Budget Films, Inc. v. Commissioner

85 T.C. No. 8, 85 T.C. 114, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 56
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 29, 1985
DocketDocket No. 7342-81
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 85 T.C. No. 8 (Budget Films, Inc. 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
Budget Films, Inc. v. Commissioner, 85 T.C. No. 8, 85 T.C. 114, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 56 (tax 1985).

Opinion

Wilbur, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies of $5,949 in petitioner’s Federal income taxes for the taxable year ended April 30, 1977, and of $9,240 for the taxable year ended April 30, 1978.

After concessions by both parties, the issue for decision is whether petitioner is entitled to claim the investment tax credit under section dSCk)1 with respect to various motion picture films. Specifically, we must address ■ the following issues:

(1) Whether the films constitute "new section 38 property”;

(2) Whether the films are "qualified films”; that is, whether they were created "primarily for use as public entertainment or for educational purposes,” and do not have markets that are "primarily topical” or "otherwise essentially transitory in nature”; and

(3) Whether, at best, petitioner is entitled to only two-thirds of the claimed credit because it failed to make a proper election under section 48(k)(3).

FINDINGS OF FACT

The parties submitted a detailed stipulation of facts, and those facts are so found. The stipulation of facts and attached exhibits are incorporated by this reference.

Budget Films, Inc., is a corporation organized under the laws of California. Its principal place of business was in Los Angeles, California, when the petition was filed in this case. Petitioner timely filed Federal corporate income tax returns for the taxable years ended April 30, 1977, and April 30, 1978.

Petitioner was in the business of renting films to the general public during the years in issue. Its customers included individuals, colleges, religious institutions, shipping lines, movie studios, and production companies. The customers usually ordered films through Budget Films catalogs. Budget Films generally prohibited its customers from renting films for "theatrical” purposes; that is, the customers were not generally entitled to charge admission to audiences, and they were not permitted to show the films on television.

Budget Films spent $57,878 in the taxable year ended April 30,1977, and $86,050 in the taxable year ended April 30,1978, in order to acquire prints and negatives of films. Approximately $35,885 of the $57,878 paid by petitioner for film prints and negatives during the taxable year ended April 30, 1977, was paid for prints of films that had been shown to the public before petitioner acquired them. Likewise, approximately $36,544 of the $86,050 petitioner paid to acquire film prints and negatives during the taxable year ended April 30, 1978, was paid for prints of films that had been shown to the public before petitioner acquired them.

The following films were new and had not been released to the public in any format before petitioner acquired them and placed them in service: "The End,” "Story Theatre No. 7,” "Story Theatre No. 11,” "Story Theatre No. 15,” "Story Theatre No. 19,” "Story Theatre No. 23,” "Marvin,” and "Spaghetti Western.” "The End” and the "Story Theatre” group of films were acquired for $4,080 in the taxable year ended April 30,1977. "Marvin” and "Spaghetti Western” were acquired for $2,300 in the taxable year ended April 30, 1978. Petitioner asserts that it is entitled to claim a tax credit of 10 percent of the amount it paid to acquire the films, or $408 for 1977, and $230 for 1978. Respondent asserts that only two-thirds of these amounts, or $272 for 1977 and $153 for 1978, are allowable as tax credits.

The above films were not the only films released by Budget Films for the first time. In addition, in the taxable year ended April 30, 1977, petitioner acquired footage of Spanish bullfights which it edited into a 30-minute film entitled "Bullfights from Spain.” Petitioner paid $2,250.98 to acquire the film, edit it, create a negative, and make prints. The footage had not been released before petitioner distributed it. Moreover, in the taxable year ended April 30, 1978, Budget Films acquired, for $5,121.75, several films of live Beatles concerts. Petitioner arranged to edit some of the films, and distributed them with the titles "Around the Beatles,” "Beatles at Shea Stadium,” "Beatles Concert in Tokyo,” and "Beatles Concert in Washington, D.C.” The films were made by amateurs and had not been distributed before petitioner acquired them.

Petitioner also acquired a rare nitrate print of Rudolfo Goana, a famous Mexican bullfighter. A fee of $1,800 was paid to acquire the print, edit and restore it, and make a negative and prints. Although the film may have been released in Mexico before petitioner acquired it, it was never released in the United States.

All of the films described below were composed entirely of individual segments of film that had been or may have been exhibited to the public before petitioner acquired them. Petitioner generally made longer films by connecting several of the film segments and sometimes by editing the longer film reel. The following films were composed of groups of cartoons or short subjects:

Acquisition cost
Name of film Apr. 30, 1977 Apr. 30, 1978
"30 Color Cartoon Programs” $3,600
"Variety Programs #1-10” 1,000
"Warner Brothers Color Cartoon Programs #1-5” 500
"Mighty Mouse Color Cartoon Packages #1-4” 400
"Terrytoon Color Cartoon Packages #1-4” 400
"Spook Spectacular Programs, Shows #1-4” 850
"30 Color Cartoon Programs” $3,600
"Variety Programs #11-20” 1,000
"Warner Brothers Color Cartoon Programs #6-10” 500
"Mighty Mouse Color Cartoon Packages #5-8” 400
"Terrytoon Color Cartoon Packages #5-8” 400
"Spook Spectacular Programs, Shows #7-12” - 850
Total 6,750 6,750

Petitioner arranged to splice two or three cartoon or short subjects together and distributed them as reels of two or three, but otherwise did not edit the films in any way. The films had been released in other media, on television or in movie theaters, but they had been released individually, and not in the format in which petitioner distributed them.

The following films were acquired as individual newsreels, serials, trailers, and footage of sporting events, and were packaged by petitioner in groups. Petitioner arranged to splice the footage together and paid for other miscellaneous editing involved in preparing the final reels. Petitioner also paid for prints which were distributed as films ranging from 10 minutes to feature length. Petitioner does not know whether the individual newsreels and other footage had been exhibited to the public prior to being assembled in their current format. They had not been released previously in the format in which petitioner released them.

_Acquisition cost_
Name of film Apr. 30, 1977 Apr. 30, 1978

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Related

Sterenbuch v. Commissioner
1991 T.C. Memo. 505 (U.S. Tax Court, 1991)
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Budget Films, Inc. v. Commissioner
85 T.C. No. 8 (U.S. Tax Court, 1985)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
85 T.C. No. 8, 85 T.C. 114, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/budget-films-inc-v-commissioner-tax-1985.