American Terrazzo Strip Co. v. Commissioner

56 T.C. 961, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 85
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 9, 1971
DocketDocket Nos. 4033-65, 3720-66
StatusPublished
Cited by41 cases

This text of 56 T.C. 961 (American Terrazzo Strip Co. 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
American Terrazzo Strip Co. v. Commissioner, 56 T.C. 961, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 85 (tax 1971).

Opinion

Featherston, Judge;

Respondent determined the following deficiencies in petitioner’s income tax:

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A number of issues have been settled, and the only one for decision is whether respondent properly reallocated gross income and deductions from Caribe Metals Corp. and Caribe Metals Inc. to petitioner so as clearly to reflect the income of petitioner in accordance with section 482;1 and, if not, what reallocation of gross income and deductions, if any, should be made.

EINDINGS OE EAOT

American Terrazzo Strip Co., Inc. (hereinafter referred to as petitioner), a corporation organized under the laws of New York, had its principal offices in Niagara Falls, N.Y., at the times it filed its petitions. Petitioner filed its income tax returns for the fiscal years ending June 30, 1959, 1960, 1961, and 1962, with the district director of internal revenue, Buffalo, N.Y.

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner was incorporated under the laws of New York on June 30, 1949. All of its common and preferred stock was issued to Joseph Green (hereinafter Green) in exchange for various assets of a terrazzo strip business which Green had operated as a sole proprietor.

Petitioner is one of the leading producers and distributors of ter - razzo strip, commanding approximately 40 percent of all of that business in the United States. Its main competitors include Manhattan Terrazzo Brass Strip Co., Inc. (hereinafter MTBS), and Rudel Floor Strip Co., Inc. (hereinafter Rudel).

Petitioner’s product consists of strips of metal of various lengths, widths, and thicknesses which are used as dividers to separate blocks of concrete and are laid in various architectural designs in concrete floors. A mixture of marble chips and cement is poured between these strips, and when the mixture hardens it is ground and polished to give the effect of a terrazzo floor. The terrazzo strip serves as a guide for determining the depth and thickness of the terrazzo mixture; governs the level of the floor; and provides a line of stress along which will flow any cracks resulting from the settling of the cement. This stress line eliminates the need to replace large segments when cracks develop.

One type of .terrazzo strip (hereinafter standard strip or strip) manufactured by petitioner is made of either zinc or brass, and is comprised of a single strip of metal punched into a particular design. Another type of terrazzo strip, known as heavy top strip, is comprised of a base strip of metal and a heavier top section (hereinafter referred to as rod) made of either brass or zinc which is attached to the base section by a crimping operation.

In 1958, Green, for personal reasons, moved to the Virgin Islands. At this time, petitioner was in need of additional sources of processed materials, and the plant in Niagara Falls was unable to produce enough materials to meet its requirements. Although petitioner had machinery and equipment in storage in its Niagara Falls plant, a great deal of it could not be used because of limitations on available space.

In February 1958, Green organized Caribe Metals Corp. (hereinafter CMC) under the laws of the Virgin Islands to produce the needed additional processed materials.

Petitioner shipped the following machinery and equipment to CMC:

Bate shipped Description Value
2/28/58_ Office equipment_ $150
3/14/58_ 1 Press_ 770
3/14/58_ 1 Milling machine_ 500
3/27/58_ 1 Forklift_ 1,600
6/5/58_ 1 Press_2, 494
7/24/58_ Seales_ 100
8/27/58_ 2 Cases of machine tools, 1 table saw, 1 drill, 1 grinding 338 machine.
9/30/58_ 1 Drill press_ 65
10/6/58_ 1 Grinding machine_ 38
10/31/58_ 1 Typewriter-._ 225
1/22/59_ 1 Milling machine_1, 000

CMC did not pay petitioner either for the machinery or for the use of it. At all times relevant hereto, the machinery was retained on the books of petitioner, and depreciation thereon was deducted by it.

Frank Aparicio (hereinafter Aparicio) was hired as foreman of CMC’s plant. Since he had no previous experience in the terrazzo strip industry, he went to petitioner’s plant in Niagara Falls to learn the operations. Eoss Johnson (hereinafter Johnson), who was familiar with the manufacture of terrazzo strip, showed Aparicio through the plant and explained the operation and use of the machines.

Thereafter, Aparicio returned to CMC’s plant to begin operations. He hired a crew of 8 to 10 employees to work in the plant. While some of these employees had mechanical experience, none of them had worked in the terrazzo industry. Consequently, CMC had trouble producing satisfactory strip. At Green’s request and CMC’s expense, Johnson spent 3 weeks in the Virgin Islands assisting in working out some of the flaws in the operation.

CMC’s production of terrazzo strip consisted of two items. It processed zinc and brass standard strip as well as the zinc and brass rod portions of heavy top strip. The former was a finished product, ready for sale to customers. The rods, on the other hand, were only one component of the heavy top strip; the remainder of the work was done by petitioner in Niagara Falls.

CMC’s operation with regard to the zinc and brass standard strip entailed running the metal through a punch press. The metal came in required widths, and CMC embossed two ribs down the length of the strip. The ribs added strength and stiffness to the metal. At the same time these strips were being embossed, it was necessary to insure that the metal was straight, for the straightness of the metal governed the level of the terrazzo floors. The straightness was controlled by the pressure placed on the strip during the embossing operation, and if the pressure were uneven or improper, the strip would be distorted.

Once the embossing and stamping operations were completed, the strip was a finished product. Thereafter, either it was shipped to petitioner, at its expense, inspected by it, and then sold to petitioner’s distributors; or it was shipped directly to petitioner’s distributors at petitioner’s expense.

CMC’s activities in connection with the processing of the zinc and brass rods consisted of two operations. The raw materials received by it were first ripped into strips. These strips were then turned on edge and moved along a saw which carved a small groove out of the bottom edge. This groove had to be the proper depth and width to allow the base section of the heavy top strip to be attached and locked into position. Care was also required to insure that the grooves were properly centered.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
56 T.C. 961, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 85, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-terrazzo-strip-co-v-commissioner-tax-1971.