Farrington v. United States, Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service

111 B.R. 342, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 385, 65 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 616
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Oklahoma
DecidedMarch 1, 1990
DocketNo. 86-03392-C; Adv. No. 89-0178-C
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 111 B.R. 342 (Farrington v. United States, Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Farrington v. United States, Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 111 B.R. 342, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 385, 65 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 616 (Okla. 1990).

Opinion

AMENDED MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

STEPHEN J. COVEY, Bankruptcy Judge.

On December 8, 1986, Ronald L. Farrington d/b/a Farrington Livestock (“Debtor”) filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code. On April 12, 1988, the case was converted to a Chapter 7 proceeding. The United States of America, Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) first filed a proof of claim on April 20, 1988. An amended claim was filed on August 1, 1988, another on July 29, 1988, and a final proof of claim on [344]*344February 1, 1989. This final claim is the subject of the present litigation and is for income tax due for the year 1982 as follows:

Tax Due $35,087.00
Interest 17,672.20
Penalties 22,051.69
Total $74,810.89

On June 8, 1989, prior to the filing of the final claim the Debtor filed an adversary complaint asking that this Court disallow entirely the claim of the IRS for the reason that the Debtor owed no income tax for the year 1982.

Jurisdiction to hear this matter is granted by 28 U.S.C. § 1334 and this is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157. Also § 505 of the Bankruptcy Code expressly grants authority to the Bankruptcy Court to determine the amount of tax claims.

FINDINGS OF FACT

In October of 1980 Debtor purchased a car dealership located in the State of Texas known as Cameron Motors (“Cameron”). His principal purpose in purchasing the business was to increase its car sales, turn it into a profitable business and then sell it for a profit in three years. Debtor provided the business with $105,000.00 as the total initial capital investment and received forty-nine percent (49%) of the stock in return. There was one other stockholder and in exchange for his fifty-one percent (51%) interest he provided the dealership with a Buick franchise, expertise and experience in the automobile business, and further agreed to repurchase the Debtor’s forty-nine percent (49%) interest in three years.1

On four occasions between May and December of 1981, Debtor advanced slightly over $200,000.00 to Cameron. All of these advances were recorded in the company’s books as indebtedness owed to Debtor and interest bearing notes were executed. Debtor received no increased ownership in the company for these advances and at all times believed he would be repaid through the profits or through the resale of his stock.

The business of Cameron was financially unsuccessful and was closed in 1982. None of the advances was repaid by Cameron to the Debtor. On his 1982 income tax return the Debtor declared these advances as bad business debts under 26 U.S.C. § 166 and deducted them from his 1982 earned income.23 He only deducted half the amount he advanced to Cameron because in 1982 he was divorced and one-half of the tax loss was given to his ex-wife under the Divorce Decree.

Thereafter IRS determined that the losses were nonbusiness bad debts and could only be deducted as a short-term capital loss and assessed deficiencies for 1982 as reflected in their final claim filed herein. Debtor contends that the advances made to Cameron were loans which were made as a part of his business of promoting businesses for resale and thus were deductible as bad business debts. If th'e Debtor is correct in his contentions, then the entire claim filed by the IRS should be disallowed. If the IRS is correct, then its claim should be allowed in full as finally filed.

The overall question presented is whether the Debtor is entitled to deduct his unre-paid advances to Cameron as bad business debts under 26 U.S.C. § 166. The answer [345]*345requires consideration of two issues: first, whether the advances made to Cameron constitute loans or contributions of capital and, second, if loans, whether they were proximately related to Debtor’s business.

In determining whether the advances made to Cameron were loans or contributions of capital, the intent of the parties is the most important factor to be considered. Also it should be noted that it is perfectly proper for shareholders to make loans to corporations in which they own a substantial amount of stock. See Elliott v. United States, 268 F.Supp. 521 (D.Or.1967) and Los Angeles Ship Building and Dry Dock v. United States, 289 F.2d 222 (9th Cir.1961).

While no one factor is controlling several can be used to determine whether the advances were intended as loans:

(1) the nature of the entries on the corporate books;
(2) the fact that notes were issued; and,
(3) the fact that the one making the advance had reason to believe the money would be repaid with interest by the corporation.

Here the evidence revealed that the advances were entered on the corporate books as debts, not as capital contributions. There was also evidence that interest bearing notes were issued representing the obligations to repay the debts. Additionally, Debtor testified that, at the time he advanced the money, he believed he would be repaid with interest. This belief was reasonable given Debtor’s history with other business ventures as detailed below, Cameron’s adequate initial capitalization, and future plans to increase sales and profits. Moreover, the fact that Debtor did not receive any additional shares as a result of the advances indicates the parties intended a loan rather than a capital contribution. The IRS failed to introduce any evidence to the contrary and thus the Court finds the advances made by Debtor to Cameron were, in fact, loans.

Once it has been established that the advances made were loans rather than capital contributions, it is necessary to show that such loans were proximately related to the Debtor’s trade or business. In order for the activity of lending money to a corporation to fall within the realm of the Debtor’s “trade or business” he must show that he was individually in the business of seeking out, promoting, organizing and financing business ventures and that his activities in loaning money to Cameron were a part of that business. Whipple v. Commissioner of the I.R.S., 373 U.S. 193, 83 S.Ct. 1168, 10 L.Ed.2d 288 (1963); Giblin v. Commissioner of the I.R.S., 227 F.2d 692 (5th Cir.1955); and Elliott v. United States. These Courts have stated that such a determination requires a careful examination of the facts of each case. It is important to keep in mind that there is a fundamental difference between advancing monies to preserve one’s interest in a corporation as a stockholder and advancing monies to make it profitable and ready for resale. In Whipple

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Related

Melvyn L. Bell v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
200 F.3d 545 (Eighth Circuit, 2000)
Melvyn L. Bell v. CIR
Eighth Circuit, 2000
In Re Farrington
111 B.R. 342 (N.D. Oklahoma, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
111 B.R. 342, 1990 Bankr. LEXIS 385, 65 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 616, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/farrington-v-united-states-department-of-the-treasury-internal-revenue-oknb-1990.