Canister Co. v. United States

70 F. Supp. 904, 108 Ct. Cl. 558, 35 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1156, 1947 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 31
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedApril 7, 1947
DocketNo. 46658
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 70 F. Supp. 904 (Canister Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Canister Co. v. United States, 70 F. Supp. 904, 108 Ct. Cl. 558, 35 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1156, 1947 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 31 (cc 1947).

Opinion

Whitaker, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

We are confronted with several odd things in this case. In the first place, the taxpayer paid more taxes than the Collector demanded that he pay.

On February 21, 1943, a revenue agent made a report on plaintiff’s income and excess profits tax liability, showing an overassessment of income taxes of $3,351.99 and a deficiency in excess profits tax of $3,011.88. A so-called “90-day letter,” or deficiency letter, from the Commissioner of Internal Revenue followed on June 16, 1944, notifying plaintiff of the deficiency and overassessment as found by the revenue agent. This was followed on October 19, 1944, by the issuance of a notice and demand on plaintiff for the payment of the deficiency in excess profits tax, which with interest amounted to $3,598.00, less the overpayment in income tax of $3,351.99, leaving a balance due of $246.01, payment of which was demanded. Instead of paying the balance alleged to be due, the taxpayer paid the amount of the asserted deficiency in excess profits tax, with interest, and filed a claim for refund of the stated overpayment of income taxes.

This unusual behavior aroused the interest of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. It had one of its agents investigate further the taxpayer’s right to a refund of the income taxes.

This agent came back with the assertion that it was not entitled to the refund, because for the year in question it had used the wrong basis for its depreciation deduction, and that if it had used the correct basis, it would have owed a much larger excess profits tax, which would have more than offset the overpayment in income tax as previously found by the Commissioner.

The Commissioner of Internal Revenue, however, did not formally reject plaintiff’s claim for refund, and six months having elapsed without any action upon it, the taxpayer brought this suit to recover the amount of the overpayment in income taxes stated by the Collector of Internal Revenue in his notice and demand.

[566]*5661. On the trial the plaintiff in proof of its case contented itself with the introduction of the Revenue Agent’s report, the deficiency letter of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and the notice and demand of the Collector of Internal Revenue showing the overpayment of income taxes, and with proof of its payment of the asserted deficiency in excess profits tax.

Defendant then undertook to show that the Revenue Agent and the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in his deficiency letter had used an incorrect basis for the depreciation deduction and, hence, that these letters did not establish that a refund was due plaintiff.

For twenty years the taxpayer had been deducting depreciation on the valuation of its assets as carried on its books, and this had been acquiesced in by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. But the Revenue Agent assigned to report on plaintiff’s claim for refund said this was wrong; he said these assets had been entered on the books at an inflated value. Whether or not this has been proven is the issue presented.

The burden of proving that the deficiency letter of the Commissioner and the notice and demand based on it were incorrect is on the defendant. The introduction of the statement in the deficiency letter and in the notice and demand that plaintiff had overpaid its income taxes, unexplained, was sufficient proof of that fact. The burden of proving that the Commissioner of Internal Revenue was in error in making that statement was on the defendant. The issue is, whether or not the defendant has carried that burden.

Raphael T. Garfein, who later changed his name to Gwathmey, was the president of the plaintiff and its sole stockholder, except for qualifying shares. This company was organized on April 19, 1924, and commenced business on April 21, 1924. On April 22, 1924, The Canister Company of New Jersey executed to Garfein a bill of sale of its fiber can business together with the equipment shown on a schedule attached thereto. The consideration was $100,000.00. Twenty-five thousand dollars was paid in cash. The balance was evidenced by ten promissory notes of $7,500.00 each, due [567]*567annually on tlie first of September, beginning September 1, 1925.

It was provided that the agreement might be assigned to a corporation organized by Garfein, upon the happening of which Garfein would be released from personal obligation on the notes. Garfein assigned the bill of sale to plaintiff.

The opening entry on plaintiff’s journal shows assets of $238,085.37 for “machinery, equipment, and inventory as per appraisal,” and cash of $20,000.00. Against this R. T. Gar-fein was credited with $258,085.37. Then he was charged with the $258,085.37, against which a credit was set up of notes assumed by the company of $75,000.00 and common stock issued Garfein of $183,085.37. This was explained as follows: “Stock issued for the business formerly owned by The Canister Co. of N. J. and sold to The Canister Company by R. T. Garfein. Note issue payable equal yearly maturities — First maturity Sept. 1, 1925.” [Italics supplied. ] The bill of sale from The Canister Company of New Jersey to Garfein transfered “the fibre can business conducted by the party of the first part [The Canister Company of New Jersey], together with the good-will thereof, and together with the equipment shown upon Schedule ‘A’ hereto attached.”

It would seem to follow that this company set up on its books at $238,085.37 assets Garfein had purchased for $100,000.00.

They entered them not at cost to Garfein, but at a value at which they had been appraised. Depreciation had been deducted and allowed on this appraised value. This was improper, since they had been acquired from a person who was in control of the corporation immediately after the transfer. In such case depreciation must be computed on the cost to the transferor. Sections 203 (b) (4) and 204 (a) (8) of the Revenue Acts of 1924 and 1926. This is what the Revenue Agent did when he investigated plaintiff’s claim for refund.

Plaintiff, however, says that the certified copy of the bill of sale was improperly admitted in evidence because it was [568]*568not complete, in that Schedule “A”, which listed the equipment purchased, was not attached to the certified copy.

The decisions are not in harmony on whether or not the entire document relied upon must be introduced in evidence. 4 Wigmore on Evidence, sec. 2102; cases cited in 20 Am. Jur. 770. It is certainly the better practice to do so. Whether or not a part only may be introduced depends to some extent on the facts. It is improper, we think, to receive in evidence only a part of a document unless the remainder of it is available or is made available to the other party. It is well settled, at least, that where a party introduces only a part of a document, the other party may introduce so much of the remainder as is competent. Tappan v. Beardsley, 10 Wall. 427, 435; and authorities cited supra. Hence, if the remainder is not available to the other party, a part-only of the document should not be received.

The original of the bill of sale, a copy of which was introduced, was in plaintiff’s possession. If plaintiff thought the omitted portion material to the issue, it was available to it and could have been introduced by it. Under such circumstances we do not think it was erroneous to have received the bill of sale without the schedule.

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Viereck v. United States
3 Cl. Ct. 745 (Court of Claims, 1983)
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257 F.2d 724 (Sixth Circuit, 1958)

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70 F. Supp. 904, 108 Ct. Cl. 558, 35 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 1156, 1947 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 31, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/canister-co-v-united-states-cc-1947.