A revenue ruling is a public decree issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that essentially has the force of law. A revenue ruling outlines the IRS’s interpretation of the tax laws and is binding on all IRS employees and public taxpayers. Revenue rulings are published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin and are issued by the National Office of the IRS.
The IRS Bulletin may abbreviate revenue rulings as Rev. Rul. when listing the specific rulings online and in the Bulletin. The purpose of the Revenue Bulletin is to inform American taxpayers of their tax responsibilities and enforce the laws surrounding taxes with fairness and equality. The revenue rulings within the Revenue Bulletin help in the mission of educating and enforcing tax regulations and rulings.
