mining of a mineral to which section 613 applies and in the 
application thereto of nonmining processes. Pursuant to the terms of the 
lease, B is required to pay C 10 cents for each ton of mineral which B 
mines. During 1971, B extracted 100,000 tons of mineral. He sold his 
first marketable product for an actual gross sales price of $225,000 
after the adjustments required by paragraph (e) of this section. A 
representative market or field price for B's mineral before the 
application of nonmining processes cannot be established. During 1971, 
with respect to the 100,000 tons of mineral extracted, B incurred mining 
costs of $50,000 and nonmining costs of $100,000, and paid $10,000 to C 
as C's royalty. Since the royalty payment is considered to be C's share 
of the gross income from mining under section 613(a), it is not 
considered to be either a mining cost or a nonmining cost of B. B's 
gross income from mining is $65,000 under the proportionate profits 
method, determined as follows: The $225,000 gross receipts must be 
multiplied by the proportionate profits fraction which is $50,000 mining 
costs over $150,000 total costs ($50,000+$100,000 nonmining costs). 
Since the resulting $75,000 is the total gross income from mining with 
respect to the property, it must be allocated between B's lease interest 
and C's royalty interest. The $10,000 paid to C must be subtracted from 
the $75,000 leaving $65,000 which represents B's gross income from 
mining. C's gross income from mining is the royalty he received or 
$10,000.

    (5) Representative schedule method. The representative schedule 
method is a pricing formula which uses representative finished product 
prices, penalties, charges and adjustments, established in arms-length 
transactions between unrelated parties, to determine the market or field 
price for a crude mineral product. The representative character of a 
price, penalty, charge, or adjustment shall be determined by applying 
the principles set forth in paragraph (c) of this section. The 
representative schedule method is principally intended for use in those 
industries in which such a schedule-type pricing method is in general 
use to determine the price paid to unintegrated mineral

[[Page 424]]

producers for their crude mineral product. For example, if unintegrated 
producers of copper concentrate in a particular field or market 
customarily sell their product at prices which are determined in 
accordance with a schedule-type pricing formula, consideration will be 
given to the determination of concentrate prices for integrated copper 
producers in accordance with the same pricing formula. The 
representative schedule method shall not be used if it is impossible to 
determine one or more of the elements in the representative schedule 
formula by reference to prices, penalties, charges, or adjustments 
established in representative transactions between unrelated parties. 
See paragraph (c) of this section for principles determining the 
representative character of a charge.
    (6) Method using prices outside the taxpayer's market. Under the 
other market method the taxpayer uses representative market or field 
prices established outside his markets, provided that conditions there 
are substantially the same as in his markets. For example, it may be 
appropriate in a particular case to establish the representative market 
or field price for pellets containing 60 percent iron which are produced 
and used in market area X by reference to the representative market or 
field price for pellets containing 60 percent iron which are produced 
and sold in adjacent market area Y, provided that conditions in the two 
marketing areas are shown to be substantially the same.
    (7) Rate of return on investment method. [Reserved]
    (e) Reductions of sales price in computing gross income from 
mining--(1) Discounts. If a taxpayer computes gross income from mining 
under the provisions of paragraph (b)(1) of this section, trade 
discounts and, for taxable years beginning after November 30, 1968, cash 
discounts actually allowed by the taxpayer shall be subtracted from the 
sale price of the taxpayer's ore or mineral. If a taxpayer computes 
gross income from mining under the provisions of paragraph (c) of this 
section, any such discounts actually allowed (if not otherwise taken 
into account) by the person or persons making the sales on the basis of 
which the representative market or field price for the taxpayer's ore or 
mineral is to be determined shall be subtracted from the sale price in 
computing such representative market or field price. If a taxpayer 
computes gross income from mining under the provisions of paragraph (d) 
of this section, such discounts actually allowed (if not otherwise taken 
into account) shall be subtracted from the gross sales (actual or 
constructive), and shall not be considered a cost, of the first 
marketable product or group of products. The provisions of this 
subparagraph shall apply to arrangements which have the same effect as 
trade or cash discounts, regardless of the form of the arrangements.
    (2) Purchased transportation to the customer. (i) A taxpayer who 
computes gross income from mining under the provisions of paragraph (c) 
of this section and who sells his ore or mineral after the application 
of only mining processes but after nonmining transportation shall use as 
the representative market or field price his delivered price (if 
otherwise representative) reduced by costs paid or incurred by him for 
purchased transportation to the customer as defined in subdivision (iii) 
of this subparagraph. If the transportation by the taxpayer is not 
purchased transportation to the customer, or if the taxpayer does not 
sell the ore or mineral until after the application of nonmining 
processes, and if other producers in the taxpayer's marketing area sell 
significant quantities of an ore or mineral of like kind and grade after 
the application of only mining processes but after purchased 
transportation to the customer, the representative delivered price at 
which the ore or mineral is sold by those other producers reduced by 
representative costs of purchased transportation to the customer paid or 
incurred by those producers shall be used by the taxpayer as the 
representative market or field price for his ore or mineral in applying 
paragraph (c) of this section. Furthermore, appropriate adjustments 
shall be made to take into account differences in mode of transportation 
and distance. When applying this subdivision, the representative market 
or field price so computed shall not exceed the taxpayer's delivered 
price less his actual

