Ernest, Holdeman & Collet, Inc., a Corporation v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue

290 F.2d 3
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
DecidedJune 2, 1961
Docket13162_1
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 290 F.2d 3 (Ernest, Holdeman & Collet, Inc., a Corporation v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Ernest, Holdeman & Collet, Inc., a Corporation v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 290 F.2d 3 (7th Cir. 1961).

Opinion

SCHNACKENBERG, Circuit Judge.

From the Tax Court’s decision determining deficiencies in income tax of Ernest, Holdeman & Collet, Inc., a corporation, petitioner, for the years 1952 and 1953, it appeals to this court.

Following the introduction of evidence, the Tax Court made findings of fact, the most salient of which we now state, in essential detail.

Petitioner, having its principal office in Elkhart, Indiana, was incorporated on December 29, 1947. It succeeded a partnership consisting of S. Vance Holdeman, Frederick I. Ernest, and his sons, Richard W. and Robert F. Ernest.

*4 During the years 1948 through 1950 the petitioner sold new and used machine tools and did a small amount of rebuilding and tooling of machine tools.

In 1951, with the beginning of the Korean War, new and used machinery both became difficult to obtain, and special tooling for Foster Fastermatics (automatic, hydraulic turret lathes) and similar machines became the bulk of petitioner’s business. Frederick, Richard and Robert Ernest and S. Vance Holde-man had all worked for the manufacturer of the Foster Fastermatic. The special tooling program, which involved the engineering and service of machines for various suppliers, extended through 1952 and into 1953.

During the years 1948 through 1950 the petitioner had an average of approximately 12 employees besides officers. The officers performed multiple functions. In 1951 the number of employees was increased to approximately 50. In 1952 the number was further increased to approximately 60. During the years 1951 through 1953 the officers worked long hours — sometimes seven days a week; the shop employees often worked 65 houi"s a week.

Frederick Ernest, petitioner’s president, was 59 years of age in 1952. From 1948 until September 1951 he devoted at least two-thirds of his time to petitioner. During 1952 and 1953 he devoted full time to the petitioner. His duties were diversified. Albert Collet, a graduate engineer and petitioner’s vice-president until 1954, was approximately 47 years of age in 1952. Collet was instrumental in obtaining new machine tool lines for petitioner. He was also an excellent salesman and set up petitioner’s Indianapolis sales office. He was considered one of the better used machinery dealers. S. Vance Holdeman, petitioner’s secretary, was 33 years of age in 1952. After 1945 Holdeman went to work for the Indianapolis Machinery and Supply Company, the largest new and used machinery dealer in Indiana, where he acted as buyer of used machinery and assisted the salesmen in the sale of new and used machinery. Upon petitioner’s incorporation in 1947, he became secretary of that organization. During 1952 and 1953, in addition to being officer in charge of sales, he also was an officer in charge of engineering products as related to special machinery and tooling. He traveled extensively for petitioner. Holde-man has been very well accepted in his field. Richard Ernest, petitioner’s treasurer, was 35 years of age in 1952. In 1948 he became treasurer and general manager for petitioner and has since continued in that capacity. He has mechanical ability, an understanding of hydraulics, and has had experience with various lines of machine tools. He has spent considerable time estimating special machine tools. Robert Ernest, petitioner’s assistant secretary, was 28 years of age in 1952. In 1950 he graduated from Indiana University, receiving a B. S. degree in business administration. During the summers, while he was in college, he worked for petitioner and its predecessor, Apex Machinery Company, in which he was a partner. In October 1950 Robert became assistant secretary of petitioner. His principal responsibility was the purchase of the special tooling to be mounted on the machines upon which petitioner was working. Petitioner engineered the special tooling but subcontracted the actual manufacture of the tools. Robert was responsible for the allocation of these contracts to outside shops. It was necessary for him to coordinate the activities of all shops so that work would flow in at the proper time and meet delivery requirements.

At the initial meeting of petitioner’s board of directors early in 1948 the salaries of the vice-president, the treasurer and the secretary were fixed at $5,200 per year. In addition, it was resolved that a bonus was to be paid to officers and directors. The bonus was to equal 75 per cent of the net profits of the corporation, before provision for payment of federal income tax, in excess of 10 per cent of the capital and surplus (including good will) of the corporation, and was to be distributed in stated proportions to the officers and directors.

*5 In August 1948 the president’s salary was set at $3,400 per year. This was later decreased to $1,920 per year and then increased to $5,800 per year.

At a meeting in October 1950 the board of directors voted to establish the office of assistant secretary with a salary of $3,600 per year. This salary was later increased to $4,200 and then to $4,320 per year.

The board of directors resolved in December 1950 to continue the bonus plan, the only change being that the bonus was to be distributed to the officers in proportion to their basic salaries. This bonus arrangement prevailed substantially unchanged throughout the years here in issue, with the exception that the amount available to the officers was reduced as a consequence of allowing certain other employees to share in the bonus pool.

Under these arrangements the following amounts of compensation were paid to petitioner’s officers:

Albert J. S. Vance Robert F.
Frederick Collet Holdeman Richard Ernest
I. Ernest Vice- Vice- W. Ernest Asst.
Year Total President President President Treasurer Secretary
1948 $ 31,987.48 4,791.34 $ 9,215.38 $ 8,990.38 $ 8,990.38
1949 18,200.00 3,200.00 5,000.00 5,000.00 5,000.00
1950 47,014.00 7.701.00 11,124.00 11,124.00 11,124.00 $ 5,939.00
1951 235,104.69 39,224.47 52,299.29 52,299.29 52,299.29 38,982.35
1952 402,318.19 85,162.24 85,162.24 85,162.24 85,162.24 61,669.23
1953 204,543.26 43,290.69 43,290.69 43,290.69 43,290.69 31,480.50
1954 25,882.50 5.800.00 4,162.50 5,800.00 5,800.00 4,320.00

In addition to the officers’ salaries deducted on its federal income tax returns for the taxable years 1948 through 1954, petitioner also deducted the following amounts as salaries and wages not deducted elsewhere, and salaries and wages as a part of cost of goods sold:

Salaries and Wages Salaries and Wages
Year (not deducted elsewhere) (Cost of goods sold)
1948 $ 3,184.91 $ 25,063.56
1949 7,961.18 9,899.76
1950 16,420.99 17,411.34
1951 52,707.87 120,685.46
1952 154,492.25 146,735.92
1953 234,986.24 142,524.42

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Related

Neils v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 173 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)

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Bluebook (online)
290 F.2d 3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ernest-holdeman-collet-inc-a-corporation-v-commissioner-of-internal-ca7-1961.