D'Angelo Assoc., Inc. v. Commissioner

70 T.C. No. 12, 70 T.C. 121, 1978 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 129
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 2, 1978
DocketDocket No. 4020-75
StatusPublished
Cited by20 cases

This text of 70 T.C. No. 12 (D'Angelo Assoc., 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
D'Angelo Assoc., Inc. v. Commissioner, 70 T.C. No. 12, 70 T.C. 121, 1978 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 129 (tax 1978).

Opinion

Wilbur, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner’s Federal income tax for the taxable year ended June 30, 1970, in the amount of $1,453.44. Because of concessions made by the parties, the following questions remain for our decision:

(1) What is the proper basis for depreciating assets petitioner acquired shortly after incorporation. This question turns upon whether the transfer of these assets to petitioner constituted a nontaxable exchange within the provisions of section 351(a).1

(2) Whether the premiums paid by petitioner for insurance on the life of Dr. Joseph P. D’Angelo are an ordinary and necessary expense of petitioner deductible under section 162(a).

(3) To what extent expenses claimed with respect to the operation of vehicles owned by petitioner are deductible under sections 162(a) and 167(a).

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts, together with the attached exhibits, are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner D’Angelo Associates, Inc.,,is a New York corporation having its principal place of business in Buffalo, N. Y., at the time the petition herein was filed. Petitioner employs the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting and timely filed its Federal corporate income tax return for its fiscal year ended June 30, 1970, with the Internal Revenue Service Center at Andover, Mass.

Petitioner was incorporated on or about June 21, 1960, by Harry T. Dixon, Anthony J. DeMarie, and Norman A. Szymon-iak. Upon incorporation, or shortly thereafter, the three qualifying shares owned by Dixon, DeMarie, and Szymoniak were retired, and petitioner issued 60 shares of no-par-value common stock. At the direction of Dr. and Mrs. D’Angelo, 10 of these 60 shares were issued to Mrs. D’Angelo, and the remaining 50 shares were issued in the names of the five D’Angelo children, 10 shares to each, who at the time of issuance were aged 12,10, 9, 8, and 6. The shares issued to the D’Angelo children were, and have been, held in trust for them by Dr. D’Angelo under the New York State Uniform Gifts to Minors Act.2

These 60 shares were issued in consideration for $15,000 cash transferred to the corporation by Dr. D’Angelo. This cash was partly from his earnings as a dentist and partly from a $45,000 mortgage loan obtained during March 1960 by Dr. and Mrs. D’Angelo.

As the children have reached their majority, their shares have been issued to them, and except as previously stated, there have to date been no changes in the stockholdings in petitioner. From the time of its formation to the time of trial, petitioner paid no dividends to its shareholders, nor did it pay any salaries to its officers.

On or about June 30, 1960, a few days after petitioner’s incorporation, the following property was transferred to petitioner by Dr. and Mrs. D’Angelo:

Depreciation claimed
Date of through June Adjusted Price to Property acquisition Cost 30, I960 basis petitioner
810 Abbott property1: 2/4/53 $98,000.00 $12,150.00 $85,850.00 $135,000
Land and improvements
Various office equipment 1949-59 19,066.36 13,617.11 5,449.25 15,000
Air conditioning system 1960 5,986.00 5,986.00 5,986

The consideration received by the D’Angelos in exchange for these properties totaled $155,986.03,3 which consisted of $15,000 cash; the assumption by petitioner of a $44,258.18 liability remaining with respect to a $45,000 mortgage on the 810 Abbott property; and the issuance on June 30, 1960, of an interest-bearing (6-percent) corporate note, payable upon demand to Dr. D’Angelo in the principal amount of $96,727.85. Petitioner also issued on June 30, 1960, for an unspecified consideration, a 6-percent corporate note payable upon demand to Dr. D’Angelo in the principal amount of $15,000. The gain from the June 30, 1960, transfer of property was reported by Dr. D’Angelo and his spouse on their joint Federal income tax return for 1960 as a long-term capital gain in the amount of $58,700.25. This capital gain was entirely consumed by virtue of long-term capital loss carryovers from prior taxable years in excess of $100,000.