[[Page 425]]

costs of transportation to the customer. For purposes of this 
subdivision, any delivered price shall be adjusted as provided in 
subparagraph (1) of this paragraph.
    (ii) If a taxpayer computes gross income from mining under the 
provisions of paragraph (d) of this section, the cost of purchased 
transportation to the customer (as defined in subdivision (iii) of this 
subparagraph) shall be excluded from the gross sales of his first 
marketable product or group of products (after any adjustments required 
by subparagraph (1) of this paragraph), and from the denominator of the 
proportionate profits fraction, so as not to attribute profits to the 
cost of that transportation. Similar transportation cost adjustments may 
be made, if appropriate, in the case of other methods of computation 
which are based on the taxpayer's costs. For the treatment of costs and 
profits attributable to transportation which is not purchased 
transportation to the customer as defined in subdivision (iii) of this 
subparagraph, see paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this section.
    (iii) For purposes of this section, the term purchased 
transportation to the customer means, in general, nonmining 
transportation of the taxpayer's minerals or mineral products to the 
customer:
    (a) Which is not performed in conveyances owned or leased directly 
or indirectly, in whole or in part, by the taxpayer,
    (b) Which is performed solely to deliver the taxpayer's minerals or 
mineral products to the customer, rather than to transport such minerals 
or products for packaging or other additional processing by the taxpayer 
(other than incidental storage or handling), and
    (c) With respect to which the taxpayer ordinarily does not earn any 
profit.

For purposes of the preceding sentence, transportation which is 
performed by a person controlling or controlled by the taxpayer (within 
the meaning of paragraph (j)(1) of this section) shall be deemed to have 
been performed in conveyances owned or leased by the taxpayer unless it 
is established by the taxpayer that the price charged by the controlling 
or controlled person for such transportation constitutes an arm's-length 
charge (under the standard described in paragraph (b)(1) of Sec. 1.482-
1). The term purchased transportation to the customer includes 
transportation to a warehouse, terminal, or distribution facility owned 
or operated by the taxpayer, provided that such transportation is 
performed under the conditions described in the first sentence of this 
subdivision. A taxpayer will not be deemed ordinarily to earn a profit 
on transportation merely because charges for the transportation are 
included in the stated selling price, rather than being separately 
stated or segregated from other billing. A taxpayer will not be deemed 
ordinarily to earn a profit on transportation if the rates for the 
transportation constitute an arm's-length charge ordinarily paid by 
shippers of the same product in similar circumstances. If a taxpayer 
computes gross income from mining under the provisions of paragraph (d) 
of this section, the term purchased transportation to the customer 
refers to transportation which conforms to the other requirements of 
this subdivision and which is performed to transport the taxpayer's 
first marketable product or group of products (as defined in paragraph 
(d)(4)(iv) of this section) rather than to transport minerals or mineral 
products which do not yet constitute the taxpayer's first marketable 
product or group of products.
    (iv) The provisions of this subparagraph may be illustrated by the 
following examples:

    Example 1. A is engaged in the mining of an ore of mineral M and in 
the production and sale of M concentrate. A retains a portion of his 
concentrate for use in his own nonmining operations. During 1968, A sold 
100,000 tons of M concentrate of ore mined and processed by him, which 
sales constituted a significant portion of his total production. Eighty 
thousand tons of that concentrate were sold by A on the basis of a 
representative price (after adjustments required by subparagraph (1) of 
this paragraph) of $30 per ton f.o.b. mine or plant, resulting in gross 
income from mining of $2,400,000. The remaining 20,000 tons were sold by 
A, both directly and through terminals, on the basis of a delivered 
price (after adjustments required by subparagraph (1) of this paragraph) 
at City X of $40 per ton. The delivered price included $15 per ton cost 
of purchased transportation from the mine or

