C. F. Kettering, Inc. v. Glander

98 N.E.2d 793, 155 Ohio St. 356, 155 Ohio St. (N.S.) 356, 44 Ohio Op. 340, 1951 Ohio LEXIS 578
CourtOhio Supreme Court
DecidedMay 2, 1951
Docket32374
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 98 N.E.2d 793 (C. F. Kettering, Inc. v. Glander) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
C. F. Kettering, Inc. v. Glander, 98 N.E.2d 793, 155 Ohio St. 356, 155 Ohio St. (N.S.) 356, 44 Ohio Op. 340, 1951 Ohio LEXIS 578 (Ohio 1951).

Opinion

Middleton, J.

In connection with his appeal, the Tax Commissioner submits the following questions:

(1) Where a foreign corporation is organized for the purpose of buying, selling and trading in investments, acquires investments at the time of organization in exchange for its capital stock and buys, sells and trades in investments, including some of those acquired at the time of its organization, do particular investment items so acquired but not disposed of through succeeding years have a situs for franchise tax purposes in Ohio in which the principal office is located and from which office all its business activities are conducted?

(2) If such stocks are not allocable to Ohio, then, under the circumstances described in question No. 1, do particular investment items so acquired but held in subsequent years in altered form, resulting from intervening corporate reorganization or other material change in the investment characteristics, have such situs in Ohio?

(3) Does stock in Ohio financial institutions owned or used in Ohio by a foreign corporation have such situs in Ohio?

These questions arise in connection with the efforts of the Tax Commissioner to comply with and follow the instructions contained in Section 5498, General Code. The next preceding sections of the Code require the filing annually with the Tax Commissioner of a report by both domestic and foreign corporations in the form specified. The information so required to be filed with the Tax Commissioner includes the value of the property owned or used.by the corporation as shown on its books both Avithin and without the state *361 and the total amount of business done and the amount of business done within the state during the preceding annual accounting period. Then Section 5498, General Code, requires the Tax Commissioner to determine the value of the issued and outstanding shares of stock of the reporting corporation and to determine the base upon -which the fee, or franchise tax, shall be computed. The rule therein specified for that computation is as follows:

“Divide into two equal parts the value as above determined of the issued and outstanding shares of stock of each corporation filing such report. Take one part and multiply by a fraction whose numerator is the fair value of all the corporation’s property owned or used by it in Ohio and whose denominator is the fair value of all its property wheresoever situated in each case eliminating any item of good will; take the other part and multiply by a fraction whose numerator is the value of the business done by the corporation in this state during the year preceding the date of the commencement of its current annual accounting period and whose denominator is the total value of its business during said year wherever transacted.

“In determining the amount or value of intangible property, including capital investments, owned or used in this state by either a domestic or foreign corporation the commission [er] shall be guided by the provisions of Section 5328-1 and 5328-2 of the General Code * * *."

Section 5498, General Code, appears in Chapter 8 of Title I of Part Second of the General Code. Title I covers the general subject of taxation and comprises 15 chapters. Chapter 8 deals with excise and franchise taxes on corporations. Sections 5328-1 and 5328-2 appear in Chapter 2 of Title I which chapter defines generally the property in Ohio which is taxable and *362 contains the inheritance tax provision. This arrangement is stated to make clear that Sections 5328-1 and 5328-2 are not included in the chapter relating to franchise taxes but serve an entirely different primary purpose in the Code.

Section 5328-1, General Code, provides in part:

“All moneys, credits, investments, deposits, and other intangible property of persons residing in this state shall be subject to taxation, excepting as provided in this section or as otherwise provided or exempted in this title * * Property of the kinds and classes mentioned in Section 5328-2 of the General Code, used in and arising out of business transacted in this state by, for or on behalf of a nonresident person, other than a foreign insurance company as defined in Section 5414-8 of the General Code, and non withdrawable shares of stock of financial institutions and dealers in intangibles located in this state shall be subject to taxation; and all such property of persons residing in this state used in and arising out of business transacted outside of this state by, for or on behalf of such persons, and nonwithdrawable shares of stock of financial institutions located outside of this state, belonging to persons residing in this state, shall not be subject to taxation.”

The pertinent portions of Section 5328-2, General Code, are:

“Property of the kinds and classes herein mentioned, when used in business, shall be considered to arise out of business transacted in a state other than that in which the owner thereof resides in the cases and under the circumstances following:

* * *

“In the case of investments not held in trust, when made, created or acquired in the course of repeated transactions of the same kind, conducted from an office *363 of the owner in such other state, and (1) representing obligations of persons residing in such other state or secured by property located therein, or (2) when an officer or agent of the owner at the owner’s office in such other state, has authority, in the course of the owner’s business, to receive or collect the income thereon or the principal, if any, or both when due, or to sell and dispose of the same.”

Another section of the General Code which is of some collateral importance is Section 5323 which appears in Chapter 1 of Title 1. That chapter is comprised of definitions which are applicable throughout the other 14 chapters of Title I.

Section 5323, General Code, defines investments as follows:

“The term ‘investments’ as used in this title, includes the following:

“Shares of stock in corporations, associations and joint stock companies, under whatever laws organized or existing, excepting * * * (2) those in financial institutions, dealers in intangibles and domestic insurance companies as defined by Chapter Four of this title * • V’

The Tax Commissioner took the view that the 14 blocks of stock exchanged along with other property by Mr. Kettering for the entire capital stock of C. F.' Kettering, Inc., at the time of that company’s incorporation in 1925 were acquired by C. F. Kettering, Inc., “in the course of repeated transactions of the same kind, conducted from an office of the owner in such other state [Ohio],” and that “an officer or agent of the owner at the owner’s office [in Dayton] in such other state [Ohio], has authority, in the course of the owner’s business, to receive or collect the income thereon or the principal, if any, or both when due, or to sell and dispose of the same.” The com *364 missioner, therefore, held that the requirements for Ohio situs under Section 5328-2 of the General Code were met with respect to the 14 blocks of stock.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
98 N.E.2d 793, 155 Ohio St. 356, 155 Ohio St. (N.S.) 356, 44 Ohio Op. 340, 1951 Ohio LEXIS 578, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/c-f-kettering-inc-v-glander-ohio-1951.