Betts v. Commissioner

62 T.C. No. 60, 62 T.C. 536, 1974 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 72
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 29, 1974
DocketDocket No. 698-72
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 62 T.C. No. 60 (Betts 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
Betts v. Commissioner, 62 T.C. No. 60, 62 T.C. 536, 1974 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 72 (tax 1974).

Opinion

Simpson, Judge:

The respondent determined a deficiency of $2,172.30 in the Federal income tax of the petitioners for the year 1966. There are two issues for decision: (1) Whether a loan by Electronics, a limited partnership, was created or acquired in connection with its trade or business, and (2) whether the failure to perform on a guaranty of such loan gives rise to a loss deductible under section 165 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.1

FINDINGS OP PACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated, and those facts are so found.

The petitioners, David H. Betts and Joan O. Betts, are husband and wife. At the time their petition was filed in this case, they maintained their legal residence in Lake Forest, Ill. They reported income in accordance with, the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting and filed a joint return for the year 1966 with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Kansas City, Mo. Mrs. Betts will sometimes be referred to as the petitioner.

The First Electronics Fund-2 (Electronics) was formed as a limited partnership on September 22, 1961. Mrs. Betts was a limited partner from the time of its formation and throughout the year in issue.

The limited partnership agreement of Electronics provided that the purpose of the partnership was to participate in the development of companies in the electronics industry and related fields by means of “lending money to and investing in such companies” and “furnishing consulting and advisory services to such companies in all fields of management, sales and manufacturing.” The affairs of the partnership were conducted by its general partner, who investigated each of the proposals received by the partnership and decided where and how its funds should be placed. In some instances, the partnership merely purchased stock in a firm. In two instances, the partnership provided short-term financial assistance by means of a loan. When a loan was made, the partnership sought to secure a repayment of the loan within a short time so that the funds could then be invested in other enterprises. In addition to receiving interest for the loan, the partnership also obtained stock and, in one instance, warrants of the borrower. The partnership contemplated that the stock and warrants would be distributed to the partners so that they could participate in any appreciation in value of the equity in the business. The general partner served as a director of the enterprises to which loans were made, and the partnership also assisted the borrowers by furnishing them with services as a consultant for which the partnership was compensated.

From 1961 through 1966, Electronics acquired two interest-bearing securities, exclusive of Treasury bills. In December 1961, it acquired a $425,000 subordinate convertible debenture, along with $50,000 common stock, of the Commercial Trust Co., later called Commercial Mortgage & Finance Corp. (Commercial). In 1964, that debenture was converted into common stock of Commercial, as part of a plan to restructure and refinance its operations.

Pursuant to 'an agreement with the Gibraltar Co. (Gibraltar), dated May 17,1962, Electronics acquired at face value a $200,000 6%-percent subordinated note due May 1,1967, on which Gibraltar was the obligor. Electronics acknowledged that it was holding the Gibraltar note as an investment and that it did not intend to resell it in a fashion which would violate the Federal securities laws.

As part of the same agreement, Electronics also acquired 61,691 shares of Gibraltar common stock for $104,192 and received a stock purchase warrant to acquire 40,000 shares of Gibraltar common at $1.20 per share, exercisable for a period of 5 year’s. The warrants were exercised by Electronics in 1963. Tbe 61,691 shares of Gibraltar acquired by Electronics represented approximately 48 percent of the 129,382 outstanding shares of Gibraltar, as of May 17,1962. The 40,000 warrants to purchase stock in Gibraltar represented approximately 54 percent of the 74,116 Gibraltar warrants, as of May 17,1962.

The closing balance sheets of Electronics, as of December 31, for each of the years 1961 tkrough 1966, showed that its assets included the following items:

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Electronics reported the following amounts of interest, consulting fees, and gross income for each of the years 1961 through 1966:

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Although originally successful, Gibraltar later encountered financial difficulty resulting from the dishonesty of a key employee. In April 1965, Electronics entered into an agreement with Acme, Inc. (Acme), under which Acme purchased the stock of Gibraltar held by Electronics for $33,336.35. That sum amounted to 35 cents per share for 100,691 shares. In addition, Acme guaranteed payment of the principal and interest outstanding on the note held by Electronics, and in any event, agreed to purchase that note not later than 12 months from the date of the agreement. At the time of the agreement, Gibraltar was insolvent. However, Acme was financially solvent, and its offer was the only alternative at that time to the liquidation of Gibraltar.

On its United States partnership return of income for the year 1965, Electronics reported a gross sales price of $35,241.85 for the shares of Gibraltar stock.

In 1966, Gibraltar went into receivership and defaulted on the note. Acme, too, went into receivership that year and defaulted on its guaranty. No amount was ever recovered on the note.

In his notice of deficiency, the respondent determined that the loss incurred fey Electronics on the note given fey Gibraltar was attributable to a nonbusiness bad debt and that Mrs. Betts’ distributive share of that loss was subj ect to the limitations of section 1211.

OPINION

Two alternative issues have 'been presented for decision: (1) Whether Electronics suffered a loss from the worthlessness of a business debt, which is deductible under section 166(a), when Gibraltar failed to make payment on its note and went into receivership in 1966; or if not, (2) whether Electronics suffered a loss from a transaction entered into for profit, which is deductible under section 165 (a), when, in accordance with its contract of guaranty, Acme failed to make payment on the note after Gibraltar defaulted.

Section 166(a) allows a deduction for any debt which becomes worthless within the taxable year. However, in the case of a taxpayer other than a corporation, section 166(d) (1) provides that the general rule of section 166(a) does not apply to nonbusiness debts, and that when such debts become worthless, the resulting loss is considered to be a loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset held for not more than 6 months. Section 166(d) (2) defines the term “nonbusiness debt” as:

a debt other than—
(A) a debt created or acquired (as the case may be) in connection with a trade or business of the taxpayer; or
(B) a debt the loss from the worthlessness of which is incurred in -the taxpayer’s trade or business.

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Benak v. Commissioner
77 T.C. 1213 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
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1977 T.C. Memo. 155 (U.S. Tax Court, 1977)
Hoogerwerf v. Commissioner
1976 T.C. Memo. 186 (U.S. Tax Court, 1976)
Betts v. Commissioner
62 T.C. No. 60 (U.S. Tax Court, 1974)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
62 T.C. No. 60, 62 T.C. 536, 1974 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 72, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/betts-v-commissioner-tax-1974.