[[Page 426]]

plant to customers in City X. The representative market or field price 
of the concentrate sold by A on the basis of a delivered price is $25 
per ton, determined by subtracting the cost of the purchased 
transportation to the customer ($15 per ton) from the delivered price 
for the concentrate ($40 per ton). Accordingly, A's gross income from 
mining with respect to the 20,000 tons of M concentrate sold on a 
delivered basis is $500,000. The representative market or field price 
for the concentrate retained by A and used in his own nonmining 
operations may be computed by reference to the weighted average price 
for both A's f.o.b. mine and A's delivered sales of concentrate, with 
the delivered sales prices reduced in the manner described above. On 
this basis, the representative market or field price for the retained 
concentrate is $29 per ton.
    Example 2. B is engaged in the mining of an ore of mineral N and in 
the production of N concentrate. B retained all but an insignificant 
amount of his concentrate for use in his own nonmining operations. Other 
producers in B's marketing area sell significant amounts of N 
concentrate of like kind and grade, both on an f.o.b. mine or plant 
basis and on a delivered basis. In this case, the prices for both the 
f.o.b. and the delivered sales made by other producers (after any 
adjustments required by subparagraph (1) of this paragraph), after 
reduction of the delivered prices by the cost of purchased 
transportation to the customer, shall, if such prices are otherwise 
representative, be taken into account in establishing the representative 
market or field price for the N concentrate produced and used by B.

    (f) Definition of mining--(1) In general. The term mining includes 
only:
    (i) The extraction of ores or minerals from the ground;
    (ii) Mining processes, as described in subparagraphs (2) through (6) 
of this paragraph; and
    (iii) So much of the transportation (whether or not by common 
carrier) of ores or minerals from the point of extraction of the ores or 
minerals from the ground to the plants or mills in which the processes 
referred to in subdivision (ii) of this subparagraph are applied thereto 
as is not in excess of 50 miles, and, if the Commissioner finds that 
both the physical and other requirements are such that the ores or 
minerals must be transported a greater distance to such plants or mills, 
the transportation over such greater distance as the Commissioner 
authorizes. See paragraph (h) of this section for rules relating to the 
filing of applications to treat as mining any transportation in excess 
of 50 miles.
    (2) Definition of mining processes. (i) As used in subparagraph 
(1)(ii) of this paragraph, the term mining processes means, for taxable 
years beginning before January 1, 1961, the ordinary treatment processes 
normally applied by mine owners or operators in order to obtain the 
commercially marketable mineral product or products, including the 
following processes (and the processes necessary or incidental thereto), 
and, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1960, the following 
processes (and the processes necessary or incidental thereto):
    (a) In the case of coal--cleaning, breaking, sizing, dust allaying, 
treating to prevent freezing, and loading for shipment;
    (b) In the case of sulfur recovered by the Frasch process--cleaning, 
pumping to vats, cooling, breaking, and loading for shipment;
    (c) In the case of iron ore, bauxite, ball and sagger clay, rock 
asphalt, and ores or minerals which are customarily sold in the form of 
a crude mineral product (as defined in subparagraph (3)(iv) of this 
paragraph):
    (1) Where applied for the purpose of bringing to shipping grade and 
form (as defined in subparagraph (3)(iii) of this paragraph)--sorting, 
concentrating, sintering, and substantially equivalent processes, and
    (2) Loading for shipment.
    (d) In the case of lead, zinc, copper, gold, silver, uranium, or 
fluorspar ores, potash, and ores or minerals which are not customarily 
sold in the form of the crude mineral product--crushing, grinding, and 
beneficiation by concentration (gravity, flotation, amalgamation, 
electrostatic, or magnetic), cyanidation, leaching, crystallization, 
precipitation (but not including electrolytic deposition, roasting, 
thermal or electric smelting, or refining), or by substantially 
equivalent processes or combination of processes used in the separation 
or extraction of the product or products from the ore or the mineral or 
minerals from other material from the mine or other natural deposit; and
    (e) In the case of the following ores or minerals:
    (1) The furnacing of quicksilver ores,

