Central Nat'l Bank v. Commissioner

29 B.T.A. 719, 1934 BTA LEXIS 1493
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedJanuary 10, 1934
DocketDocket No. 59285.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 29 B.T.A. 719 (Central Nat'l Bank v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Board of Tax Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Central Nat'l Bank v. Commissioner, 29 B.T.A. 719, 1934 BTA LEXIS 1493 (bta 1934).

Opinion

[725]*725OPINION.

Matthews :

A motion to dismiss this proceeding for lack of jurisdiction was filed by respondent prior to the expiration of the time for filing his answer. A hearing was had on the motion and upon consideration it was denied for the reason that under the authorities, National Bank v. Insurance Co., 104 U.S. 54; Central Natl. Bank of Missouri, 11 B.T.A. 1017, a national bank which goes into voluntary liquidation continues to exist as a body corporate, capable of suing or being sued until its affairs are completely settled.

[726]*726The petitioner contends that the transaction set forth in our findings of fact was a “ reorganization ” within the meaning of the Revenue Act of 1928 and, as such, nontaxable. The pertinent provisions of the Revenue Act of 1928, which are applicable here, are set out in the margin.1

Petitioner argues that, as a party to a reorganization, it exchanged its assets for 500 shares of stock in the First Rational at an agreed valuation of $110,000, plus $290,000 in cash, which under the plan of reorganization the petitioner distributed to its stockholders in liquidation. The respondent contends that the transaction was a sale by petitioner of its assets for $400,000 cash and that on such transaction a gain of $70,549.29 was realized, relying on sections 111 (a) and 112 (a), (b) (4), and (d) (1). The sum in question represents the amount agreed upon by petitioner and the First Rational in the transfer as value of petitioner’s good will. Petitioner contends in the alternative that even if this were not a reorganization, but a sale, the sum in question did not represent gain to petitioner, but the consideration paid by the First Rational for petitioner’s good will, alleged to have a value not less than this sum on March 1, 1913. Respondent in his determination allowed no March 1, 1913, value for good will.

[727]*7271. We shall consider the nature of the transfer first, for, if petitioner is correct in its contention on this score, we need not trouble with the second question. The respondent-bases his contention that the transaction was a sale on the rule laid down by the Supreme-Court in Pinellas Ice & Cold Storage Co. v. Commissioner, 287 U.S. 462. In that case all of the petitioner’s assets were transferred by a contract of sale to a corporation which paid over to petitioner about one third of the purchase price in cash and gave petitioner short term promissory notes for the balance. Petitioner distributed to its stockholders the cash received and the proceeds of the notes as they were paid. The petitioner sought to bring this within the reorganization provisions of the Revenue Act of 1926, but the Supreme Court, affirming the court below and this Board, held that short-term notes “ were not securities within the intendment of the act and were properly regarded as the equivalent of cash.” Since the petitioner exchanged its property not “ solely for stock or securities in another corporation a party to the reorganization” (§203 (b) (3)), for petitioner received cash and notes, and not for stock or securities and “ also * * ⅜ other property or money ” (within the proviso of §203 (e), the notes being obviously not “ stock ” and not reasonably to be regarded as “ securities ”), it followed that the transaction did not fall within the reorganization provisions exempting from taxation on exchanges and would therefore reflect a taxable gain. The acceptance of a contrary view, it was said, “would make evasion of taxation very easy.”

Was that the situation here? The corresponding provisions of the 1928 Revenue Act, section 112 (b) (4), (c), and (d), are identical with those of the Revenue Act of 1926.

Petitioner relies upon Stock Yards Bank of Cincinnati, 25 B.T.A. 964, where an Ohio bank, forbidden by law to purchase stock of any other bank in the state, appointed nominees, lent them cash without interest, and authorized them to buy all the capital stock, at $400 a share, of another Ohio bank. When this had been dons, the purchasing bank took over all the assets and liabilities of the selling bank and liquidated it. The Board held that, while the purchase of the petitioner bank’s stock might have been an ultra vires act under state law, the purchase by the bank’s nominees was in substance a purchase by the bank, and the transfer of petitioner’s assets to the purchasing bank, its sole stockholder, therefore, while in form a sale of assets, was nothing more than a distribution of assets by petitioner in complete liquidation. The Board did not adopt petitioner’s argument that this was a reorganization under the 1926 Revenue Act, but held for the petitioner on the ground that the transaction was nontaxable as a complete liquidation of petitioner [728]*728under section 201 (c), Revenue Act of 1926, by which the petitioner received no consideration for its assets from the purchasing bank.

When we apply the analogy of that case to the present one, we find important differences. Here there was no purchase of petitioner’s stock by the First National, either directly (not permissible under the National Bank laws) or indirectly through nominees. There was executed between the two banks only one instrument, which purported to be a contract of sale and by which petitioner was to convey to the First National all its assets and First National was to assume all liabilities and pay therefor “to Central National Bank ”, not to petitioner’s stockholders, it will be noted, the sum of $400,000. Petitioner’s stockholders (the necessary two thirds) by the same instrument were required to vote for liquidation of petitioner. First National never owned in name or fact petitioner’s stock. The transfer of petitioner’s assets to the First National, therefore, can scarcely be regarded as the liquidation by the First National of property over which it exercised legal ownership and control.

We pass to the next case upon which petitioner relies, National Pipe & Foundry Co., 19 B.T.A. 242, in which this Board held the transaction a reorganization under the 1926 Act, and, the distribution of proceeds having been made by petitioner to its stockholders, nontaxable under section 203 (e) (1). In that case the petitioner corporation contracted to transfer its assets and liabilities to another new corporation, petitioner’s preferred stockholders to receive par value for their shares, and petitioner’s common stockholders to receive cash and so many shares of preferred stock in the new corporation. The cash and new shares were distributed by petitioner to its stockholders on receipt. The petitioner’s stockholders in their written contract bound themselves to receive shares and cash, as stated, of the new corporation in exchange for shares and assets of petitioner. Cf. Fred Barker, 28 B.T.A. 657, in which, under like circumstances, we held a reorganization had been effected.

To state the National Pipe & Foundry Co. case is to show its variance from the case at bar. The only contract between petitioner and the First National, as stated, binds petitioner, on its part, to transfer all its assets to the First National and to liquidate itself; on the First National’s part, to pay to petitioner $400,000 cash and assume petitioner’s liabilities. Nothing more.

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Related

Ballwood Co. v. Commissioner
30 B.T.A. 644 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1934)
Central Nat'l Bank v. Commissioner
29 B.T.A. 719 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1934)

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Bluebook (online)
29 B.T.A. 719, 1934 BTA LEXIS 1493, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/central-natl-bank-v-commissioner-bta-1934.