The 810 Abbott property which was transferred to petitioner in June 1960 is improved real property. This property is comprised of three contiguous city lots located in Buffalo, N. Y., and was acquired on December 4, 1953, by Dr. D’Angelo. Sometime thereafter and prior to 1959, Dr. D’Angelo had constructed on the center lot a two-story building, including basement, with portions of the three lots being improved for use as parking lots. Dr. D’Angelo, at all times here pertinent, used and occupied these premises as a medical center and for his dental practice, leasing portions of the building from petitioner after the June 1960 transfer, at first individually and later doing business as the Dade Dental Hospital. Portions of the building not leased to Dr. D’Angelo or his Dade Dental Hospital were leased by petitioner to other medical practitioners and entrepreneurs providing principally medical support services.

On March 16, 1959, Dr. D’Angelo transferred title to the 810 Abbott property to Grace; no consideration was given Dr. D’Angelo for this transfer. On March 31, 1960, Dr. and Mrs. D’Angelo obtained a loan in the amount of $45,000 from the Manufacturers & Traders Trust Co. of Buffalo, N. Y. (hereinafter the M. & T. Bank), the loan being secured by a mortgage on the 810 Abbott property. It was this liability that was assumed by the petitioner as part of the consideration for the June 1960 transfer of property to petitioner, and satisfied ultimately by petitioner during April 1968.

For many years Dr. D’Angelo envisioned the development of a specialized facility to provide dental care and treatment to persons whose handicaps prevented effective treatment in a normal office environment. In order to transform Dr. D’Angelo’s office located at the 810 Abbott property into such a facility, considerable capital was required. Therefore, on or about August 8, 1962, Dr. D’Angelo (doing business as Dade Dental Hospital) applied to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a loan in the principal amount of not less than $75,000 for the purpose of undertaking such a project. This initial application was rejected by the SBA.

Upon resubmission of the loan application and its reconsideration, the SBA in August 1963 issued its authorization for SBA participation in the financing. Under the terms of the authorization, $7,500 of the principal amount was provided by the SBA at 6-percent interest, and the balance was provided by the M. & T. Bank at the rate of 4-percent interest. The proceeds of the loan were used by Dr. D’Angelo as follows: $25,900 to complete building alterations to the 810 Abbott property; $28,500 to retire installment loans of Dr. D’Angelo and his affiliates, including $9,000 to cover repayment of some interim financing; and the balance for operating expenses of the Dade Dental Hospital.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Bell v. Comm'r
2015 T.C. Memo. 111 (U.S. Tax Court, 2015)
Principal Life Insurance v. United States
70 Fed. Cl. 144 (Federal Claims, 2006)
Norman E. Duquette Inc. v. Commissioner
2001 T.C. Memo. 3 (U.S. Tax Court, 2001)
Del Commer. Properties, Inc. v. Commissioner
1999 T.C. Memo. 411 (U.S. Tax Court, 1999)
Gunther v. Commissioner
92 T.C. No. 5 (U.S. Tax Court, 1989)
Ainsworth v. Commissioner
1987 T.C. Memo. 398 (U.S. Tax Court, 1987)
Lagerquist v. Commissioner
1987 T.C. Memo. 185 (U.S. Tax Court, 1987)
Packard v. Commissioner
85 T.C. No. 23 (U.S. Tax Court, 1985)
Carbine v. Commissioner
83 T.C. No. 23 (U.S. Tax Court, 1984)
Whitcomb v. Commissioner
81 T.C. No. 30 (U.S. Tax Court, 1983)
Tyler v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 160 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Battaglia v. Commissioner
1981 T.C. Memo. 451 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
Borggaard v. Commissioner
1979 T.C. Memo. 458 (U.S. Tax Court, 1979)
D'Angelo Assoc., Inc. v. Commissioner
70 T.C. No. 12 (U.S. Tax Court, 1978)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
70 T.C. No. 12, 70 T.C. 121, 1978 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dangelo-assoc-inc-v-commissioner-tax-1978.