Calorizing Co. v. Stimson

7 T.C. 617, 1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 99
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 19, 1946
DocketDocket No. 227-R
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 7 T.C. 617 (Calorizing Co. v. Stimson) 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
Calorizing Co. v. Stimson, 7 T.C. 617, 1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 99 (tax 1946).

Opinion

OPINION.

Turner, Judge-.

The Secretary of War made a unilateral determination that $100,000 of the profits realized by the petitioner from its renegotiable business during its fiscal year ended April 30, 1943, constituted excessive profits within the meaning of the Renegotiation Act. The statutory notice of this determination, dated March 30, 1945, was mailed to and received by petitioner. The present proceeding is brought to determine the correctness of that determination. The petitioner has now moved, however, that the Court enter an order that the petitioner has no liability for excessive profits for the fiscal year involved, and states as its ground therefor that the determination is barred by the statute of limitations made and provided by section 403 (c) (5) of the Renegotiation Act of 1942.1

The petitioner is a Delaware corporation, with its principal office in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. On March 14, 1944, a member of the Pittsburgh Ordnance District Price Adjustment Board, hereinafter referred to as the District Board, telephoned the petitioner’s president, advising that petitioner had been assigned to the District Board for renegotiation of its renegotiable business for the fiscal year ended April 30, 1943, and making arrangements for a meeting to be held by representatives of the petitioner and of the District Board at the board’s office, at 10 a. m. on March 21, 1944. The meeting was postponed to March 24, 1944, at 3:30 p. m., at which time the petitioner’s president, B. J. Sayles, met with E. A. France, Jr., a member of the District Board, and certain members of the financial analysis section of the board. At this meeting France stated in detail to petitioner’s president the background, theory, practice, and application of the Renegotiation Act of 1942, as amended, to petitioner’s business for its fiscal year ended April 30, 1943. During the meeting the representatives of the financial analysis section requested that petitioner furnish them with the necessary accounting and statistical information relating to petitioner’s business for the fiscal year in question. Sayles agreed that the information would be furnished. It was arranged that, after the submitted statements had been reviewed by the District Board, another meeting would be held to ascertain the segregation of petitioner’s business for its fiscal year in question between renegotiable and nonrenegotiable sales. Between March 31, 1944, and August 4, 1944, the petitioner furnished, from time to time, all of the data and information requested by representatives of the District Board. On August 4,1944, the District Board issued its “Preliminary Report for Renegotiation with The Calorizing Company, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, for the Year Ended 30 April 1943.”

On August 14,1944, a meeting was held between petitioner, represented by its president, and the District Board, represented by France and two others, at which detailed discussion of petitioner’s position and the financial data prepared by the District Board took place. At the meeting petitioner was requested by the board to propose a tentative refund for its fiscal year ended April 30, 1943, which petitioner felt would be fair and equitable. At that time a copy of the above mentioned preliminary report for renegotiation was delivered to petitioner. At the conclusion of the meeting, a subsequent meeting of representatives of petitioner and the District Board was scheduled for August 18, 1944.

On August 18,1944, the District Board met with petitioner’s president and proposed that petitioner refund $125,000 of excessive profits for its fiscal year ended April 30,1943. Petitioner’s president refused to accept such a refund proposal, giving reasons therefor and making no alternative proposal. At the conclusion of this meeting, the board agreed to examine further into the matter.

On August 24, 1944, members of the District Board visited and inspected petitioner’s plant and its method of operation. On that occasion petitioner’s president submitted to them a copy of petitioner’s audit statement for its fiscal year ended April 30, 1944, involving a revision of petitioner’s 1943 profit and loss account.

On August 26,1944, the District Board informed petitioner’s president, by telephone, that the board still proposed a refund of $125,000 by petitioner as excessive profits from its renegotiable business for its fiscal year ended April 30, 1943. Petitioner’s president was advised that he might procure a form letter to be used in requesting the Bureau of Internal Revenue to compute petitioner’s tax credit, under section 3806 of the Internal Revenue Code, on the basis of a possible agreement for refund of the said $125,000. Petitioner’s accountants thereafter made a recomputation of petitioner’s tax, giving effect to the proposed renegotiation refund of $125,000 as excessive profits for the fiscal year ended April 30, 1943, and on September 13, 1944, mailed a copy thereof to the District Board.

On September 18, 1944, petitioner mailed a letter to the District Board which, at the board’s request, amplified some data concerning the special and peculiar nature of petitioner’s business, referred to in the District Board’s preliminary report. The letter was in response to the board’s request for a detailed statement of the basic features which, in the opinion of petitioner’s president, must receive prime consideration to achieve the fair and equitable dealing contemplated by the Renegotiation Act.

On September 27, 1944, the District Board held its final meeting with the petitioner’s president for the purpose of renegotiating petitioner’s renegotiable business for its fiscal year ended April 30, 1943. At that meeting, the District Board informed petitioner that the factors and questions raised in petitioner’s letter of September 18, 1944, to the District Board, had been fully considered and that the board reaffirmed its opinion that petitioner should refund $125,000 of excessive profits for its fiscal year ended April 30, 1943. After considerable discussion, petitioner’s president stated his disagreement, and that he desired the proceeding to become an impasse case, to be sent to the War Department Price Adjustment Board at Washington, D. C. At the conclusion of the meeting, he was advised that the proceeding would be forwarded as requested.

On October 20, 1944, the District Board issued its “Report of Impasse with The Calorizing Company, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, For the Year Ended 30 April 1943.” The proceeding having been referred to Washington, a representative of the War Department Price Adjustment Board, hereinafter referred to as the Department Board, by telegram, requested petitioner’s attendance at a hearing in Washington, D. C., on November 24,1944, and also requested petitioner to confirm, by November 18, 1944, its attendance at the proposed hearing. On the same date, request was made, by mail, that the petitioner bring to the proposed hearing its most recent balance sheet and interim profit and loss statement and also its figures regarding unfilled orders on hand as of October 31,1944.

The scheduled meeting of November 24, 1944, was held, with petitioner’s president in attendance. He submitted at that time the information which had been requested with respect to the most recent balance sheet and profit and loss statement; also a statement of petitioner’s unfilled orders.

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Related

Stein Bros. Mfg. Co. v. Secretary of War
7 T.C. 863 (U.S. Tax Court, 1946)
Calorizing Co. v. Stimson
7 T.C. 617 (U.S. Tax Court, 1946)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
7 T.C. 617, 1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 99, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/calorizing-co-v-stimson-tax-1946.