[[Page 427]]

    (2) The pulverization of talc,
    (3) The burning of magnesite, and
    (4) The sintering and nodulizing of phosphate rock.
    (ii) The term mining processes also includes the following processes 
(and, except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, the processes 
necessary or incidental thereto):
    (a) For taxable years beginning after December 31, 1960, in the case 
of calcium carbonates and other minerals when used in making cement--all 
processes (other than preheating the kiln feed) applied prior to the 
introduction of the kiln feed into the kiln, but not including any 
subsequent process;
    (b) For taxable years beginning after December 31, 1960, and before 
November 14, 1966, in the case of clay to which former section 
613(b)(5)(B) applied, and for taxable years beginning after November 13, 
1966, in the case of clay to which section 613(b) (5) or (6) (B) 
applies--crushing, grinding, and separating the clay from waste, but not 
including any subsequent process;
    (c) For taxable years beginning after October 9, 1969, in the case 
of minerals (other than sodium chloride) extracted from brines pumped 
from a saline perennial lake (as defined in paragraph (b) of Sec. 
1.613-2)--the extraction of such minerals from the brines, but in no 
case including any further processing or refining of such extracted 
minerals; and
    (d) For taxable years beginning after December 30, 1969, in the case 
of oil shale (as defined in paragraph (b) of Sec. 1.613-2)--extraction 
from the ground, crushing, loading into the retort, and retorting, but 
in no case hydrogenation, refining, or any other process subsequent to 
retorting.
    (iii) A process is necessary to another related process if it is 
prerequisite to the performance of the other process. For example, if 
the concentrating of low-grade iron ores to bring to shipping grade and 
form cannot be effectively accomplished without fine pulverization, such 
pulverization shall be treated as a process which is necessary to the 
concentration process. Accordingly, because concentration is a mining 
process, such pulverization is also a mining process. Furthermore, if 
mining processes cannot be effectively applied to a mineral without 
storage of the mineral while awaiting the application of such processes, 
such storage shall be treated as a process which is necessary to the 
accomplishment of such mining processes. A process is incidental to 
another related process if the cost thereof is insubstantial in relation 
to the cost of the other process, or if the process is merely the 
coincidental result of the application of the other process. For 
example, the sprinkling of coal, prior to loading for shipment, with 
dots of paper to identify the coal for trade-name purposes will be 
considered incidental to the loading where the cost of that sprinkling 
is insubstantial in relation to the cost of the loading process. Also, 
where crushing of a crude mineral is treated as a mining process, the 
production of fines as a byproduct is ordinarily the coincidental result 
of the application of a mining process. If a taxpayer demonstrates that, 
as a factual matter, a particular process is necessary or incidental to 
a process named as a mining process in section 613(c)(4) of this 
paragraph, the necessary or incidental process will also be considered a 
mining process.
    (iv) The term mining does not include purchasing minerals from 
another. Accordingly, the processes listed in this paragraph shall be 
considered as mining processes only to the extent that they are applied 
by a mine owner or operator to an ore or mineral in respect of which he 
is entitled to a deduction for depletion under section 611. The 
application of these processes to purchased ores, minerals, or materials 
does not constitute mining.
    (3) Processes recognized as mining for ores or minerals covered by 
section 613(c)(4)(C). (i) As used in section 613(c)(4)(C) and 
subparagraph (2)(i) (c) of this paragraph, the terms sorting and 
concentrating mean the process of eliminating substantial amounts of the 
impurities or foreign matter associated with the ores or minerals in 
their natural state, or of separating two or more valuable minerals or 
ores, without changing the physical or chemical identity of the ores or 
minerals. Examples of sorting and concentrating processes are hand or 
mechanical sorting, magnetic separation, gravity concentration, jigging, 
the use of shaking

