Foskett & Bishop Co. v. Commissioner

16 T.C. 456, 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 265
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedFebruary 27, 1951
DocketDocket No. 24127
StatusPublished
Cited by44 cases

This text of 16 T.C. 456 (Foskett & Bishop Co. 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
Foskett & Bishop Co. v. Commissioner, 16 T.C. 456, 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 265 (tax 1951).

Opinion

OPINION.

Black, Judge:

The question presented is whether petitioner is entitled to any relief from excess profits tax for the calendar years 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1945, under the provisions of section 722 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended.

A taxpayer is entitled to relief under section 722 if it establishes that its excess profits tax computed without the benefit of section 722 is “excessive and discriminatory” and establishes “a fair and just amount representing normal earnings” to be used as a constructive average base period net income. Section 722 (a), Internal Revenue Code.1

The normally computed excess profits tax shall be considered to be excessive and discriminatory if the average base period net income is an inadequate standard of normal earnings because of several specified reasons which are given in subsections (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5) of section 722 (b). Petitioner first claims that subsection (b) (2)2 is applicable to it. To qualify for relief under subsection (b) (2), it must first be shown that “the business of the taxpayer was depressed in the base period * * An examination of petitioner's earnings from 1922 through 1939, shows that for these years petitioner suffered an average net loss of $4,713.76, while for the base period years 1936 through 1939, petitioner showed an average profit of $704.45. It, therefore, seems that petitioner has not established its right to relief under section 722 (b) (2), for it would be ignoring the facts to find that petitioner’s business was depressed in the base period as compared to its earnings for the average long term period 1922 to 1939. Winter Paper Stock Co., 14 T. C. 1312. Cf. Monarch Cap Screw & Manufacturing Co., 5 T. C. 1220.

Petitioner claims, however, that its normal earnings can only be represented by eliminating the actual salaries paid to its officers and substituting therefor a salary constant of $6,000 or $7,500. This would, in petitioner’s estimation, represent a fair and just salary for its officers and would, for the most part, convert the losses prior to the base years into profits and would convert all the profits in base years to losses. Respondent has not determined, nor does petitioner suggest, that the larger salaries paid prior to the base years were excessive and unreasonable for the purposes of section 28 (a) (1) (A), I. R. C., and petitioner had the benefit of these deductions even though they might have been, as petitioner implies, a distribution of profits in the form of salaries. To revise petitioner’s reported profits on the basis that petitioner suggests would be giving petitioner the benefit under section 722 of something for which it has already received ,a benefit under another section of the Code and we cannot find any authority for making the adjustment requested by petitioner. Cf. Clinton Carpet Co., 14 T. C. 581; Park and 46th Street Corporation, 14 T. C. 588.

Petitioner claims that because Jacques, petitioner’s president from 1932 and during the base period, was not aggressive, due partially to the fact that he was suffering from a throat ailment, petitioner did not obtain the business it normally would have obtained under proper management. Petitioner claims that this condition of its management represents a temporary economic circumstance unusual for it under section 722 (b) (2). Even if we were to assume that petitioner’s business was depressed in the base period, we would nevertheless hold that petitioner was not depressed because of a temporary economic circumstance as the circumstance of poor management cannot be construed to be an economic circumstance, but rather it is one entirely within the control of the taxpayer. The Bulletin on section 722 of the Internal Revenue Code, part III, page 16, issued by the Commissioner on November 2,1944, provides:

■The term “economic” includes any event or circumstance, general in its impact or externally caused with respect to a particular taxpayer, which has repercussions on the costs, expenses, selling prices, or volume of sales of either an individual taxpayer or an industry. Thus, not every event or circumstance which has an adverse effect on a taxpayer’s profits may serve to qualify that taxpayer for relief under subsection (b) (2). First, the temporary and unusual character of the circumstance or event must be clearly established. Second, the cause of the temporary depression must be shown to be external to the taxpayer, in the sense that it was not brought about primarily by a managerial decision. A taxpayer cannot qualify for relief under subsection (b) (2) because its earnings were temporarily reduced in- the base period in consequence of its own business policies, internally determined. * * *

The foregoing provision contained in the Bulletin is in harmony, we •think, with the general provisions of section 35.722-3 (6) of Regulations 112, printed in the margin.3

Petitioner has claimed unaggressive management under Jacques and management drawing excessive salaries under its two prior presidents which indicates that even in petitioner’s estimation its management from 1922 to 1939 was never of the caliber petitioner claims it should have been. Thus, the circumstance of poor management cannot even be termed temporary within the meaning of section 722 (b) (2). Cf. Winter Paper Stock Co., supra.

On all the facts we hold that petitioner has not shown a right to relief under section 722 (b) (2).

Petitioner next claims relief under section 722 (b) (3).4 As under ■section 722 (b) • (2) petitioner must establish that its business during .the base period was depressed. We have in our discussion of petitioner’s claim under section 722 (b) (2) pointed out that petitioner’s business was not depressed; however, even assuming again that petitioner’s business was depressed, petitioner has not shown that it was -depressed by reason of conditions prevailing in an industry of which petitioner was a member and that petitioner was subjected to a profits cycle differing materially in length and amplitude from the general businéss cycle. See Roy Campbell, Wise & Wright, Inc., 15 T. C. 894. Petitioner’s profits pattern varies from that of its four competitors and any condition which subjected petitioner to a profit cycle differing materially in .length and amplitude, from the general business cycle was not a result of conditions generally prevailing in the industry, but was due to factors noncyclical such, as the poor management which petitioner claims and “The accuracy of managerial judgment is susceptible of no cyclical' pattern.” El Campo Rice Milling Co., 13 T. C. 775.

At the hearing of this proceeding petitioner stated that subsection 722 (b) (3) (B) “does not seem to have much significance to our facts” and’ petitioner has not presented evidence relating to this subsection nor has any argument been advanced to support a claim thereunder and we, therefore, hold that section 722 (b) (3) (B) is inapplicable to petitioner.

Petitioner’s final claim for relief is under section 722 (b) (5).5 The basis for petitioner’s argument as under (b) (2) is that it is entitled to relief within this subsection because during the base period years petitioner, under its president W. 0. Jacques, lost many contracts which under proper management petitioner would have received.

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Bluebook (online)
16 T.C. 456, 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 265, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/foskett-bishop-co-v-commissioner-tax-1951.