Barton v. Blount

981 So. 2d 299, 2007 WL 2473135
CourtCourt of Appeals of Mississippi
DecidedSeptember 4, 2007
Docket2006-CA-00698-COA
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 981 So. 2d 299 (Barton v. Blount) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Barton v. Blount, 981 So. 2d 299, 2007 WL 2473135 (Mich. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

981 So.2d 299 (2007)

George R. BARTON and Betty S. Barton, Appellants
v.
Joseph L. BLOUNT, Commissioner and Mississippi State Tax Commission, Appellees.

No. 2006-CA-00698-COA.

Court of Appeals of Mississippi.

September 4, 2007.
Rehearing Denied January 22, 2008.

*300 Harris H. Barnes, Flowood, attorney for appellants.

Gary Wood Stringer, Jackson, Ashley May, attorneys for appellees.

Before MYERS, P.J., CHANDLER and GRIFFIS, JJ.

CHANDLER, J., for the Court.

¶ 1. George R. Barton and Betty S. Barton (the Bartons) appeal the decision of the Chancery Court of Hinds County affirming an income tax assessment by the Mississippi State Tax Commission (MSTC). The Bartons argue that the MSTC erred in its application of the tax exemption in Mississippi Code Annotated section 27-7-9(f)(10)(B) (Rev.1998), resulting in their overpayment of taxes on depreciation recapture following a sale of corporate assets. They contend that they are entitled to a refund of the overpaid amount.

¶ 2. We find error in the MSTC's interpretation of the depreciation recapture provision in section 27-7-9(f)(10)(B)(iii). Therefore, we reverse and remand this case to the MSTC for a recalculation of the tax assessment consistent with this opinion.

FACTS

¶ 3. The Bartons, incorporated as Barton, Inc., owned and operated McDonald's franchises in Mississippi. On October 27, 2000, the Bartons sold substantially all of their corporate assets respecting their McDonald's franchises to MNM Enterprises, LLC, a Delaware corporation. Within one year of the sale, the Bartons adopted a Plan of Liquidation and voluntarily filed Articles of Dissolution with the Mississippi Secretary of State. Later, the MSTC conducted an audit that resulted in an additional tax assessment for the tax year 2000.

¶ 4. Pursuant to section 27-7-9(f)(10)(B), the audit recaptured and taxed all the depreciation and amortization which the Bartons had previously taken on the sold assets. The MSTC issued a Notice of Assessment for the additional tax to the Bartons. The Bartons responded by filing an amended tax return for the year 2000 and remitted additional tax in the amount of $9,403, representing the recapture of depreciation taken only on those items subject to Internal Revenue Code Section 1245. The MSTC issued a Notice of Assessment of $1,034 in interest due on this amount as the result of filing the amended tax return; the Bartons paid the interest due.

¶ 5. Then, the Bartons appealed the assessment to the MSTC and contested the recapture of any depreciation and amortization unrelated to Section 1245 assets. After a hearing, the Board of Review affirmed the assessment in the amount of $57,667, including penalties and interest through June 30, 2002. The Bartons appealed to the Full Commission, which held a hearing and affirmed the assessment. The Bartons paid the assessment in full and then appealed to the chancery court, which entered a summary judgment in favor of the MSTC.

*301 STANDARD OF REVIEW

¶ 6. The issue of how depreciation recapture is to be determined under section 27-7-9(f)(10)(B) presents a question of law. The chancellor found that the MSTC was entitled to a judgment as a matter of law and granted the MSTC's motion for summary judgment. Our review of the grant or denial of summary judgment is de novo. Laurel Yamaha, Inc. v. Freeman, 956 So.2d 897, 902(¶ 17) (Miss.2007). Nonetheless, respecting the question of statutory interpretation presented, "we are obligated to respect the agency's interpretation and give deference to it concerning administration of laws under which the agency operates or those which it has responsibility to administer." State v. Beebe, 687 So.2d 702, 705 (Miss. 1996). While we do afford great deference to the agency's interpretation of its own statutes and rules, if the agency's interpretation is contrary to the unambiguous terms or best reading of a statute, no deference is due. Sierra Club v. Miss. Env. Quality Permit Bd., 943 So.2d 673, 679(¶ 17) (Miss.2006).

LAW AND ANALYSIS

I. DID THE CHANCERY COURT ERR IN AFFIRMING THE ORDER OF THE MSTC REGARDING THE ASSESSMENT OF INCOME TAXES AGAINST THE BARTONS PURSUANT TO MISSISSIPPI CODE ANNOTATED SECTION 27-7-9(f)(10)(B)?

¶ 7. This appeal centers on the interpretation of a tax exemption found at Mississippi Code Annotated section 27-7-9(f)(10)(B). Mississippi's tax code provides for the recognition, as ordinary income, of gain on the sale of property unless an exception applies. Miss.Code Ann. § 27-7-9(b). Section 27-7-9(f) enumerates exceptions to the recognition of gain. Effective January 1, 1994, the legislature amended section 27-7-9(f) by adding subsection (10), which provided for the nonrecognition of gain from the sale of authorized shares in domestic corporations or partnership interests in limited partnerships that had been held for over one year. 1994 Miss. Laws 483.

¶ 8. In 1995, the legislature amended section 27-7-9(f)(10) to provide:

Sales of certain interests in financial institutions domiciled in Mississippi, domestic corporations, domestic limited partnerships or domestic limited liability companies.
(A) No gain shall be recognized from the sale of authorized shares in financial institutions domiciled in Mississippi and domestic corporations, or partnership interests in domestic limited partnerships and domestic limited liability companies, that have been held for more than one (1) year.
(B) No gain shall be recognized from the sale of all or substantially all of the assets in domestic corporations provided:
(i) The assets of the corporation have been held for more than one year;
(ii) The corporation is totally liquidated and dissolved within one (1) calendar year from the date of the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the corporation; and
(iii) The depreciation that has been taken on the assets of the corporation shall be recaptured and taxed as ordinary income in the same manner as provided for in Section 1245 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and any corresponding regulations relating to Section 1245 property.

1995 Miss. Laws 473.

¶ 9. In 1997, the legislature again amended section 27-7-9(f)(10) to the version *302 applicable to the Barton's year 2000 tax return. Only subsection (f)(10)(B) is relevant to this appeal. The amended subsection (f)(10)(B) provided:

No gain shall be recognized from the sale of all or at least ninety percent (90%) of the assets in domestic corporations except those assets that represent the ownership interest of another entity provided:
(i) The assets of the corporation have been held for more than one (1) year;
(ii) The corporation is totally liquidated and dissolved within one (1) calendar year from the date of the sale of all or at least ninety percent (90%) of the assets of the corporation; and
(iii) The depreciation and/or amortization that has been taken on the assets of the corporation shall be recaptured and taxed as ordinary income in the same manner as provided for in Section 1245 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and any corresponding regulations relating to Section 1245 property. All depreciation and/or amortization shall be recaptured up to cost prior to any nonrecognition of gains.

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Bluebook (online)
981 So. 2d 299, 2007 WL 2473135, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/barton-v-blount-missctapp-2007.