[[Page 428]]

or concentrating tables, the use of spiral concentrators, the use of 
sluices or sluice boxes, sink-and-float processes, classifiers, 
hydrotators and flotation processes. Under section 613(c)(4)(C), sorting 
and concentration will be considered mining processes only where they 
are applied to bring an ore or mineral to shipping grade and form.
    (ii) As used in section 613(c)(4)(C) and subparagraph (2)(i)(c) of 
this paragraph, the term sintering means the agglomeration of fine 
particles by heating to a temperature at which incipient, but not 
complete, fusion occurs. Sintering will be considered a mining process 
only where it is applied to an ore or mineral, or a concentrate of an 
ore or mineral, as an auxiliary process necessary to bring the ore or 
mineral to shipping form. A thermal action which is applied in the 
manufacture of a finished product will not be considered to be a mining 
process even though such thermal action may cause the agglomeration of 
fine particles by incipient fusion, and even though such action does not 
cause a chemical change in the agglomerated particles. For example, the 
sintering of finely ground iron ore concentrate, prior to shipment from 
the concentration plant, for the purpose of preventing the risk of loss 
of the finely divided particles during shipment is considered a mining 
process. On the other hand, for example, a heating process applied to 
expand or harden clay, shale, perlite, vermiculite, or other materials 
in the course of the manufacture of lightweight aggregate or other 
building materials is not considered to be a mining process.
    (iii) As used in section 613(c)(4)(C) and this section, to bring to 
shipping grade and form means, with respect to taxable years beginning 
after December 31, 1960, to bring (by the application of mining 
processes at the mine or concentration plant) the quality or size of an 
ore or mineral to the stage or stages at which the ore or mineral is 
shipped to customers or used in nonmining processes (as defined in 
paragraph (g) of this section) by the taxpayer.
    (iv) An ore or mineral is customarily sold in the form of a crude 
mineral product, within the meaning of section 613 (c)(4)(C), if a 
significant portion of the production thereof is sold or used in a 
nonmining process prior to the alteration of its inherent mineral 
content by some form of beneficiation, concentration, or ore dressing. 
An ore or mineral does not lose its classification as a crude mineral 
product by reason of the fact that, before sale or use in a nonmining 
process, the ore or mineral may be crushed or subjected to other 
processes which do not alter its inherent mineral content. Whether the 
portion of production sold or used in the form of a crude mineral 
product is a significant portion of the total production of an ore or 
mineral is a question of fact.
    (4) Type of processes recognized as mining for ores or minerals 
covered by section 613(c)(4)(D). Cyanidation, leaching, crystallization, 
and precipitation, which are listed in section 613(c)(4)(D) as treatment 
processes considered as mining, and the processes (or combination of 
processes) which are substantially equivalent thereto, will be 
recognized as mining only to the extent that they are applied to the 
taxpayer's ore or mineral for the purpose of separation or extraction of 
the valuable mineral product or products from the ore, or for the 
purpose of separation or extraction of the mineral or minerals from 
other material extracted from the mine or other natural deposit. A 
process, no matter how denominated, will not be recognized as mining if 
the process beneficiates the ore or mineral to the degree that such 
process, in effect, constitutes smelting, refining, or any other 
nonmining process within the meaning of paragraph (g) of this section. 
As used in section 613(c)(4)(D) and subparagraph (2)(i) (d) of this 
paragraph, the term concentration has the meaning set forth in the first 
two sentences of subparagraph (3)(i) of this paragraph.
    (5) Processes recognized as mining under section 613(c)(4)(I). Under 
the authority granted the Secretary or his delegate in section 
613(c)(4)(I), the processes which are described in subdivisions (i) 
through (iv) of this subparagraph, and the processes necessary or 
incidental thereto, are recognized as mining processes for taxable years 
beginning after December 31, 1960. The processes described in 
subdivisions (i) through (iv) of this subparagraph are in

[[Page 429]]

