Akeley Camera & Instrument Corp. v. Commissioner

18 T.C. 1045, 1952 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 99
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 19, 1952
DocketDocket No. 31390
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 18 T.C. 1045 (Akeley Camera & Instrument Corp. v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Akeley Camera & Instrument Corp. v. Commissioner, 18 T.C. 1045, 1952 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 99 (tax 1952).

Opinion

OPINION.

Black, Judge:

There are six issues raised in this proceeding and they have already been stated in our preliminary statement.

Issue 1.

The respondent determined that $8,200 of $18,200 annual salary received by Mrs. Malone in 1942 and 1943 is unreasonable salary and should not be allowed as a deduction. The development of petitioner’s business and Mrs. Malone’s position have been traced in considerable detail in our Findings of Fact. After consideration of all the evidence, “we found as an ultimate fact that $18,200 annual salary of Mrs. Malone was reasonable. The experience, ability, and responsibility of Mrs. Malone were of essential importance to petitioner. These were hectic war years and petitioner having large Government contracts expanded rapidly. Mrs. Malone rendered valuable services to the corporation in an executive capacity, being primarily responsible for financial and administrative matters and much of the general management. In fact, from the evidence at the hearing we would conclude that Mrs. Malone was petitioner’s most valuable employee and executive. The other two executives also received $18,200 annually. Mrs. Malone was not a stockholder, nor related to the stockholders, but was a bona fide employed executive. We find no reason at all to disturb the salary which petitioner’s directors and officers decided to pay Mrs. Malone and which was, in fact, paid to her. On this first issue, we hold that $18,200 annual salary of Mrs. Malone in 1942 and 1943 was reasonable and a deductible expense.

Issue 2.

The respondent made a similar disallowance of $8,200 of the $18,200 annual salary received by Mrs. Malone in 1941. Petitioner assigns error to this disallowance only as affecting the unused excess profits credit to be carried forward in 1942, which year is before the Court. The year 1941 is not now before us, but section 272 (g), I. R. C., confers jurisdiction to consider facts in other years in order to determine a deficiency for the year in question. Greenleaf Textile Corporation, 26 B. T. A. 737, affd. per curiam, 65 F. 2d 1017. For the reasons given under Issue 1 above, we sustain petitioner’s deduction of $18,200 salary for Mrs. Malone for 1941. The unused excess profits credit adjustment, if any, shall be computed in accordance with section 710 (c), I. R. C., as affecting 1942 under Rule 50.

Issue 3.

Petitioner paid a $6,864 dividend in February 1924. As of December 31, 1923, petitioner had an operating deficit of $10,215.54, but for the year 1924 a net income of $16,400.71 was derived. Respondent determined that equity invested capital for the years 1942 and 1943 should be reduced by $6,864, contending that dividends paid in 1924 were paid out of capital since they are to be deemed paid as of December 31, 1923. Petitioner’s position is that these dividends were paid from 1924 earnings. It must be remembered that the question we have here to decide is not what was petitioner’s invested capital in 1923 and 1924. If that were our question there would probably be merit in respondent’s contention. Our question is to determine petitioner’s invested capital for 1942 and 1943 under section 718,1. R. C., which is quite another question. Initially, we will assume, as respondent contends, that the dividends are to be deemed paid as of December 31, 1923, and hence out of capital. To reduce equity invested capital, respondent relies on section 718 (b) (1) of the Code which provides as follows:

SEO. 718. EQUITY INVESTED CAPITAL.
(b) Reduction in Equity Invested Capital. — The amount by which the equity invested capital for any day shall be reduced as provided in subsection (a) shall be the sum of the following amounts—
(1) Disteibution in previous years. — Distributions made prior to such taxable year which were not out of accumulated earnings and profits;

However, respondent has neglected to account for section 718 (a), I. R. C., which defines equity invested capital. Equity invested capital is the sum of several items, including money paid in (sec. 718 (a) (1)), property paid in (sec. 718 (a) (2)), and also accumulated earnings and profits (sec. 718 (a) (4)).

Petitioner treated the $6,864 as paid out of earnings. Assuming respondent is correct and the payment was from capital, a deduction of $6,864 follows by applying section 718 (b) (1). However, the accumulated earnings and profits for 1924 as undiminished by the dividends are thereby increased by $6,864 and this increase is added to equity invested capital under section 718 (a) (4), supra.

In accounting terminology, the final result of a declaration and payment of a dividend is a credit entry to cash and debit entry to either earned surplus or capital. Respondent debits (reduces) the capital account, while petitioner debits (reduces) earned surplus. But since the effect' on equity invested capital is in issue and equity invested capital is computed by adding the balance in capital account and earned surplus (sec. 718 (a)), respondent’s contention is pointless. To sustain respondent would, in effect, reduce equity invested capital by $13,728 on account of a $6,864 dividend, by deducting $6,864 from earned surplus as petitioner contends and also reducing capital $6,864 without adjusting the earned surplus for the change. This is obviously not contemplated by the statute. The statute regarding what constitutes equity invested capital must be read as a whole. On this issue we hold for petitioner.

Issue If..

The respondent excluded from equity invested capital $31,809.68 from 1942 and $32,309.68 from 1943, representing the forgiveness of officers’ salaries in 1936. These officers were stockholders of petitioner and the facts show that in executing forgiveness of their accrued salaries in 1936, they clearly intended to make a contribution to petitioner’s paid-in surplus and thus improve the financial condition of petitioner. Petitioner credited paid-in surplus for these salaries. However, respondent argues that the salaries were unreasonable, that the salaries were owed to stockholders and were not in fact paid and subsequently repaid to petitioner, and concludes that the credit should have been to earned surplus. Respondent also raises the question that capital has been increased twice because of the forgiveness of salaries. Respondent has not made clear whether he has abandoned any of these arguments.

Respondent’s argument that earned surplus should be credited is analogous to his argument in Issue 3 above. Forgiveness of accrued salaries owed by petitioner results accountingwise in a debit (decrease) to accounts payable and a credit (increase) to either paid-in surplus or earned surplus. Since by definition equity invested capital is made up by addition of several factors, including, paid-in surplus and earned surplus (sec. 718 (a)), it is irrelevant for the respondent to argue that earned surplus should have been increased instead of paid-in surplus. This question is moot since the resulting equity invested capital is not changed by respondent’s adjustment.

Moreover, respondent’s argument that the accrued salaries were unreasonable in the years accrued, 1931 to 1936, is also irrelevant. In those years the salary accounts were accrued as expenses, consequently reducing profits.

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Akeley Camera & Instrument Corp. v. Commissioner
18 T.C. 1045 (U.S. Tax Court, 1952)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
18 T.C. 1045, 1952 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 99, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/akeley-camera-instrument-corp-v-commissioner-tax-1952.