<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 08/30/94
000 C000000 0000353967
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 IDS LIFE SPECIAL INCOME FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-3219
001 C000000 6126712772
002 A000000 IDS TOWER 10
002 B000000 MINNEAPOLIS
002 C000000 MN
002 D010000 55440
002 D020000 0010
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
014 A000001 AMERICAN EXPRESS SERVICE CORPORATION
014 B000001 8-27456
014 A000002 AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SERVICES INC.
014 B000002 8-42582
014 A000003 IDS FINANCIAL CORPORATION
014 B000003 8-31250
014 A000004 IDS FINANCIAL SERVICES INC.
014 B000004 8-16791
014 A000005 IDS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
014 B000005 8-14124
014 A000006 IDS SECURITIES CORPORATION
014 B000006 8-12550
014 A000007 MERCER ALLIED CORPORATION
014 B000007 8-20745
014 A000008 DELETE
014 A000009 DELETE
014 A000010 DELETE
014 A000011 DELETE
014 A000012 DELETE
014 A000013 DELETE
014 A000014 DELETE
020 A000001 TUCKER ANTHONY & R.L. DAY INC.
020 B000001 04-2566229
020 C000001 6
020 A000002 SMITH BARNEY SHEARSON INC.
020 B000002 13-1912900
020 C000002 4
020 A000003 KIDDER PEABODY & CO., INC.
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 B000003 13-5650440
020 C000003 3
020 A000004 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES
020 B000004 13-6134767
020 C000004 2
020 A000005 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
020 B000005 13-5108880
020 C000005 1
020 A000006 MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
020 B000006 13-5674085
020 C000006 1
020 A000007 FORUM SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000007 62-1287496
020 C000007 1
020 A000008 AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INVESTMENT SERVICES INC.
020 B000008 41-0884926
020 C000008 1
020 A000009 PAINE WEBBER MITCH HUTCH INC.
020 B000009 13-2638166
020 C000009 1
020 C000010 0
021 000000 20
022 A000001 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000001 13-5108880
022 C000001 628767
022 D000001 144922
022 A000002 MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
022 B000002 13-5674085
022 C000002 336931
022 D000002 78324
022 A000003 FIRST BOSTON
022 B000003 13-5659485
022 C000003 225044
022 D000003 138158
022 A000004 SALOMON BROTHERS
022 B000004 13-5365580
022 C000004 240740
022 D000004 107432
022 A000005 LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER
022 B000005 13-2501865
022 C000005 216596
022 D000005 39340
022 A000006 J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES
022 B000006 13-3224016
022 C000006 158487
022 D000006 87151
022 A000007 MORGAN STANLEY & CO., INC.
022 B000007 13-2655998
022 C000007 144307
022 D000007 70098
022 A000008 BANKERS TRUST
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 B000008 13-4941247
022 C000008 136247
022 D000008 38939
022 A000009 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
022 B000009 13-3299429
022 C000009 36179
022 D000009 31832
022 A000010 UBS SECURITIES
022 B000010 13-2932996
022 C000010 31395
022 D000010 30389
023 C000000 2666716
023 D000000 2528066
024 000000 Y
025 A000001 GOLDMAN SACHS
025 C000001 D
025 D000001 6536
025 A000002 BANKAMERICA
025 C000002 D
025 D000002 7350
025 A000003 CHASE MANHATTEN
025 C000003 D
025 D000003 9762
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 Y
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
028 A010000 11194
028 A020000 8786
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 15566
028 B010000 3319
028 B020000 8327
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 20920
028 C010000 897
028 C020000 9172
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 24096
028 D010000 1744
028 D020000 8972
<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 20767
028 E010000 313
028 E020000 8569
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 22977
028 F010000 236
028 F020000 13495
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 25170
028 G010000 17703
028 G020000 57321
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 129496
028 H000000 0
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.5
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 2.8
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 8.3
062 N000000 18.4
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 68.2
062 R000000 1.8
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 15.8
064 A000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 Y
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 Y
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 Y
070 H010000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 5
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 Y
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 Y
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 Y
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 1069882
071 B000000 874676
071 C000000 1534131
071 D000000 57
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 127269
072 C000000 1213
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 10547
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 0
072 J000000 135
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 116
072 M000000 82
072 N000000 100
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 15
072 S000000 0
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 5
072 X000000 11000
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 117482
<PAGE> PAGE 6
072AA000000 20196
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 0
072CC020000 163872
072DD010000 121082
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 2399
073 A010000 0.8630
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0172
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 7257
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 51582
074 D000000 1470661
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 27313
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 7126
074 K000000 13495
074 L000000 28197
074 M000000 31277
074 N000000 1636908
074 O000000 17497
074 P000000 786
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 59708
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 1558917
074 U010000 141040
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 11.05
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 0
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 1631913
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 C000000 N
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 7
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 N
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 Y
077 P000000 Y
077 Q010000 Y
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 RELIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 THE ST. PAUL COMPANIES
080 C000000 100000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 31
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 N
085 B000000 N
SIGNATURE LESLIE L. OGG
TITLE SECRETARY
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1994
<PERIOD-END> AUG-31-1994
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 1587372733
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 1549555411
<RECEIVABLES> 48818973
<ASSETS-OTHER> 38533470
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 1636907854
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 17496750
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 60494101
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 77990851
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 1597978032
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 141040088
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 128401403
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (1399857)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (51822)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (37609350)
<NET-ASSETS> 1558917003
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 1212744
<INTEREST-INCOME> 127269011
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 10999556
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 117482199
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 20195502
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (163872465)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> (26194764)
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (121082251)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (2399451)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 16667636
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (14733808)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 10704857
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 7599262
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 95483128
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 34001630
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 10547321
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 10999556
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 1631912917
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 12.08
<PER-SHARE-NII> .86
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (1.01)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.86)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> (.02)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 11.05
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .67
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
