Burns v. United States

61 F. Supp. 312, 33 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1588, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2045
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. California
DecidedFebruary 21, 1940
DocketNo. 8422-J
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 61 F. Supp. 312 (Burns v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Burns v. United States, 61 F. Supp. 312, 33 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1588, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2045 (S.D. Cal. 1940).

Opinion

JAMES, District Judge.

The above case came on regularly for trial on the 16th day of May, 1939, before the Court sitting without a jury, a trial by jury having been waived by the parties-thereto.

Findings of Fact.

I. Plaintiff is, and at all times hereinafter mentioned, was a citizen of the-United States and a resident of and domiciled in the County of Los Angeles, State-of California, within the Sixth Internal Revenue Collection District.

II. During the year 1928 plaintiff and', one Thomas E. Adams entered into an oral partnership agreement whereby profits and losses from speculation in securities owned by the partnership were to be shared equally. Adams handled the business transactions for the partnership and the firm continued throughout the year 1930 and thereafter until all of its assets were lost.

III. In the year 1929 the value of certain securities owned by the partnership of' Burns and Adams and held in a margin account with McCabe, Fewel & Company,, brokers of Los Angeles, depreciated greatly and it became necessary to either supply these brokers with additional margin or permit them to sell the securities. Plaintiff thereafter and on November 1, 1929; caused four hundred shares of Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation stock, which she owned, to be transferred from her account with H. N. Whitney & Sons of New York to. [313]*313the partnership account of Burns and Adams with McCabe, Fewel & Company at Los Angeles. This was done with the understanding on her part that said stock was still to be her stock after the transfer to the McCabe, Fewel & Company account and that it was placed there in pledge to bolster the partnership’s margin account and would be returned to her in case it was not needed for that purpose, but if the margin account became any thinner or lower, then her stock was to be sold. McCabe, Fewel & Company did sell the stock in question on May 21, 1930.

IV. On March 16, 1931, plaintiff filed her income tax return for the calendar year 1930, showing an income tax liability for said year of $1,846.68. During the calendar year 1931 plaintiff paid said sum to Galen H. Welch, the then Collector of Internal Revenue within the Sixth Internal Revenue Collection District.

V. Thereafter, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue assessed additional taxes against the plaintiff on account of her 1930 income in the sum of $1,874.55 plus interest. Said additional taxes were paid by the plaintiff in installments as follows:

February 6, 1933 $151.13
March 28, 1933 151.00
April 12, 1933 151.00
May 9, 1933 151.00
June 10, 1933 151.00
July 10, 1933 151.00
August 11, 1933 151.00
September 11, 1933 151.00
October 10, 1933 151.00
November 11, 1933 151.00
December 9, 1933 151.00
January 12, 1934 151.00
February 12, 1934 1.38
$1,813.51
June 14, 1933 23.05
July 10, 1933 23.05
August 11, 1933 23.05
September 11, 1933 23.05
October 10, 1933 23.05
October 18, 1933 161.37
276.62
$2,090.13

Said sum of $2,090.13 consists of, the prin-' cipal sum of $1,874.55, plus interest.

VI. In computing the additional taxes of $1,874.55, plus interest, paid by the plaintiff, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue included, among other items as net income, the sum of $19,381.56, on the ground that it represented the profit to plaintiff arising from the sale on May 21, 1930, of four hundred shares of Pacific Gas & Electric Corporation stock. This stock cost plaintiff $7,330.94 and its market value on November 1, 1929, was $23,650. It was sold through McCabe, Fewel & Company on May 21, 1930,- for $26,712.50.

VII. On February 26, 1935, plaintiff filed a claim for refund in the amount of $1,324.75, plus interest, for income taxes paid for the calendar year 1930, wherein the following grounds for a refund, and no others were asserted:

“In determining the additional taxes paid by this claimant there was erroneously included as claimant’s income the sum of $9,695.78, being one-half of the purported profit realized on the sale of 400 shares of Pacific Gas & Electric Company stock. In the Revenue Agent’s report dated January 17, 1933, the examining officer computes a profit upon the sale of these shares of $19,381.56. Claimant states that she is subject to tax. on only one-half of this profit for the reason that these shares were sold by the partnership of Burns & Adams to protect other securities held by said partnership. During the year 1928 this claimant and one Thomas E. Adams entered into a partnership agreement whereby profits or losses made upon the sale of securities were to be split 50/50 between the partners. During the year 1929 the partnership had a marginal account in the name of Adams with the brokerage firm of Mc-Cabe, Fewel & Company, 716 South Spring Street, Los Angeles. It became necessary to place additional security to maintain the margin. Claimant turned over to Mr. Adams the 400 shares of Pacific Gas & Electric Company stock, which he pledged with said brokerage firm. The securities were sold for $26,712.50 by said brokerage firm and the proceeds were applied as a credit on said partnership margin account. Claimant has never received back the stock from the partnership and neither has she received any benefits therefrom. Substantially all of the proceeds derived from this stock were lost by said partnership on this trading account. The sale of this stock by the brokerage firm of McCabe, Fewel & Company was a partnership transaction of which this taxpayer was entitled to but one-half of the proceeds. Even this one-half has never been received by her.
[314]*314“It is respectfully submitted that her income has been overstated by $9,695.78, which results in an overpayment of tax of $1,324.75, which claimant respectfully requests be refunded to her together with interest thereon.
“Claimant requests and demands such further or additional refund or refunds as may now or hereafter appear to be due her by reason of the foregoing or on account of (a) any mistake in fact or in law made by her or any officer, clerk, or other employee of the United States Treasury Department in the preparation, amendment and/or adjustment of her said return, (b) any mistake in the payment and/or collection of the tax made by any person designated in subdivision (a) of this paragraph, (c) any erroneous or illegal requirement or regulation of any officer, clerk, or other employee of the United States Treasury Department, (d) any repealed law, whether heretofore or hereafter repealed, (e) any unconstitutional law whether heretofore or hereafter declared unconstitutional, or (f) any other act or matter in connection with the said return, whether covered by the foregoing or not so covered.”

VIII.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
61 F. Supp. 312, 33 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1588, 1940 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2045, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/burns-v-united-states-casd-1940.