Curtis Electro Lighting, Inc. v. Commissioner

60 T.C. No. 67, 60 T.C. 633, 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 88
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 30, 1973
DocketDocket No. 1933-70
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 60 T.C. No. 67 (Curtis Electro Lighting, Inc. 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
Curtis Electro Lighting, Inc. v. Commissioner, 60 T.C. No. 67, 60 T.C. 633, 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 88 (tax 1973).

Opinion

Featherston, Judge:

Kespondent determined deficiencies in petitioner’s income tax as follows:

Year Deficiency 1957 _ $52, 090.27 1958 _ 79,288.38 1959 _ 69, 376. 35 1960 _ 4,908. 82 Year Deficiency 1963 _$101,185.35 1964 _ 84, 816. 75 1965 _ 76, 818. 78

Several adjustments placed in issue by the pleadings have been settled, and the only issue remaining for decision is whether, under section 451(a),1- the proceeds of business interruption insurance are includable in the gross income of petitioner, an accrual basis taxpayer, in 1960, when a fire in its plant caused a temporary cessation of its business, or in 1961, when the insurance proceeds were received.2

FINDINGS OF FACT

Petitioner Curtis Electro Lighting, Inc., is a corporation organized under the laws of Illinois. At the time its petition was filed in this proceeding, its principal office was located in Chicago, Ill. Its corporate income tax returns for the calendar years 1957, 1958,1959, 1960,1963, 1964, and 1965 were prepared on the accrual method of accounting and filed with the district director of internal revenue at Chicago, Ill.

Petitioner is engaged in the manufacture and sale of commercial and industrial lighting fixtures and other electrical appliances for home use.

On May 3, 1960, petitioner sustained a substantial fire loss to its plant and facilities located at 1535 South Paulina Street in Chicago. The fire destroyed petitioner’s fixed assets and inventory and interrupted its manufacturing operations. As a result of the fire, petitioner was forced to move its operations across the street to space subleased from Borg-Warner Corp. At the time of the fire, petitioner carried policies of insurance against loss from business interruption as well as loss from damage to inventory, fixtures, and the like.

On May 7, 1960, petitioner entered into an agreement with the Underwriters Salvage Co. of Chicago (hereinafter referred to as Underwriters) whereby Underwriters agreed to salvage and sell certain items of petitioner’s inventory which were damaged as a result of the fire. For its services, Underwriters was to be paid a commission of 10 percent of the gross sales price. On May 25, 1960, petitioner entered into another agreement with Underwriters whereby it agreed to retain custody of the inventory salvaged 'by Underwriters for 30 percent of the cost. Payment for the salvaged inventory was to be made at the same time petitioner was to be paid by the insurance companies.

Under an agreement dated May 12, 1960, petitioner retained the services of Fienk & Fienk to serve as a public adjuster to assist it in the settlement of its losses arising from the fire. The fee to be paid Fienk & Fienk was dependent upon the amount collected from all the insurance companies involved and was to be computed in accordance with a table specified in the agreement.

On June 16, 1960, Frank L. Erion Co. (Erion), insurance adjusters, wrote to Associated Agencies, Inc., the insurance carriers’ representative, and requested that petitioner present its claim for business interruption.

By letter dated July 1,1960, Fienk & Fienk forwarded to petitioner proofs of its loss on furniture, fixtures, and machinery totaling $40,466. On August 22,1960, a proof of inventory loss was submitted.

In a letter dated August 24,1960, addressed to Associated Agencies, Inc., Erion again requested that petitioner present its claim for business interruption.

On September 28, 1960, petitioner received $12,485.56 as a result of the sale of its damaged inventory.

In substantiation of its claim for business interruption insurance, petitioner prepared and submitted an estimated loss calculation in the amount of $682,199.20, reflecting a total suspension of its business for 8 months. This calculation was based upon net sales during the period from May to December in 1959, the year previous to the fire. In a letter dated October 10, I960, to Associated Agencies, Inc., Erion advised that petitioner’s business interruption claim was being checked by adjusters.

N. J. Baker (Baker), a certified public accountant, was retained by Erion to study petitioner’s calculations of its business interruption loss and to prepare a countercomputation on behalf of the insurance companies. Baker submitted a calculation of the loss based on a partial suspension of the business for 5 months, reflecting the loss to be $204,770.14. Baker also prepared a reconciliation of his calculation of the loss with that submitted by petitioner.

At this point, petitioner submitted a new loss calculation based on a partial suspension of business operations for 6 months. This calculation measured the loss at $508,488.65.

Baker then prepared a new loss calculation based on a partial suspension of petitioner’s business for 6 months, reflecting a loss of $302,052.66. He also prepared a reconciliation of his calculation with petitioner’s computation based on a 6-month, partial suspension of business. In response, petitioner prepared its objections to Baker’s calculations, showing a difference of $144,063.32 which was attributable to numerous items. These objections reflect that the dispute between the parties as to some items related only to the amount of the allowance but, as to others, involved the propriety of any adjustment at all.

In a letter dated January 18,1961, Erion advised Associated Agencies, Inc., that it was expected that matters concerning petitioner’s claim would be concluded by January 31,1961.

On January 25, 1961, agreement was reached on the proof of loss concerning petitioner’s claim for business interruption. In a letter dated January 31,1961, Erion advised Associated Agencies, Inc., that the amount of the concluded adjustment was $340,097.84 and submitted, along with the closing papers, its recommendation that payment be made to petitioner in that amount.

Between February 10 and March 20, 1961, petitioner received checks from Associated Agencies, Inc., totaling $340,098.34,3 as payment on its claim for loss for business interruption due to the fire.

In its income tax return for 1960, petitioner reported a loss of $334,715.04. Its reported cost of goods sold reflects a reduction of $458,496.13, representing “Insurance Recovery on Goods Lost in Fire, May 3,1960.” A casualty deduction of $234,404.30 was claimed with the following explanatory note: “On May 3, 1960 the taxpayer’s factory was destroyed by fire. The amount deducted represents the excess of loss over insurance recovery to December 31,1960.”

In its income tax return for 1961, petitioner included in gross income “Insurance Recoveries” of $340,097.84, the amount of the business interruption insurance here in dispute. This item is reflected in Schedule M attached as a part of the 1961 return as an adjustment for tax purposes which was not recorded on petitioner’s books.

The notice of deficiency issued to petitioner contains the following:

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Related

Central Tablet Manufacturing Co. v. United States
417 U.S. 673 (Supreme Court, 1974)
Curtis Electro Lighting, Inc. v. Commissioner
60 T.C. No. 67 (U.S. Tax Court, 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
60 T.C. No. 67, 60 T.C. 633, 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 88, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/curtis-electro-lighting-inc-v-commissioner-tax-1973.