Best Universal Lock Co. v. Commissioner

45 T.C. 1, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 29
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 7, 1965
DocketDocket Nos. 5602-63, 5603-63, 5604-63
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 45 T.C. 1 (Best Universal Lock 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
Best Universal Lock Co. v. Commissioner, 45 T.C. 1, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 29 (tax 1965).

Opinion

Mulroney, Judge:

Respondent determined the following deficiencies in the petitioners’ income taxes:

[[Image here]]

The issues in these consolidated cases are (1) whether Best Lock Corp. is entitled to deductions under section 174 of the Internal Revenue Code of 19542 for certain research and development expenses in 1959,1960, and 1961; (2) whether the research and development expenses incurred by Best Lock Corp. in 1959, 1960, and 1961 are, in fact, constructive dividends to Frank E. Best in those years; (3) in the event that the research and development expenditures of Best Lock Corp. are constructive dividends to Frank E. Best, whether the latter is entitled to deductions under section 174 in 1959, 1960, and 1961 with respect to these expenditures; (4) whether Best Lock Corp. is entitled to a deduction in 1959 for certain moving expenses incurred in that year; (5) whether Frank E. Best is entitled to a deduction for certain experimental and development expenses incurred by him in 1961; and (6) whether Frank E. Best is entitled to deductions as ordinary and necessary business expenses in 1959, 1960, and 1961 for the use of a part of his residence as an office and whether he is entitled to deductions in those years for automobile expenses and depreciation. The deficiencies in docket No. 5602-63 (Best Universal Lock Co., Inc.) for 1960 and 1961 will depend upon our decision on the issues involving Best Lock Corp. in docket No. 5603-63 and can be handled by the parties in the Rule 50 computation. Certain concessions by the parties can be given effect in the Rule 50 computation.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts were stipulated and they are so found.

Frank E. and Emilia A. Best, husband and wife, are residents of Indianapolis, Ind. They filed their joint income tax returns for 1959, 1960, and 1961 with the district director of internal revenue, Indianapolis, Ind.

The Best Lock Corp. is a Delaware corporation organized in 1928 under the name of Automatic Manufacturing Co., changing the name to its present form shortly after its incorporation. Best Universal Lock Co., Inc., is an Indiana corporation incorporated on May 17, 1938, as a wholly owned subsidiary of Best Lock Corp. and it has remained so owned through the years 1959, 1960, and 1961. The above corporations filed Federal income tax returns for the years 1959, 1960, and 1961 with the district director of internal revenue, Indianapolis, Ind.

Frank E. Best, who was about 82 years old at the time of trial, went into the lock business in 1920. He is a registered mechanical engineer under the laws of the State of Indiana and during the past 45 years he has received about 100 patents, most of them in the locking art.

On or about October 2, 1920, Frank organized a corporation under the laws of the State of Washington originally known as the Best Lock Co. and, prior to the years here involved, the name of the corporation was changed to Frank E. Best, Inc. During the years here involved Frank owned 301,616 shares of stock out of the 598,710 shares in the corporation issued and outstanding.

During the years here involved Frank E. Best, Inc., held 300,000 of the 386,469 outstanding shares of stock in Best Universal Lock Co. (Washington), a corporation which was organized on or about September 14, 1923, under the laws of the State of Washington.

Shortly after the organization of Best Lock Corp., a part of its stock was issued to Best Universal Lock Co. (Washington). During the years 1959, 1960, and 1961, Best Lock Corp. had issued and outstanding 123,128.85 shares of stock which were held as follows:

Shares
Best Universal Lock Co. (Washington), held by Frank E. Best as trustee_ 95, 556. 34
Frank E. Best_ 4, 083
Walter E. Best1_._ 329
Donald Best1_ 8
Others- 23,152.51

During the years here involved Frank was the president of Best Lock Corp., Best Universal Lock Co., Inc. (Indiana), and the various affiliated corporations. Frank’s three sons were associated with the same group of corporations in different capacities.

Best Lock Corp. specializes in providing locking systems for plants, schools, or institutions requiring many locks and master key control. Best Lock Corp. has never been registered or qualified to do business in the State of Indiana. As a result, Best Universal Lock Co., Inc. (Indiana), acts in the capacity of an agent in the State of Indiana for the manufacturing and selling activity of the Best Lock Corp. The Best Lock Corp. owns or leases all of the assets used in the conduct of its business in Indiana, and receives the resulting profit or loss from the manufacturing and selling activity carried on by its agent, the Best Universal Lock Co., Inc. (Indiana).

Between 1920 and 1930 Frank assigned outright or agreed to assign certain patents on locks and locking devices to Frank E. Best, Inc., including, generally, the patents or any locking devices he might obtain during this period. In 1928 Frank E. Best, Inc., granted a license (license No. 4) to the Automatic Manufacturing Co. (later Best Lock Corp.) to manufacture locks or locking machinery under 48 patents then issued or pending. In 1940 Frank granted a license (license No. 5) to Best Lock Corp. to use certain of Frank’s patents covering dynamic rectifiers and balancers. Subsequent to 1940 amendments and collateral agreements were executed in connection with license No. 5, and additional patents on roller bearings were licensed to Best Lock Corp.

On December 22, 1948, Frank granted a license to Frank E. Best, Inc., which in turn granted a sublicense to Best Lock Corp. to manufacture and use a lock (designated as an “unpickable lock”) under patents which had been issued to Frank. On January 2,1956, Frank granted a nonexclusive license to Best Lock Corp. to manufacture and use a device described as an isothermal air compressor. The license provided, in part, as follows:

Whekeas, Best is tlie owner of all tlie rights, title, and interest in and to an invention designated as isothermal air compressor, couched in and forming that part of Patent Application No. 529,281, filed in the United States Patent Ofiice on the 18th day of August, 1955, by said Frank Ellison Best, specifically illustrated Figures 6 to 9 inclusive thereof; and,
Whereas, the company is desirous of acquiring this Non-Exclusive License to make, use, and lease said isothermal air compressor;
Now, Therefore,
1. Best does, by these presents, give and grant unto the Company this NonExclusive License identified as Non-Exclusive License 1-2-56 upon the isothermal air compressor as above set forth and described and upon each and every United States Patent upon said isothermal air compressor growing out of said invention. This license shall not apply to any other product or invention other than said air compressor which might grow out of said patent application.
2.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Diamond v. Commissioner
92 T.C. No. 25 (U.S. Tax Court, 1989)
Spellman v. Commissioner
1986 T.C. Memo. 403 (U.S. Tax Court, 1986)
Green v. Comm'r
83 T.C. No. 37 (U.S. Tax Court, 1984)
Khinda v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 42 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Montgomery v. Commissioner
64 T.C. 175 (U.S. Tax Court, 1975)
Gyro Engineering Corp. v. Commissioner
1974 T.C. Memo. 288 (U.S. Tax Court, 1974)
O'Donnell v. Commissioner
62 T.C. No. 85 (U.S. Tax Court, 1974)
Magee v. Commissioner
1973 T.C. Memo. 271 (U.S. Tax Court, 1973)
Snow v. Commissioner
58 T.C. 585 (U.S. Tax Court, 1972)
Estate of Walter v. Commissioner
1971 T.C. Memo. 244 (U.S. Tax Court, 1971)
Downs v. Comm'r
49 T.C. 533 (U.S. Tax Court, 1968)
Best Universal Lock Co. v. Commissioner
45 T.C. 1 (U.S. Tax Court, 1965)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 T.C. 1, 1965 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 29, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/best-universal-lock-co-v-commissioner-tax-1965.