In fact, it is serious, though it didn't have anything to do with our taxes. Not once in 1999 did I commit a theft or cause a casualty. I had no idea what the form was, however, until the computer printed it out. In addition to the form itself, I also downloaded the instructions. Just glancing through the deathless prose of the instructions, I came across this direction for Line 20, which seems to answer the question of what good the form is and, ultimately, what good the instructions are.
Special rules apply to property received as a gift or inheritance.
551 for details. Now if that doesn't make you glad that you don't have a casualty or theft, I don't know what would. I have concluded that it is something like Department 56, only less collectible. I concluded that I had gone far enough and did not download Pub. 551, whatever that is.