Fuller v. Commissioner

20 T.C. 308, 1953 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 164
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 13, 1953
DocketDocket No. 38167
StatusPublished
Cited by131 cases

This text of 20 T.C. 308 (Fuller 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
Fuller v. Commissioner, 20 T.C. 308, 1953 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 164 (tax 1953).

Opinion

OPINION.

Johnson, Judge:

Petitioner reported gross profit of $46,865.36 in 1949 on gross sales of $393,469.72, by wholesale and retail, of intoxicating beverages in a business he admits was illegal under the laws of Oklahoma. He computed the gross profit by the inventory method. After an examination of petitioner’s income tax liability for 1948, 1949, and 1950 by a special agent and revenue agent during about 30 working days, respondent increased the gross profit in 1949 by $40,006.73, or to $86,872.09, after allowing $6,839.29 for hauling, an increase in gross profit of about 85 per cent. The determination was made on the basis of sales of 7,182 cases in petitioner’s wholesale and retail departments, at a mark-up in most instances of certain amounts over invoice cost. He obviously resorted to that method of arriving at gross profit because of lack of reliance on the books maintained by petitioner.

Petitioner returned the gross profit entered in his books, which he insists were accurately kept. The number of cases of whiskey sold during the first 9 months was determined from Treasury Department forms kept by petitioner for purchases and sales, including transfers of whiskey from the wholesale to the retail department of his business, and vice versa. The forms were not maintained after October 12, when a bone-dry law was in effect in Oklahoma. The basis for the mark-up selling prices used by the respondent was an affidavit signed by petitioner.

Petitioner contends that the respondent’s determination was arbitrary. To establish arbitrariness he relies upon the affidavit and alleged taxation in 1949 of sales made in 1948.

The affidavit was admitted in evidence without objection. Petitioner on cross examination was asked by respondent’s counsel to read from the affidavit, whereupon petitioner’s counsel suggested that the affidavit be put in evidence, rather than have the witness read therefrom, and respondent’s counsel then offered it in evidence.

Petitioner testified that he signed the affidavit after reading it, and admitted that some statements therein differed from the testimony which he had given at the hearing; that he made it voluntarily and not under coercion. In answer to his counsel he said that he got tired of answering questions, and to keep from being further bothered he signed same.

At no time was a motion made to exclude the affidavit, and its validity was first attacked by petitioners in their brief, on the ground that it “flowered from an investigation demand not authorized by law.” Then follows a discussion designed to show that the examination of petitioner by the revenue agent prior to the preparation and execution of the affidavit was not made in accordance with the regulations of the Bureau of Internal Revenue promulgated under the Administrative Procedure Act. If objection^had been made to the admission of the affidavit on that ground, it would have been incumbent upon us to consider the argument and examine the authorities cited in petitioners’ brief on this question, but since the affidavit was admitted in evidence without objection, all objections to its admissibility were waived and it “is entitled to its full and natural probative effect.”1 We therefore deem it unnecessary for us to review this question further.

There is no merit to the contention of petitioner that respondent taxed him in 1949 on sales made in 1948. The testimony establishes that the original report of the revenue agent for the year 1949 showed the sales before October and thereafter as transactions taxable for that year. In preparing the statement attached to the deficiency notice the year 1948 was erroneously inserted for the year 1949. It was obviously a typographical error, as we have found. In fact, petitioner now agrees with our finding that he sold 7,087%4 cases of whiskey in 1949.

Evidence produced at the hearing established that the total gross profit on sales at wholesale of about 1,640 cases to four customers was about $1,000 in excess of the amount determined by the respondent. The gross profit, computed on actual cost and selling price, tends to support the accuracy of the mark-up price set forth in petitioner’s affidavit. For instance, petitioner’s affidavit shows a mark-up of $15 a case on sales to Booker and Davis. Actual profit was about $14.75 a case without taking into account a discount allowance of $3 a case to the buyer. In the case of Raymond and James, $8 was given as the mark-up and the actual profit was about $9.50 a case. Of the total sales prior to October 12, about 65 per cent was at retail. Petitioner informed the special agent that his mark-up on sales at retail was from $15 to $17 a case. The mean figure was shown in the affidavit.

The evidence before us fully sustains the method employed by respondent in determining petitioner’s gross profits from sales of whiskey and the amount thereof to the extent of $91,927.70, less the allowance of $6,839.29, which is not in controversy.

As to fraud penalties for 1949 imposed under section 293 (b), Internal Revenue Code, in respondent’s deficiency notice, after a careful review and consideration of all the evidence, the argument of counsel, and the authorities cited by the parties, we find that respondent has not sustained his burden of proof on the issue of fraud, and accordingly we hold for petitioners on this issue.

As to penalties for 1948, 1949, and 1950, imposed under section 294 (d) (1) (A) and (d) (2), Internal Revenue Code, by respondent in his deficiency notice, we sustain the respondent’s determination and hold that he properly added both penalties for each of these years.

It has not been shown that the failure of petitioners to file declarations of estimated tax for the years 1948, 1949, and 1950 within the time prescribed was due to reasonable cause and was not due to willful neglect. Undoubtedly, therefore, the record sustains respondent’s determination of penalties under section 294 (d) (1) (A) for each of these years.

The failure of petitioners to file declarations of estimated tax within the time prescribed for each of these years necessarily resulted in a substantial understatement of estimated tax. We can not agree with petitioners’ contention that because they filed no declaration of estimated tax under section 294 (a) (1), they can not be held to have violated section 294 (d) (2) for making a substantial underestimate of the estimated tax. The regulation2 provides that when a declaration of estimated tax is not filed, the amount of the estimated tax, for the purpose of the provisions of section 294 (d) (2) shall be zero, and that is the basis used by respondent in computing the deficiency under this subsection. The petitioners attack the regulation as being void in that it “distorted the will of Congress.” The regulation is couched in the same language used by Congress in its Conference Report2 on legislation covering this subject and follows the procedure therein prescribed. It therefore appears that the regulation actually reflects, rather than distorts, the will of .Congress, and we uphold its validity.

Petitioner used the inventory method of computing gross profit in 1948 and 1950 from sales of whiskey.

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Bluebook (online)
20 T.C. 308, 1953 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 164, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fuller-v-commissioner-tax-1953.