Cotter v. Commissioner

40 T.C. 506, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 103
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJune 10, 1963
DocketDocket No. 731-62
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 40 T.C. 506 (Cotter 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
Cotter v. Commissioner, 40 T.C. 506, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 103 (tax 1963).

Opinion

OPINION

Scott, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioners’ income tax for the calendar year 1956 in the amount of $6,452.19, and in his answer claimed an increased deficiency in the amount of $357.38 making a total deficiency in controversy of $6,809.57.

The issue for decision is whether at the date of issuance of the notice of deficiency, the period within which respondent might determine a deficiency was open under the provisions of sections 1311 through 1314 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

All of the facts have been stipulated and are found accordingly.

Petitioners, husband and wife residing in Oakland, Calif., filed a joint Federal income tax return for the calendar year 1956 with the district director of internal revenue at San Francisco, Calif.

On Marcli 4, 1955, Ralph E. Cotter, Jr. (hereinafter referred to as petitioner), and Lenore A. Meyer were titleholders of 25 acres of undeveloped farmland as tenants in common, each owning a one-half undivided interest. Petitioner’s basis in Iris share of this land on March 4,1955, was $21,023.08.

The land was deeded on March 4, 1955, to Glenhaven, Inc., a corporation, in exchange for 500 shares of stock of that corporation, petitioner and Meyer each receiving 250 shares. No cash was paid by the corporation to either petitioner or Meyer for, or in connection with, the transfer of the land. Immediately following the exchange of the land for the stock, petitioner and Meyer were the owners of 80 percent of the issued shares of stock of Glenhaven, Inc., which shares possessed 80 percent of the total voting power of the corporation. The corporation carried the land on its books at a value of $100,000.

Petitioners filed an amended Federal income tax return for the year 1955, reporting thereon as long-term capital gain the difference between petitioner’s basis in the land ($21,023.08) and the par value of the 250 shares of stock he received in the exchange ($50,000) and paid the tax on one-half of that amount.

On August 16, 1956, petitioner received the sum of $52,704.52 in exchange for the 235 shares of Glenhaven, Inc., stock that he still owned upon the complete liquidation of the corporation.

Petitioners on their 1956 Federal income tax return reported as long-term capital gain the difference between the amount petitioner received upon the liquidation of the corporation ($52,704.52) and petitioner’s claimed basis in the shares of Glenhaven, Inc., stock he still owned upon that corporation’s liquidation ($47,000), and paid tax on one-half of that amount.

The basis of $47,000 claimed on petitioners’ 1956 Federal income tax return for the Glenhaven, Inc., stock represented the per-share par value of the stock ($200) times the number of shares owned by petitioner (235).

On December 24, 1959, respondent mailed to petitioners a statutory notice of deficiency for the year 1955 determining that the gain realized on the 1955 exchange of land for stock was taxable as ordinary income. Petitioners filed a timely petition with this Court alleging that under the provisions of section 351(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 no gain should be recognized on the exchange of land for stock and that they were entitled to a refund of the tax paid attributable to the long-term capital gain which they had mistakenly reported on the transaction on their 1955 income tax return.

On July 7, 1961, a Memorandum Opinion, T.C. Memo. 1961-202, was rendered in that case determining that the 1955 exchange was within, the nonrecognition provisions of section 851(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. On August 15,1961, the decision of this Court was entered in that case.

Assessment of a deficiency against petitioners for the taxable year 1956 was barred by section 6501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 after April 15,1960.

On February 9, 1962, respondent mailed the statutory notice of deficiency from which the petition herein was filed to petitioners. The 1956 deficiency in the amount of $6,452.19 determined in this notice resulted from increasing petitioner’s long-term capital gain on the liquidation of Glenhaven, Inc., to the amount of $31,513.28. In computing the increased long-term capital gain respondent used as the basis of petitioner’s shares of Glenhaven stock the amount of $22,543.88 which was stated to be petitioner’s cost of the land and computed the basis of the 235 shares which petitioner surrendered on the liquidation to be $21,191.24. The increased deficiency claimed by respondent in his answer results from substituting for the amount shown in the notice of deficiency as the cost of petitioner’s one-half interest in the land, the amount of $21,023.08 which the parties have stipulated to be petitioner’s basis in the land on March 4,1955. Petitioner does not contend that the adjustment made in respondent’s answer is erroneous but contends that any deficiency for the year 1956 is barred by the statute of limitations.

It is respondent’s position that under the provisions of sections 1311, 1312(3) (A), and 1314(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 19541 the notice determining the deficiency for the year 1956 was timely since tlie deficiency resulted from the correction of an error which these sections permit to be made within one year from the date of the determination with respect to the year 1955.

The facts which we have set forth show that there was a decision of this Court with respect to petitioner’s 1955 income tax liability. This decision, if it comes within circumstances listed in section 1312, is a determination as defined in section 1313. On the date this decision was entered, the assertion of a deficiency for the year 1956 was barred by section 6501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. The notice of deficiency for the year 1956 was sent within one year after the date our decision for the year 1955 became final. The crucial question is whether the adjustment made herein by respondent is a permissible one under the provisions of section 1311. Section 1311(a) provides that a determination which will cause the period of limitation for correction of error not to expire for one year from the date thereof must be one described in one or more of the paragraphs of section 1312. Respondent in the instant case contends that the determination for the year 1955 is one described in section 1312(3) (A).2 For section 1312(3) (A) to apply so as to permit the assessment of a deficiency, section 1311(1) (B) prescribes as a necessary condition that petitioners have maintained a position in the determination as to 1955 inconsistent with the erroneous omission of income in 1956. Petitioners contend that they have not maintained such an inconsistent position. We do not agree with this contention. In 1955 petitioner received stock of a value of $50,000 ($200 per share) for land with a basis to him of $21,023.08. The gain on this exchange was excluded from petitioners’ 1955 income because of the nonrecognition provisions of section 351(a).3 In computing their income for 1956, petitioners used $200 per share as a basis for the stock received in the 1955 exchange. The use of the basis of $200 a share for the stock in 1956 is inconsistent with the nonrecognition of gain on the exchange in 1955.

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Cotter v. Commissioner
40 T.C. 506 (U.S. Tax Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
40 T.C. 506, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 103, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cotter-v-commissioner-tax-1963.