addition to the specific processes recognized as mining under section 
613(c)(4). Such additional processes are:
    (i) Crushing and grinding, but not fine pulverization (as defined in 
paragraph (g) (6) (v) of this section);
    (ii) Size classification processes applied to the products of an 
allowable mining process;
    (iii) Drying to remove free water, provided that such drying does 
not change the physical or chemical identity or composition of the 
mineral; and
    (iv) Washing or cleaning the surface of mineral particles (including 
the washing of sand and gravel and the treatment of kaolin particles to 
remove surface stains), provided that such washing or cleaning does not 
activate or otherwise change the physical or chemical structure of the 
mineral particles.
    (6) In the case of a process applied subsequent to a nonmining 
process, see paragraph (g)(2) of this section.
    (g) Nonmining processes--(1) General rule. Unless they are otherwise 
provided for in paragraph (f) of this section as mining processes (or 
are necessary or incidental to processes listed therein), the following 
processes are not considered to be mining processes--electrolytic 
deposition, roasting, calcining, thermal or electric smelting, refining, 
polishing, fine pulverization, blending with other materials, treatment 
effecting a chemical change, thermal action, and molding or shaping. See 
subparagraph (6) of this paragraph for definitions of certain of these 
terms.
    (2) Processes subsequent to nonmining processes. Notwithstanding any 
other provision of this section, a process applied subsequent to a 
nonmining process (other than nonmining transportation) shall also be 
considered to be a nonmining process. Exceptions to this rule shall be 
made, however, in those instances in which the rule would discriminate 
between similarly situated producers of the same mineral. For example, 
roasting is specifically designated in subparagraph (1) of this 
paragraph as a nonmining process, but in the case of minerals referred 
to in section 613(c)(4)(C) sintering is recognized as a mining process. 
If certain impurities in an ore can only be removed by roasting in order 
to bring it to the same shipping grade and form as a competitive 
sintered ore of the same kind which requires no roasting, the subsequent 
sintering of the roasted ore will be treated as a mining process. In 
that case, however, the roasting of the ore will nonetheless continue to 
be treated as a nonmining process.
    (3) Transportation for the purpose of marketing or distribution; 
storage. Transportation the primary purpose of which is marketing, 
distribution, or delivery for the application of only nonmining 
processes shall not be considered as mining. Nor shall transportation be 
considered as mining merely because, during the course of such 
transportation, some extraneous matter is removed from the ore or 
mineral by the operation of forces of nature, such as evaporation, 
drainage, or gravity flow. Similarly, storage or warehousing of 
manufactured products shall not be considered as mining. The preceding 
sentence shall apply even though, during the course of such storage or 
warehousing, some extraneous matter is removed from the ore or mineral 
by the operation of forces of nature, such as evaporation, drainage, or 
gravity flow.
    (4) Manufacturing, etc. The production, packaging, distribution, and 
marketing of manufactured products, and the processes necessary or 
incidental thereto, are nonmining processes.
    (5) Transformation processes. Processes which effect a substantial 
physical or chemical change in a crude mineral product, or which 
transform a crude mineral product into new or different mineral 
products, or into refined or manufactured products, are nonmining 
processes except to the extent that such processes are allowed as mining 
processes under section 613(c) or under paragraph (f) of this section.
    (6) Definitions. As used in section 613(c)(5) and this section:
    (i) The term calcining refers to processes used to expel the 
volatile portions of a mineral by the application of heat, as, for 
example, the burning of carbonate rock to produce lime, the heating of 
gypsum to produce calcined gypsum or plaster of Paris, or the heating of 
clays to reduce water of crystallization.

[[Page 430]]

