Commercial Union Assurance Co. v. Commissioner

1 T.C. 1166, 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 159
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 26, 1943
DocketDocket Nos. 109903, 112303
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 1 T.C. 1166 (Commercial Union Assurance 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
Commercial Union Assurance Co. v. Commissioner, 1 T.C. 1166, 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 159 (tax 1943).

Opinion

OPINION.

Disney, Judge:

These cases, duly consolidated, involve deficiencies determined in income taxes and alleged overpayments claimed as follows:

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The questions presented (identical as to each year) involve the deductibility by a foreign insurance company of business expenses., interest paid, and income taxes paid to a foreign country. The facts were stipulated in writing, a separate stipulation being filed for each of the taxable years. They are, however, identical, except for the figures contained. In material part the stipulation for the year 1938 (and for 1939, except for the use of different figures) is as follows:

I.
The petitioner is a foreign corporation, organized and existing under the laws of Great Britain. During the year 1938 it was engaged in the fire and marine insurance business within the United States, maintaining its principal United States office in New York City; and it was engaged in the business of fire, marine, accident and life insurance at one or more places outside the United States. It commenced business in the United States in 1871. In 1938 the petitioner was subject to United States income tax as an insurance company other than life or mutual as defined in Section 204 of the Revenue Act of 1938.
II.
In connection with the transaction of its fire and marine insurance business (including the investment of funds relating thereto), the petitioner incurred and paid ordinary and necessary business expenses of £62,728 in 1938 at its Home Office in London, England, which were connected with its income from sources within the United States but could not definitely be allocated thereto. For the purpose of apportioning the said expenses to United States income, the petitioner’s gross income from sources within the United States was $6,154,722.21 or $5,582,020.93 or some intermediate figure, depending upon the correctness of including therein (1) interest as follows: (a) $35,882.08 from United States Treasury Bonds, (b) $4,174.89 from United States Treasury Notes, (c) $11,156.25 from Home Owners’ Loan Corporation Bonds, Series “F” and “G”, (d) $311. from Reconstruction Finance Corporation Notes, Series “N”, (e) $29,370.22 from bonds of various States of the United States or political subdivisions thereof, or total interest of $80,894.44, and (2) $491,806.84, representing 85 percent of the amount of dividends received by the petitioner from domestic corporations which were subject to taxation under Title I of the Revenue Act of 1938 (the petitioner was not subject to United States tax on any of the six items so excluded from the petitioner’s gross income from sources within the United States); and the gross income from all sources of the petitioner’s fire and marine departments was $17,875,569.67, which included all income from sources within the United States. The respondent allowed the petitioner a deduction of $90,884.23 for unallocable Home Office expenses, computed by applying to £62,728 the ratio of $5,582,020.93 to $17,875,569.67. The parties are agreed that the respondent’s computation was correct if none of the items described in (1) and (2) above was properly includible in gross income from sources within the United States for purposes of computing the applicable ratio. Otherwise, upon the Court’s determination that one or more of such items was properly includible, the parties will agree upon the amount of the deduction.
III.
As a British corporation the petitioner is subject to British income tax upon its income and profits from all sources, including its income from sources within the United States. The petitioner incurred and paid a standard British income tax liability of £174,025 upon the 1938 income and profits from all sources of its Fire, Marine and Accident Departments; and it incurred and paid a liability of £25,753 for National Defence Contribution, an additional British income tax imposed upon such income and profits. Each of such liabilities was connected with the petitioner’s income from sources within the United States but could not definitely be allocated thereto. For the purpose of apportioning such British income tax liabilities to United States income, the petitioner’s gross income from sources within the United States was as stated in paragraph II hereof; and the gross income from all sources of its Fire, Marine and Accident Departments was $22,353,543.32,
IV.
During 1938 the petitioner had outstanding three issues of securities called “Union Debenture Stock,” “West of Scotland Debenture Stock” and “British General Debenture Stock”, the aggregate par or face value of which varied from £1,469,884 at the beginning of the year to £1,467,121 at the end of the year. The “Union Debenture Stock” was issued in 1907 for the purpose of raising funds for the petitioner to acquire the outstanding stock of the Union Assurance Society, Ltd., a British insurance corporation which is engaged in business in various parts of the world including the United States. The “West of Scotland Debenture Stock” and “British General Debenture Stock” were issued in 1924 and 1926, respectively, for the purpose of raising funds for the petitioner to acquire the outstanding stock of the West of Scotland Insurance Co., Ltd., and the British General Insurance Co., Ltd., respectively, each of which is a British insurance corporation. The West of Scotland Insurance Co., Ltd. has never engaged in business in the United States; the British General Insurance Co., Ltd. is engaged in business in various parts of the world including the United States. No part of the income of these three companies was included in the petitioner’s income either from sources within the United States or elsewhere; the petitioner paid no tax thereon, and no part thereof was included in the net income upon which the deficiency herein asserted was computed. Shortly after each issuance the petitioner did acquire substantially all the stock of each such company as respectively named above.
In 1938 the petitioner incurred and paid interest of £15,480 on its outstanding “Union Debenture Stock,” £17,721 on its outstanding “West of Scotland Debenture Stock” and £18,975 on its outstanding “British General Debenture Stock”, or total interest of £52,176.

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Commercial Union Assurance Co. v. Commissioner
1 T.C. 1166 (U.S. Tax Court, 1943)

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Bluebook (online)
1 T.C. 1166, 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 159, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/commercial-union-assurance-co-v-commissioner-tax-1943.