Colt's Mfg. Co. v. Commissioner

35 T.C. 78, 1960 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 46
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 21, 1960
DocketDocket No. 59184
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 35 T.C. 78 (Colt's Mfg. Co. v. Commissioner) 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
Colt's Mfg. Co. v. Commissioner, 35 T.C. 78, 1960 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 46 (tax 1960).

Opinions

BRUCE, Judge:

The respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner’s income tax for the taxable year 1952 in the amount of $39,227.88. In his deficiency notice respondent allowed a deduction for the additional Connecticut State corporation excise tax which resulted from respondent’s adjustment of petitioner’s net income. By amended answers respondent alleged error in the allowance of this deduction and claimed additional deficiencies in the amounts of $6,395.21 and $3,296.05, making the total amount in controversy $48,919.14.

The issues presented are:

(1) Whether, in the computation of petitioner’s excess profits tax under the invested capital method for the year 1952, petitioner’s reacquired stock is includible in its total assets and inadmissible assets; and

(2) Whether petitioner, an accrual basis taxpayer, is entitled to a deduction for the additional Connecticut State corporation excise tax for 1952 as a result of respondent’s adjustment of petitioner’s income for the year 1952.

BINDINGS or JfAOT.

Some of the facts were stipulated and the stipulation, together with the exhibits attached thereto, is incorporated herein by this reference.

The petitioner, a manufacturer of small arms, was incorporated in 1855 by a special act of the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut as “Colt’s Patent Fire-Anns Manufacturing Company,” and its name changed in 1947 to “Colt’s Manufacturing Company.” Its principal office is in Hartford, Connecticut.

At all times material hereto petitioner kept its books and filed its tax returns on an accrual basis. Petitioner’s Federal income and excess profits tax return for the taxable year 1952 was filed with the district director of internal revenue for the district of Connecticut.

At all times material hereto, petitioner was authorized to issue 400,-000 shares of common stock at a par value of $25 per share, and 200,000 of such 400,000 authorized shares of stock had been issued.

By an act of the January 1923 session of the Connecticut General Assembly (approved April 19, 1923), amending petitioner’s charter, petitioner was authorized, “in the discretion of its directors, [to] purchase and hold shares of its capital stock for the purpose of resale from time to time to employees of the company, provided the shares so held by the company shall at no time exceed five per centum of its capital stock issued and outstanding.”

By an act of the January 1947 session of the General Assembly (approved April 16, 1947), amending petitioner’s charter, petitioner was authorized, “in the discretion of its directors, [to] sell or otherwise dispose of the shares of its capital stock heretofore acquired, pursuant to the [amendment to petitioner’s charter approved April 19, 1923] at such time or times and to such persons, firms or corporations and in such manner as to the said board of directors may seem advisable.” Pursuant to the 1923 act petitioner acquired 4,100 shares of its outstanding stock prior to 1949, at a total cost of $109,394.

Petitioner’s charter was further amended by an act of the general assembly, approved April 25, 1949, which empowered petitioner “to amend its charter in the same manner and to the same extent that a corporation organized under the general corporation law has power to amend its certificate of incorporation.”

Due to the extraordinary business activity in arms manufacture during World War II, petitioner accumulated a large surplus. As of December 31, 1949, the book value or net worth of the petitioner, as shown on its financial statements, was $13,172,829, and its net working capital was $10,320,582, of which at least $7,726,118 was in cash or cash equivalent. For some time prior to 1950, petitioner had been investigating the possibility of distributing part of its surplus funds in such a manner that the receipt thereof by its stockholders would have the minimal tax consequences. In 1948 a group of stockholders commenced solicitation of proxies for the election of directors in opposition to management’s nominees in order to invoke ways and means of directing a distribution of a substantial portion of petitioner’s surplus. Several members of this group were subsequently elected as directors.

At the regular monthly meeting of petitioner’s board of directors held on February 24,1950, it was—

VOTED: That a special meeting of the stockholders of the Company be held on March 29, 1950 * * * for the purpose of acting upon a proposal to authorize the Directors of the Company to purchase or otherwise acquire outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Company and to hold, sell, exchange, transfer or retire said shares, from time to time, to such an extent, in such manner and upon such terms as the Directors may deem advisable; * * *
In connection with the foregoing special meeting of stockholders, the matter of soliciting tenders of stock was given further consideration, * * * and * * * it was
VOTED: That in the notice of stockholders of the special meeting to be held on March 29,1950, the stockholders be advised that in the event the stockholders approve the proposal to be voted on at said special meeting, the Board will shortly thereafter solicit tenders of the Company’s capital stock at prices to be offered by stockholders, but in no event to exceed $53.00 per share * * * and that in purchasing shares of the Company’s capital stock the Board will in no event expend more than $7,000,000 or an amount in excess of a sum which would reduce the operating capital of the Company below an amount adequate for its normal operations; * * *

The regular monthly meeting of petitioner’s hoard of directors held on March 23,1950, passed additional resolutions implementing the submission of the stock tender plan to the stockholders.

The stock tender plan was submitted to a special meeting of the petitioner’s stockholders held March 29,1950, and adopted by the affirmative vote of stockholders holding more than three-fourths of petitioner’s outstanding stock. Petitioner’s directors were expressly authorized:

to purchase or otherwise acquire outstanding shares of the capital stock of the Company and to hold, sell, exchange, transfer or retire said shares, from time to time, to such an extent, in such manner and upon such terms as the Directors may deem advisable.

Pursuant to the approval of petitioner’s stockholders, petitioner, in May 1950, acquired 124,827 shares of its capital stock at a cost of $6,524,167.82. The stock of the stockholders and directors who had opposed management was included in these purchases and said directors did not thereafter actively participate in the management of the corporation.

On July 18, 1951, petitioner acquired assets from Walter P. Jacobs Industries, Inc., in exchange for 8,927 shares of the stock which had been reacquired. On December 18,1952, petitioner retired the 120,000 remaining reacquired shares.

In its books and records petitioner referred to the reacquired stock as treasury stock, and did not treat it as either an asset or a liability. Petitioner did not vote these shares, nor were dividends paid thereon.

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Colt's Mfg. Co. v. Commissioner
35 T.C. 78 (U.S. Tax Court, 1960)

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Bluebook (online)
35 T.C. 78, 1960 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 46, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/colts-mfg-co-v-commissioner-tax-1960.