C. T. Inv. Co. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue

88 F.2d 582, 19 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 169, 1937 U.S. App. LEXIS 3209
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
DecidedFebruary 25, 1937
DocketNo. 10750
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 88 F.2d 582 (C. T. Inv. Co. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
C. T. Inv. Co. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 88 F.2d 582, 19 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 169, 1937 U.S. App. LEXIS 3209 (8th Cir. 1937).

Opinions

BOOTH, Circuit Judge.

This is a petition to review the decision of the Board of Tax Appeals affirming a deficiency in tax amounting to $6,-619.87 asserted by the Commissioner as additional taxes for the year 1930 against W. E. Geek, Incorporated, and against the transferees of that company.

The petitioners, eleven in number, are transferees of W. E. Geek, Incorporated. There were separate petitions filed by the petitioners with the Board of Tax Appeals, and separate answers filed by the respondent Commissioner.

In order to simplify the issues in the case, it was agreed between counsel before the Board of Tax Appeals that the only question involved in these proceedings is whether or not a certain transaction hereafter set forth between the Central Transfer Company of Missouri and the Central Transfer Company of Delaware constituted a statutory reorganization within the meaning of the Revenue Act of 1928 (45 Stat. 791). If it did, there was no tax [583]*583due; if it did not, then the amount of tax asserted by the Commissioner is correct.1

The facts are substantially as follows: The Central Transfer Company of Missouri, hereinafter referred to as the Missouri Company, prior to its dissolution in 1930, was a corporation organized and existing by virtue of the laws of the State of Missouri and was engaged in hauling and transferring freight from various manufacturing and industrial concerns in Missouri and Illinois to the railroad tracks, being paid for such hauling entirely by the railroads. There were only two concerns in this business in St. Louis: The Missouri Company and the Columbia Terminal Company. The Missouri Company had been in existence about 20 years prior to 1930 with a capital stock of 720 shares, $72,000. It was a closed corporation having about nine or ten stockholders. During the course of years the Missouri Company had grown more or less and had acquired some assets which had no connection with its transfer business, consisting of notes receivable of a corporation which was not in a position to pay them.

Prior to 1930 it was considered desirable by the stockholders to reorganize he Missouri Company and to dispose of these last-mentioned assets to another Company in order to put the Missouri Company on a business-like basis. The Missouri Company also considered several plans: (1) Of increasing its capital stock; (2) a plan of either consolidating with or selling out to its only competitor, the Columbia Terminal Company; (3) other plans.

Upon advice of its attorney, Schaumberg, also stockholder of the Company, the Missouri Company decided to organize a Delaware corporation. Thereupon, on May 28, 1930, the Central Transfer Company of Delaware, hereinafter referred to as the Delaware Company, was incorporated with an authorized capital of 10,000 shares of no par . value. The qualifying stockholders and directors of the Delaware Company on May 29, 1930, were the Cleveland attorneys for the Missouri Company, and only ten qualifying shares were subscribed for or issued at that time.

At the first meeting of its directors on May 29, 1930, at Cleveland, Ohio, the Delaware Company by resolution elected to exercise an option agreement offered to it by the Missouri Company to acquire the business and assets of the Missouri Company; and on June 6th it notified the Missouri Company accordingly, specifying June 14, 1930, as the date for the transfer of such business and assets. The Missouri Company transferred its assets (except the certain assets not connected with the transfer business of a value of approximately $60,000) to the Delaware Company for 4,900 shares of the Delaware Company, which shares were issued directly to the stockholders of the Missouri Company in the same proportion as they held stock in the Missouri Company.

Later, during 1930, the Missouri Company, pursuant to the option agreement, changed its name to W. E. Geek, Incorporated, and thereafter and during 1930 caused to be incorporated under the laws of Missouri a corporation known as the C. T. Investment Company, and transferred to such newly organized company all of its assets not theretofore transferred to the Delaware Company of the value of approximately $60,000, and received therefor all of the stock of the C. T. Investment Company, which stock was issued to the stockholders of the Missouri Company in the same proportion as these stockholders held stock in the Missouri Company. Thereafter, and in 1930, the Missouri Company was dissolved. The officers and directors of the Missouri Company became officers and directors of the Delaware Company.

At a special meeting of the directors of the Delaware Company on July 3, 1930, a subscription for 5,100 shares of its stock [584]*584by Trucking, Inc., a Delaware Corporation was presented and accepted by the following resolution: “Resolved that the Corporation accept the subscription of Trucking, Inc., for its 5100 unissued shares at an aggregate subscription price of $125,000.00 to be paid at the call of the Board of Directors, and that the consideration for each of the shares to be issued hereunder be fixed at $24.50.” .

From the Minutes of such meeting, it also appears that the original subscription for the ten qualifying shares of the Delaware Company’s stock was canceled.

July 6, 1930, the Delaware Company notified the Missouri Company of the subscription by Trucking, Inc.

In October or November, 1930, Trucking, Inc., paid its subscription.

The Commissioner of Internal Revenue held that the transaction between the Missouri Company and the Delaware Company did not constitute a statutory reorganization.

The Board of Tax Appeals affirmed the Commissioner and appeal was taken to this court.

‘ The petitioners claim on the present appeal that the transaction between the Missouri Company and the Delaware Company constituted a statutory reorganization.

The pertinent statutory provisions are set out in the margin.2

Claims of Petitioners.

(a) Petitioners claim more specifically in this court that the Missouri Company meets the parenthesis definition in section 112 (i) (1) (A), 26 Ü.S.C.A. § 112 note, of reorganization because the Missouri Company acquired all of the issued and outstanding stock of the Delaware Company. Petitioners claim that the Missouri Company acquired this stock June 14, 1930, and that no other stock was issued until October, 1930.

(b) Petitioners claim- that the transaction meets the definition at the close of section.112 (i) (1) (A) because the Delaware Company acquired substantially all of the properties of the Missouri Company, petitioners claiming that the words “substantially all of the properties” mean properties connected with the business as distinguished from assets of the Corporation.

(c) Petitioners claim that the transaction meets the definition in section 112 (i) (1) (B), 26 U.S.C.A. § 112 note, because the Missouri Company transferred part of its assets to the Delaware Company and immediately after the transfer the stockholders of the Missouri Company were in control of the Delaware Company and so remained until October, 1930.

We lay aside claim (b) of petitioners, first, because we do not think that $78,000 out of $138,000 can be held to constitute “substantially all of the properties” of the taxpayer; second, because we do not find that this point was raised before the Board of Tax Appeals, or that it received consideration by that Board.

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88 F.2d 582, 19 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 169, 1937 U.S. App. LEXIS 3209, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/c-t-inv-co-v-commissioner-of-internal-revenue-ca8-1937.