In general. If a taxpayer makes the election described in paragraph (b) of § 1.9005-1, he shall be deemed to have consented to the application of section 2 of the Act with respect to all the clay and quartzite described in that paragraph for all taxable years for which the election is effective whether or not the taxpayer is litigating the issue for any of such years. Thus, in applying section 613(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (and corresponding provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939) to those years:

The term “ordinary treatment processes” shall include crushing, grinding, and separating the mineral from waste, but shall not include any subsequent process; and

The gross income from mining for each short ton of quartzite or clay mined by the taxpayer and used by him in the production of all refractory products sold during the taxable year shall be equal to 871/2 percent of the lesser of:

The average lowest published or advertised price, or

The average lowest actual selling price at which the mine owner or operator offered to sell or sold any such quartzite or clay during the taxable year.

Rules for applying paragraph (a) of this section. (1) The price described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section and any price described in this paragraph shall be determined with reference to quartzite or clay in the form and condition of such products after the application of only the processes described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section and before transportation from the plant in which such processes were applied.

If quartzite and clay were mined and used by the taxpayer in the production of refractory products, a separate price shall be used with respect to each mineral.

There shall be used for each mineral the lowest price at which it was sold or offered for sale by the taxpayer during the taxable year. Thus, only one price shall be used with respect to each mineral regardless of variations in type or grade.

For purposes of this paragraph, exceptional, unusual, or nominal sales of quartzite or clay shall be disregarded. Thus, for example, if the taxpayer made an accommodation sale during the taxable year at other than the regular price, such sale is to be disregarded.

If the taxpayer made no sales during the taxable year of quartzite or clay in the form and condition described in subparagraph (1) of this paragraph, or if his sales were exceptional, unusual, or nominal, there shall be used the lowest recognized selling price for the taxpayer's marketing area for quartzite or clay (of the same grade and type as that used by him) which was published for the taxable year in a trade journal or other industry publication.

If subparagraph (5) of this paragraph does not apply for the reason that there is no recognized selling price published in a trade journal or other industry publication for the taxpayer's marketing area, there shall be used the lowest price at which quartzite or clay comparable to that used by the taxpayer was sold or offered for sale during the taxable year in that area by other producers similarly circumstanced as the taxpayer or, if appropriate, the lowest price paid by the taxpayer for purchased quartzite or clay.

If the lowest selling price otherwise applicable under the preceding provisions of this paragraph fluctuated during the taxable year, the two or more lowest selling prices shall be averaged according to the number of days during the taxable year that each such price was in effect.

The provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section may be illustrated by the following examples:

Facts. Taxpayer A, a calendar year taxpayer, mined quartzite and clay and used them in the production of recognized refractory products. During the taxable year, the lowest price for which A sold clay after the application of crushing and grinding was $13.75 per short ton. He also sold some ground clay of a different type at $20.00 per short ton. A sold quartzite after the application of crushing and grinding for various prices, depending upon type, ranging from $14.00 per short ton to $20.00 per short ton. During the taxable year, the prices for the various types of ground clay and quartzite did not change. None of the sales by A of ground clay or quartzite were exceptional, unusual, or nominal.

Determination of gross income from mining. If A makes the election described in paragraph (b) of § 1.9005-1, the gross income from mining per short ton of clay mined by A and used in the production of refractory products sold during the taxable year is $12.03 (871/2 percent of $13.75), and the gross income from mining per short ton of quartzite mined by A and used in the production of refractory products sold during the taxable year is $12.25 (871/2 percent of $14.00). To determine his gross income from mining, A must compute the sum of:

$12.03 multiplied by the number of short tons of clay which were mined by A (whether or not during the taxable year) and which were used by A in the production of refractory products (refractory bonding mortar, fire brick, etc.) sold during the taxable year; plus

$12.25 multiplied by the number of short tons of quartzite which were mined by A (whether or not during the taxable year) and which were used by A in the production of refractory products sold during the taxable year.

Assume the same facts as in example (1) except that on October 1 of the taxable year A's lowest price for clay after the application of crushing and grinding increased to $14.40 per short ton. In this case, the average lowest price for which A sold ground clay during the taxable year must be determined by taking into account the price adjustment of October 1. Under these circumstances, the average lowest price for the ground clay would be $13.91, that is $13.75 × 273/365 plus $14.40 × 92/365.

Effect on depletion rates and other items. The election shall have no effect on the applicable rate of percentage depletion for the taxable years for which the election is effective. In applying the election to the years affected there shall be taken into account the effect that any adjustments resulting from the election shall have on other items affected thereby, such as charitable contributions, foreign tax credit, net operating loss, and the effect that adjustments to any such items shall have on other taxable years. The provisions of section 2 of the Act are applicable with respect to taxable years subject to the Internal Revenue Code of 1939 for purposes of applying sections 450 and 453 of that Code. The election shall have no effect on the determination of the treatment processes which are to be considered as mining or on the determination of gross income from mining for any taxable year beginning after December 31, 1960.