    (ii) The term thermal smelting refers to processes which reduce, 
separate, or remove impurities from ores or minerals by the application 
of heat, as, for example, the furnacing of copper concentrates, the 
heating of iron ores, concentrates, or pellets in a blast furnace to 
produce pig iron, or the heating of iron ores or concentrates in a 
direct reduction kiln to produce a feed for direct conversion into 
steel.
    (iii) The term refining refers to processes (other than mining 
processes designated in section 613(c)(4) or this section) used to 
eliminate impurities or foreign matter from smelted or partially 
processed metallic and nonmetallic ores and minerals, as, for example, 
the refining of blister copper. In general, a refining process is 
designed to achieve a high degree of purity by removing relatively small 
amounts of impurities or foreign matter from smelted or partially 
processed ores or minerals.
    (iv) The term polishing refers to processes used to smooth the 
surface of minerals, as, for example, sawing applied to finish rough cut 
blocks of stone, sand finishing, buffing, or otherwise smoothing blocks 
of stone.
    (v) The term fine pulverization refers to any grinding or other size 
reduction process applied to reduce the normal topsize of a mineral 
product to less than .0331 inches, which is the size opening in a No. 20 
Screen (U.S. Standard Sieve Series). A mineral product will be 
considered to have a normal topsize of .0331 inches if at least 98 
percent of the product will pass through a No. 20 Screen (U.S. Standard 
Sieve Series), provided that at least 5 percent of the product is 
retained on a No. 45 Screen (U.S. Standard Sieve Series). Compliance 
with the normal topsize test may also be demonstrated by other tests 
which are shown to be reasonable in the circumstances. The normal 
topsize test shall be applied to the product of the operation of each 
separate and distinct piece of size reduction equipment utilized (such 
as a roller mill), rather than to the final products for sale. Fine 
pulverization includes the repeated recirculation of material through 
crushing or grinding equipment to accomplish fine pulverization. 
Separating or screening the product of a fine pulverization process 
(including separation by air or water flotation) shall be treated as a 
nonmining process.
    (vi) The term blending with other materials refers to processes used 
to blend different kinds of minerals with one another, as, for example, 
blending iodine with common salt for the purpose of producing iodized 
table salt.
    (vii) The term treatment effecting a chemical change refers to 
processes which transform or modify the chemical composition of a crude 
mineral, as, for example, the coking of coal. The term does not include 
the use of chemicals to clean the surface of mineral particles provided 
that such cleaning does not make any change in the physical or chemical 
structure of the mineral particles.
    (viii) The term thermal action refers to processes which involve the 
application of artificial heat to ores or minerals, such as, for 
example, the burning of bricks, the coking of coal, the expansion or 
popping of perlite, the exfoliation of vermiculite, the heat treatment 
of garnet, and the heating of shale, clay, or slate to produce 
lightweight aggregates. The term does not include drying to remove free 
water.
    (h) Application to treat, as mining, transportation in excess of 50 
miles. If a taxpayer desires to include in the computation of his gross 
income from mining transportation in excess of 50 miles from the point 
of extraction of the minerals from the ground, he shall file an original 
and one copy of an application for the inclusion of such greater 
distance with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Washington, DC 
20224. The application must include a statement setting forth in detail 
the facts concerning the physical and other requirements which prevented 
the construction and operation of the plant (in which mining processes, 
as defined in paragraph (f) of this section, are applied) at a place 
nearer to the point of extraction from the ground. These facts must be 
sufficient to apprise the Commissioner of the exact basis of the 
application. If the taxpayer's return is filed prior to receipt of 
notice of the Commissioner's action upon the application, a copy of such 
application shall be attached to the return. If, after an

[[Page 431]]

application is approved by the Commissioner, there is a material change 
in any of the facts relied upon in such application, a new application 
must be submitted by the taxpayer.
    (i) Extraction from waste or residue. Extraction of ores or minerals 
from the ground means not only the extraction of ores or minerals from a 
deposit, but also the extraction by mine owners or operators of ores or 
minerals from waste or residue of their prior mining. It is immaterial 
whether the waste or residue results from the process of extraction from 
the ground or from application of mining processes as defined in 
paragraph (f) of this section. However, extraction of ores or minerals 
from waste or residue which results from processes which are not 
allowable as mining processes is not treated as mining. Extraction of 
ores or minerals from the ground does not include extraction of ores or 
minerals by the purchaser of waste or residue or the purchaser of the 
rights to extract ores or minerals from waste or residue. The term 
purchaser does not apply to any person who acquires a mineral property, 
including waste or residue, in a tax-free exchange, such as a corporate 
reorganization, from a person who was entitled to a depletion allowance 
upon ores or minerals produced from such waste or residue, or from a 
person who would have been entitled to such depletion allowance had 
section 613(c)(3) been in effect at the time of the transfer. The term 
purchaser also does not apply to a lessee who has renewed a mineral 
lease if the lessee was entitled to a depletion allowance (or would have 
been so entitled had section 613(c)(3) been in effect at the time of the 
renewal) upon ores or minerals produced from waste or residue before 
renewal of the lease. It is not necessary, for purposes of the preceding 
sentence, that the mineral lease contain an option for renewal. The term 
purchaser does include a person who acquires waste or residue in a 
taxable transaction, even though such waste or residue is acquired 
merely as an incidental part of the entire mineral enterprise. For 
special rules with respect to certain corporate acquisitions referred to 
in section 381(a), see section 381(c)(18) and the regulations 
thereunder.
    (j) Definition of controlled group. When used in this section:
    (1) The term controlled includes any kind of control, direct or 
indirect, whether or not legally enforceable, and however exercisable or 
exercised. It is the reality of the control which is decisive, not its 
form or the mode of its exercise. A presumption of control arises if 
income or deductions have been arbitrarily shifted.
    (2) The term group means the organizations, trades, or businesses 
owned or controlled by the same interests.

[T.D. 7170, 37 FR 5374, Mar. 15, 1972]