Appleby v. United States

116 F. Supp. 415, 127 Ct. Cl. 103, 44 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 775, 1953 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 6
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedNovember 3, 1953
DocketNo. 50156
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 116 F. Supp. 415 (Appleby v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Appleby v. United States, 116 F. Supp. 415, 127 Ct. Cl. 103, 44 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 775, 1953 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 6 (cc 1953).

Opinions

Littleton, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Two issues are presented in this case, the first which is identical with that dealt with in the cases of Francis S. and Eva Lee Appleby v. United States, No. 50155, and Edgar T. Appleby v. United States, No. 50157, ante, p. 91, and the opinion rendered there is equally applicable here. As to this issue, the factual differences between this and the above cited cases are ones of detail and may be briefly summarized.1

Plaintiffs, as executors of their father’s estate2 sue to recover $27,037.69, plus interest alleged to represent an overpayment of income tax paid by the estate for the year 1941, occasioned by the carry-back of an alleged net operating loss incurred in 1943. The claim is based on Sections 23 (s) and 122 of the Internal Revenue Code; 26 U. S. C. (1946 Ed.) §§ 23 (s) and 122. As in Nos. 50155 and 50157, supra, the net loss (here 1943) resulted from the sale of certain realty [105]*105which, had become unprofitable to operate in plaintiffs’ business of managing and operating real estate for the production of rental income. The loss in question is in the amount of $55,231.94 and resulted from the sale by plaintiffs of the Jolson Theatre in New York during 1943. For the reasons set forth in Francis S. Appleby and Eva Lee Appleby v. United States, supra, we hold that this loss was “not attributable to a trade or business regularly carried on by the taxpayer,” within the meaning of Section 122 (d) (5), and plaintiffs are therefore not entitled to carry such loss back to 1941.

This, however, does not completely dispose of the matter since unlike the other two cases, supra, plaintiffs incurred a net operating loss of $15,671.12 in 1943 quite apart from that which we have disallowed above. It is unquestioned that plaintiffs are entitled to carry that loss of $15,671.12 back to 1941 unless, as defendant contends, the adjustments required by Section 122 (c) and (d) more than absorb the entire amount ($15,671.12) available as a loss carry-back from 1943, and therefore no net operating loss deduction was allowable for 1941. This section provides in substance that in arriving at the amount actually to be deducted from the 1941 net income, the net operating loss carry-back (here $15,671.12) must be reduced by the amount by which the net income for 1941, computed with the exceptions required in Section 122 (d), exceeds the net income computed without such exceptions. In the instant case, whether or not an excess results from this computation depends on the effect of an undisputed long-term capital loss of $75,406.28,3 incurred by plaintiffs in 1941, as used in computing their income tax for that year. The proper role of this capital loss, in the computations incident to the conversion of the net operating loss carry-back, into a net operating loss deduction is the center around which the controversy between the parties revolves. Inasmuch as several sections of the Internal Revenue Code are involved and their application to the facts tends toward complexity, a fuller summary of those provisions and the relevant facts seems desirable.

[106]*106As applicable to 1941, Section 122 (c)4 provides that:

The amount of the net operating loss deduction shall be the aggregate of the net operating loss carry-overs and the net operating loss carry-backs to the taxable year reduced by the amount, if any, by which the net income (computed with the exceptions and limitations provided in subsection (d) (1), (2), (3), and (4)) exceeds, in the case of a taxpayer other than a corporation, the net income (computed without such deduction) * * *.

Subsection (d) (4)5 is the important limitation involved here. This subsection provides that long-term capital gains and long-term capital losses should be taken into account for the purpose of Section 122, but should not be differently classified by percentages where held for different periods of time as set out in Section 117 (b).6 It then provides that “as so computed” the amount deductible on account of long-term capital losses should not in any case exceed the amount includible on account of long-term capital gains.

Plaintiffs paid $27,186.69 in income tax for the year 1941. The method of computation in arriving at that amount is important to this issue and is reflected below:

Computation of Alternative Individual Tam Under § 111 (c) 7
Net income_$19, 503.37
Plus long-term capital loss_ 75,406.28
[107]*107Ordinary net income_$94,909.65
LESS: Personal exemption_ 750.00
Balance subject to normal tax- 94,159.65
Normal tax at 4 percent-$3,766.39
Surtax_ 46,042.18
Partial tax_ 49, 808.57
Minus 30 percent of net long-term capital loss- 22,621.88
Total normal and surtax under Sections 11 and 12_$4,776.41
Tax liability under Section 117 (c)- 27,186.69

It will be noted that this is an alternative tax computed as required by Section 117 (c) of the Code of 1941. Plaintiff was required to pay the tax as so computed because it resulted in a higher tax than would have resulted from a computation of tax under Sections 11 and 12. Under the latter sections the following method was employed. Plaintiffs’ ordinary net income was $94,909.65. When this amount was reduced by the amount of the allowable capital loss ($75,406.28) the resulting net income was $19,503.37. This amount was further reduced by the personal exemption of $750.00, leaving a balance subject to tax of $18,753.37. The total tax on this amount would have been $4,776.41. However, as noted above, plaintiffs’ situation fell within the provisions of Section 117 (c) and his tax as computed in the above tabulation amounted to $27,186.69, which was paid.

At this point the different manner in which the capital loss was employed in the two computations of the tax should be noted. Under the method provided for in Sections 11 and 12 the capital loss was used to reduce the tax by subtracting the total amount ($75,406.28) from the ordinary net income ($94,909.65) before computing the tax. Under the alternative method the capital loss was used to reduce the amount of the partial tax by subtracting 30 percent ($22,621.88) of the loss from the partial tax itself ($49,808.57), as computed on the ordinary net income unreduced by the capital loss.

In view of the above facts plaintiffs now argue that inasmuch as the alternative tax was computed on the ordinary net income ($94,159.65), unreduced by the capital loss ($75,406.28), their net income is the same (i. e., $94,159.65) whether computed with or without the exceptions and limi[108]*108tations of Section 122 (d) (4), with, the result that there is no excess to be subtracted from the net operating loss carry-back ($15,671.12), and the deduction for 1941 should be in that amount.

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Related

Appleby v. United States
116 F. Supp. 418 (Court of Claims, 1953)

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Bluebook (online)
116 F. Supp. 415, 127 Ct. Cl. 103, 44 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 775, 1953 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 6, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/appleby-v-united-states-cc-1953.