DMM Revision: Products Mailable at Nonprofit Standard Mail Prices

Under statutory restrictions in Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM^®) 703.1.6.11, products that are mailed at Nonprofit Standard Mail^® prices must meet at least one of three exceptions. A low-cost item is one of the exceptions refer­enced in the Internal Revenue Code. The value of a low-cost item — the actual cost to the authorized nonprofit organization — is determined each year by the Internal Revenue Service, adjusted for the cost of living. For 2012, the value of a low-cost item is $9.90 or less.

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

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700 Special Standards

703 Nonprofit Standard Mail and Other Unique Eligibility

1.0 Nonprofit Standard Mail

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1.6 Eligible and Ineligible Matter

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1.6.11 Products Mailable at Nonprofit Standard Mail Prices

The following products are mailable at Nonprofit Standard Mail prices:

[Revise item 1.6.11a to reflect the change in the maximum value of a low-cost item as follows:]

a. Low-cost items within the meaning of 26 USC 513(h)(2), Internal Revenue Code. At the beginning of each calendar year, the value of low-cost items is ad­justed for cost of living. Effective January 1, 2012, the cost of such items cannot exceed $9.90. This cost is the cost to the authorized organization that mails the items or on whose behalf the items are mailed.

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We will incorporate this revision into the January 22, 2012, update of the online DMM available on Postal Explorer^® at http://pe.usps.com.

— Product Classification,
Pricing, 12-15-11