Decker v. United States

244 F. Supp. 31, 16 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5488, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9068
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Iowa
DecidedJuly 26, 1965
DocketCiv. No. 908
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 244 F. Supp. 31 (Decker v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Decker v. United States, 244 F. Supp. 31, 16 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5488, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9068 (N.D. Iowa 1965).

Opinion

HANSON, District Judge.

This is a suit for the refund of income taxes and assessed interest in the amount of $20,579.83 for the year 1956 and for the allowance of a loss carryback to the year 1954. Plaintiffs also ask for interest on the amount as provided by law. Mrs. Decker is a party to this action by virtue of having filed joint tax returns with her husband, Loren A. Decker. During the period involved, Loren A. Decker owned and operated Decker Truck Line as a sole proprietorship.

The court has jurisdiction of this cause by virtue of Section 1346(a) (1) of Title 28, United States Code, and Section 7422 of the Internal Revenue Code. The parties filed a Stipulation of Facts and the same is incorporated herein.

The plaintiff Loren A. Decker made the disputed loans to a company known as the Glass-Craft Company in the stipulated amount of $43,900.00. The Glass-[32]*32Craft Company burned down and was uninsured. As a result of the fire, the debt became uncollectible. The United States claims that this sum cannot be deducted as a business bad debt and that it was not a loan.

The Glass-Craft Company was originally organized in 1953 by Oral Musick, Willard Musick, and Ray Bennett to build and sell fiberglass boats.

At the time of the organization of the company in June 1953, the two Musicks and Bennett each contributed $1,000 in cash and a total of $1,668.50 in tools, materials and equipment. They made further cash contributions from time to time, until by no later than October 16, 1953, they had contributed a total of $13,270.00.

In October of 1953, the taxpayer bought a one-fourth interest in the business for $10,000.00. He paid this amount with two $5,000.00 checks, one dated October 24, 1953, and one dated December 12,1953.

The parties have stipulated that the advances totalled $43,900.00 exclusive of the amount paid for stock. The first note was given sometime late in 1954 or early in 1955 when the taxpayer and the Musicks calculated that the advances had totalled about $40,000.00.

Interest was decided upon at the time the first note was given, at which time it was agreed that the. taxpayer would receive 5% interest, which the parties believed to be the prevailing rate in the area at that time. On occasions the taxpayer asked about the repayment of the money or interest on the money. At such times it was explained and agreed that the business could not really afford to part with the money at that time and that if the taxpayer took the money it would have to be replaced from some other source or the operation would have to be curtailed.

The court in this case cannot help but find and conclude that the $43,-900.00 paid by Decker to Glass-Craft was a loan and not a contribution to capital. As the Government contends, this is a question of fact and the taxpayer has the burden of proof. Matthiessen v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 2 Cir., 194 F.2d 659; White v. United States, 305 U.S. 281, 59 S.Ct. 179, 83 L.Ed. 172.

The Government accepts the fact that the transactions were loans in the sense that laymen would consider them to be loans. In their brief, the Government states: “The Government accepts the testimony that when the ‘advances’ were made it was not considered that the taxpayer was thereby increasing his share of ownership. We agree that the parties expected the money to be eventually repaid. Indeed, considering that the parties undoubtedly believed, as laymen, that payments to a corporation had to be either capital investments, which by their nature increased the payor’s share of ownership, or loans, we accept the statement that they believed the payments to have been loans.”

The Government apparently does concede that the intent of the parties is a major fact especially where, as in this case, the intent was clearly not an artificial intent designed to avoid tax consequences. The Government sets out in its brief the language to that effect in American-La France-Foamite Corporation v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 2 Cir., 284 F.2d 723.

The Government contends that the amounts were not loans because they fail to meet the characteristics of a “classic debt” as set out in Gilbert v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 2 Cir., 248 F.2d 399. The Government contends there must be (1) an unqualified promise to pay; (2) a sum certain; (3) a reasonably close maturity date; (4) a fixed percentage in interest; and (5) payable regardless of the debtor’s income or lack thereof. The Government states also that “ * * * Some variation from this formula is not fatal to the taxpayer’s effort to have the ‘advance’ treated as a debt for tax purposes.” The court finds as a fact that the loans in this case were intended to be loans and that the loans substantially [33]*33meet the requirements of a so-called “classic debt.” The amount was quite certain. It was a large amount. It could be ascertained within a few dollars one way or the other. The Government stipulated to the amount. Interest unquestionably was to be paid. The Government concedes that it was not intended that Decker’s ownership was to be increased. While the loan was not actually secured by a mortgage, up to the time of the fire there was property in the Glass-Craft Company which could make Decker feel secure. There is no indication that any loss would have been sustained if but for the fire which destroyed the Glass-Craft property. It does seem clear also that the parties intended a reasonably close maturity date for the loan. At any rate, some loans are long term and this is not uncommon.

On the issue of the loan, the taxpayer contends that the Government never raised this issue at a time when it would have been possible to ascertain more clearly the evidence on this point. The taxpayer believes that the Government should for that reason be estopped to raise the issue. While there appears to be some merit in this contention, the court does not need to decide the issue on that basis. Clearly, the facts show the transaction was a loan even under the legal tests contended for by the Government. It is by no means clear that the United States is correct in giving suck a technical meaning to the word “loan.” In tax cases, words usually should be applied according to their everyday senses. Hanover Bank v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 369 U.S. 672, 687, 82 S.Ct. 1080, 8 L.Ed.2d 187; Bookwalter v. Mayer, 345 F.2d 476 (8th Cir.).

The Government states: “The business with which the taxpayer must associate these loans is his freight business, since he was in no other.” The court does find that the plaintiff, taxpayer, was in the freight business. Supreme Court decisions cited on this point are: Higgins v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 312 U.S. 212, 61 S.Ct. 475, 85 L.Ed. 783; Dalton v. Bowers, 287 U.S. 404, 53 S.Ct. 205, 77 L.Ed. 389; Deputy v. Du Pont, 308 U.S. 488, 60 S.Ct. 363, 84 L.Ed.

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Bluebook (online)
244 F. Supp. 31, 16 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5488, 1965 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9068, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/decker-v-united-states-iand-1965.