Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. v. Commissioner

69 F.2d 768, 13 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 795, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 3658, 1934 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) 9200
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
DecidedMarch 24, 1934
DocketNo. 7039
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 69 F.2d 768 (Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dr. Pepper Bottling Co. v. Commissioner, 69 F.2d 768, 13 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 795, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 3658, 1934 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) 9200 (5th Cir. 1934).

Opinion

WALKER, Circuit Judge.

By petition for review of an order of the Board of Tax Appeals redetermining a deficiency in federal income tax against the petitioner for the period from January 4, 1926, to December 31, 192.6, petitioner, Dr. Pepper Bottling Company, complains of a ruling of that Board that the filing by Dr. Pepper Company in September, 1926, of a separate income tax return for the period from January 1,1926, to June 301,1926, operated as a choice, binding upon the petitioner, to file a separate return for that year, instead of a consolidated return for Dr. Pepper Company, the petitioner and Circle “A” Ginger Ale Company.

The Dr. Pepper Company (herein referred to as the parent company) was organized as a corporation in July, 1923, to engage in the manufacture, bottling, and distribution of soft drinks. It adopted a fiscal year ending June 30th, for accounting purposes, and filed its income tax returns upon that basis. The petitioner and Circle “A” Ginger Ale Company were incorporated on January 4,1926, and the entire capital stock of each of those corporations then was issued to the parent company in exchange for the assets transferred by the parent company to those corporations, respectively. In September, 1926, the parent company filed its income tax return for its fiscal year ending June 30,1926. That return did not include the earnings of the petitioner or Circle “A” Ginger Ale Company, and the answer to the question embodied in the return, “Is this a consolidated return?” was “No.” On October 21, 1926, the parent company made application to the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to change its accounting period from the taxable year ending June 30th to the taxable year ending December 31, 1926. Question 5 contained in that application and the answer thereto were as follows: “5. If a corporation, was a consolidated return filed for the taxable year 1922 or thereafter? No. If the answer is ‘Yes’ list on the reverse side the names of the corporations composing the affiliated group.” Question 8 contained in that application and the answer thereto were as follows: “8. Give reasons why the change is desired. We are manufacturers of carbonated beverages. June 30 comes during the period of greatest business, while at December 31 the business is light, and we wish to close our books after the summer and fall business.” That application of the parent company was granted by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue on November 6, 1926. The parent company and its subsidiaries, the petitioner and Circle “A” Ginger Ale Company, on March 15,1927, filed a consolidated income tax return, including therein the gross income and deductions of the parent company for the six months ending December 31,1926, and the gross income and deductions of petitioner and Circle “A” Ginger Ale Company for the period from January 4, 1926, to December 31, 1926. The findings of fact made by the Board of Tax Appeals included the following: “Upon their incorporation each subsidiary adopted the calendar year as its accounting period. The officers of the three affiliates intended and [769]*769desired to make the corporate income tax returns upon a consolidated basis, and petitioner has consistently filed its returns upon that basis.”

Section 240 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1926 (44 Stat. 46) provides as follows: “Corporations which are affiliated within the meaning of this section may, for any taxable year, make separate returns or, under regulations prescribed by the Commissioner with the approval of the Secretary, make a consolidated return of net income for the purpose of this chapter, in which case the taxes thereunder shall be computed and determined upon the basis of such return. If return is made on either of such bases, all returns thereafter made shall be upon the same basis unless permission to change the basis is granted by the commissioner.” 26 USCA § 993 (a). Article 632 of amended Treasury Regulations 69, promulgated under the Revenue Act of 1926, contains the following: “Affiliated corporations as defined hv section 240 (d) and the second sentence of article 633, irrespective of the basis upon which returns were filed for 3 025 under section 240 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1926, may for 1926 elect to make separate returns or file a consolidated return in which will be reported the consolidated net income of the affiliated group. If return is made upon either of these bases for 1926, all subsequent returns must be made upon the same basis except as permission to change may be granted by the Commissioner.”

Where one of several affiliated corporations, especially if it is the one having dominant control, elects to file a separate income tax return by filing such a return, the other affiliated corporations are deprived of tlio right to file a consolidated return in the absence of a granting by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue of a permission to do so. Duke Power Co. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue (C. C. A.) 44 F. (2d) 543, certiorari denied 282 U. S. 903, 51 S. Ct. 217, 75 L. Ed. 795. The right of choice or election to file one or the other kind of return is exercised by filing the return. Radiant Glass Co. v. Burnet, 60 App. D. C. 351, 54 F.(2d) 718; Lucas v. St. Louis National Baseball Club (C. C. A.) 42 F.(2d) 984; Rose v. Grant (C. C. A.) 39 F. (2d) 340. There was no necessity or occasion for the parent company filing a separate return for the six months ending June 30, 3926, as it was open to it, upon the granting of an application try it for permission to do so, to file a consolidated return for itself and its affiliates for the part of the fiscal year ending June 30, 1926', "during which the aflüiation existed. Lucas v. St. Louis National Baseball Club, supra. Instead of applying for such permission, the parent company filed a separate return, and when thereafter it sought permission to change to" the calendar year method of reporting income, its answers to questions contained in its application indicated the absence of any intention or desire to file a consolidated return instead of a separate one.

The petitioner contends that the filing of the above-mentioned consolidated return should be treated as rightful, notwithstanding the filing by the parent company of its separate return for the fiscal year ending June 30, 3,926-, and though, prior to the filing of the consolidated return, no permission for the parent company to change from a separate return basis to a consolidated return basis was applied for or granted by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. For support of this contention the petitioner relies principally upon the decision in the case Patent Royalties Corporation v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue (C. C. A.) 65 F.(2d) 580. The facts of that ease clearly distinguish it from the instant one.

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Bluebook (online)
69 F.2d 768, 13 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 795, 1934 U.S. App. LEXIS 3658, 1934 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) 9200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dr-pepper-bottling-co-v-commissioner-ca5-1934.