Atlas Marine Supply Co. v. United States

7 Cust. Ct. 114, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1357
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Atlas Marine Supply Co. v. United States. Read the opinion of the Court — 2 Cust. Ct. 491
United States Customs Court·Decided November 7, 1941·No. C. D. 549·Published

Opinion

Walkek, Judge:

These protests are before us ou rehearing, the order therefor having been granted after the promulgation of the original decision in C. D. 216, reported in 3 Cust. Ct. 116. The merchandise involved consists of lubricating oil on which a tax of 4 cents per gallon was imposed under the provisions of section 601 (c) (4) of the Revenue Act of 1932. So far as pertinent, that section reads as follows:

SEC. 601. EXCISE TAXES ON CERTAIN ARTICLES.

(a) In addition to any other tax or duty imposed by law, there shall be imposed a tax as provided in subsection (c) on every article imported into the United States * * *.
*******
(c) There is hereby imposed upon the following articles sold in the United States by the manufacturer or producer, or imported into the United States — a tax at 'the rates hereafter set forth, to be paid by the manufacturer, producer, or importer:
* * * * * * *
(4) * * . * lubricating oil, 4 cents per gallon * * *.

In each of the protests a claim for exemption from the foregoing tax by virtue of the provisions of section 630 of the same act is made. That section reads as follows:

SEC. 630. EXEMPTION FROM TAX OF CERTAIN' SUPPLIES FOR VESSELS.

Under regulations prescribed by the Commissioner, with the approval of the Secretary, no tax under this title shall be imposed upon any article sold for use as -fuel supplies, ships’ stores, sea stores, or legitimate equipment on vessels of war of the United States or of any foreign nation, vessels employed in the fisheries or in the whaling business, or actually engaged in foreign trade or trade between the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States or between the United States and any of its possessions. Articles manufactured or produced with the use of articles upon the importation of which tax has been paid under this title, if laden for use as supplies on such vessels, shall be held to be exported for the purposes of section 601 (b).

There are two classes of entries involved. Those covered by protests 759319-G and 748109-G were consumption entries, while the entries covered by the remaining protests were for warehouse. In the •original decision on the instant cases it was pointed out that there was nothing in the record to indicate that the regulations prescribed by the Commissioner of Customs pursuant to section 630, supra, in order to obtain the exemption in the case of goods stored in bonded warehouse, had been complied with. From the evidence offered and upon the statement made in the brief filed on-behalf of the defendant that—

It may be mentioned here that we deem proof of compliance with the regulations satisfactory, so far as the warehouse entries are concerned.

we are satisfied that the regulations applicable to secure exemption from the payment of tax on oil, withdrawn from warehouse after sale [116]*116of the same for use as ships’ stores on vessels actually engaged in foreign trade, were complied with, and judgment will therefore issue in favor of the plaintiffs with respect to the merchandise covered by the warehouse entries.

As to the merchandise covered by the consumption entries a different picture is presented. It appears that in fact the plaintiffs are here claiming a refund of a tax paid at the time of entry upon the importation of the merchandise and that the refund is claimed by reason of a transaction which occurred after such importation and after the merchandise had entered the commerce of the United States.

The evidence offered at the time of trial establishes that the oil covered by the consumption entries was sold for use as ships’ stores on vessels actually engaged in foreign trade. As to the time when such sale took place the following appears in the record as being the testimony of the manager of the plaintiff companies:

Direct examination:.
* ‡ # # % %
Q. Did you also personally sell the merchandise; did you make the sales of the merchandise; that is, after it was imported, or did you sell the merchandise from some bonded warehouse?' — A. Yes, sir.
# % * # ifc ^ # *
Gross-examination:
X Q. At the time that you purchased this oil did you at that time have a contract to resell this oil? — A. Yes.
X Q. Or did you purchase this oil for the purpose of immediately delivering it to a ship? — A. No.
X Q. Or did you subsequently, after this merchandise was received in Los Angeles and after it was put into the Government warehouse — did you subsequently sell this merchandise? — A. Yes.
‡ # # ‡ #
X Q. At the time that the merchandise was purchased did you know who was purchasing it? — A. Yes.
X Q. Did they tell you? — A. Yes.
X Q. Did the officer himself come into the store? — A. No.
X Q. He bought it from you? — A. I called on him on the vessel. I called on the chief engineer.
X Q. And then you delivered the oil pursuant to an agreement you made with him?- — A. Yes.
* - # * # * * *

Although the answer to the first question asked on cross-examination conflicts with the remainder of the witness’s testimony, it is apparent, we think, that the oil in question was sold subsequent to importation.

On its face section 630, supra, purports to grant exemption from the payment of taxes, and it is apparent from a reading of the same that it contemplates situations wherein the merchandise is sold prior, or at the most, simultaneously, with the occurrence of the act which gives rise to the imposition of the tax. No other logical meaning could be drawn from the words * * * no tax under this title shall be imposed upon any article sold for use, etc. * * *”

[117]*117Section 630 grants exemption, under the circumstances therein set forth, from the payment of the taxes which would ordinarily be imposed under title IV of the Revenue Act of 1932. With the exception of section 601 (c) of that title all of the taxes imposed thereby are imposed upon the articles when sold by the manufacturer, producer, or importer. Section 601 (c), however, imposes the taxes created thereby on the articles covered “when sold in the United States by the manufacturer or producer, or imported into the United States.” Thus, in the case of the lubricating oil in question the act which gave rise to the imposition of the tax was the importation of the oil into the United States.

Prom the portions of the record quoted above it is manifest that so far as the oil covered by the consumption entries involved is concerned importation was complete and it had passed into the commerce of the country before the sale to vessels actually engaged in foreign trade was made, and we are of the opinion that no return of the tax paid on importation can be made in the absence of a statute specifically providing for such return.

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Atlas Marine Supply Co. v. United States, 7 Cust. Ct. 114, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1357 (cusc 1941).

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