Glenshaw Glass Co. v. Commissioner

25 T.C. 1178, 1956 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 249
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 9, 1956
DocketDocket No. 36536
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 25 T.C. 1178 (Glenshaw Glass 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
Glenshaw Glass Co. v. Commissioner, 25 T.C. 1178, 1956 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 249 (tax 1956).

Opinion

SUPPLEMENTAL. OPINION.

Arundell, Judge:

Pursuant to our report in this case filed March 14,1955 (23 T. C. 1004), the parties filed separate computations for entry of decision under Rule 50. They agree that petitioner is entitled to overpayments for each of the 4 years involved. They also agree as to the amounts of the respective overpayments, except that for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1943, the respondent contends that upon the authority of General Lead Batteries Co., 20 T. C. 685 (appeal to C. A. 3 dismissed in accordance with the agreement of the parties), out of the total overpayment of $22,317.14 for that year, only the amount of $15,173.90 paid on June 16,1950, is refundable and that the balance of $7,143.24 is barred by the statute of limitations. A hearing was held in the matter on December 14,1955, at which hearing it was agreed that the parties would file a stipulation of facts and briefs, all of which have been received. The stipulation is incorporated herein by reference and is summarized below.

A few days prior' to December 10,1946, the Pittsburgh office of the internal revenue agent in charge mailed to petitioner a revenue agent’s report proposing a deficiency in excess profits tax for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1943, in the amount of approximately $71,000. On December 10, 1946, petitioner’s then counsel requested an extension of time in which to file a protest^ against the revenue agent’s report. On December 11,1946, W. P. Mays, the then internal revenue agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, mailed a letter to petitioner’s then counsel stating as follows:

Receipt is acknowledged of your letter of December 10, 1946, in which you requested an extension of time in which to file a protest against our report of the above-named taxpayer.
In compliance with your request, an extension of time will be granted you to January 19,1946, [sic] providing the enclosed Form 872 is signed and returned to this office within 10 days from the date of this letter.

The body of the Form 8721 enclosed with the letter from the internal revenue agent in charge had been filled out prior to its submission to counsel for petitioner and by its terms extended the period of limitations for the taxable year ended September 30,1943, to June 30, 1948.

On December 12, 1946, petitioner’s then counsel mailed the Form 872 to the president of petitioner with the request that it be immediately executed and forwarded by registered mail to Mays. On December 13 or December 14,1946, the Form 872 enclosed with Mays’s letter of December 11,1946, was signed by the president of petitioner on behalf of petitioner and mailed by registered mail to Mays.

The Form 872 was received in the office of Mays' on December 16, 1946, and was personally signed by Mays on that date on behalf of the Commissioner.

Throughout 1946, Mays was authorized by the Commissioner to consent in writing to extensions of the period of limitations upon assessment of income and excess profits taxes.

On July 14, 1947, the respondent mailed to petitioner a statutory notice of deficiency setting forth a deficiency in excess profits tax for the fiscal year ended September 30,1943, in the amount of $70,972.35. At the time this statutory notice of deficiency was mailed to petitioner, the statute of limitations on the assessment of a deficiency had expired unless there was then in existence a valid consent in writing under sections 275 (a) and 276 (b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939.

Following the issuance of the statutory notice of deficiency mentioned in the preceding paragraph, petitioner timely filed a petition in the Tax Court asking a review of the determination therein. This proceeding was given Docket No. 15986. In that proceeding neither party raised any issue with respect to the statute of limitations.

As a result of the proceeding described in the preceding paragraph, which was heard by the Court on its merits (13 T. C. 296), it was determined that there was a deficiency in excess profits tax for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1943, in the amount of $15,173.90, which was paid on June 16,1950.

Prior to the June 16, 1950, payment of $15,173.90, petitioner paid the following amounts of excess profits taxes for the fiscal year ended September 30,1943:

Amount Date of payment of payment
Dee. 8, 1943_$31,600.69
Feb. 22, 1944_ 31,497.19
June 17, 1944_ 30,665.39
Sept. 15, 1944___ 30,470.14

The end of the statutory period of 3 years following the due date for the filing of petitioner’s return for the taxable, year ended September 30,1943, fell on December 15, 1946, which was a Sunday (the return was actually filed on December 4,1943.)

On January 19,1948, petitioner filed an application for relief under section 722 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1943. The notice of disallowance under section 732, Internal Revenue Code of 1939, was sent to petitioner by registered mail on June 19, 1951. The disallowance was on the merits and not because of the running of the statute of limitations.

The parties agree that of the overpayment of $22,317.14 for the fiscal year ended September 30,1943, the amount paid on June 16, 1950, of $15,173.90 is refundable. Under the applicable statute,2 if any portion of the balance of the overpayment in the amount of $7,143.24 is refundable, this Court must determine as a part of its decision that such portion ($7,143.24) was paid within 3 years before the execution of the agreement (Form 872) providing the agreement was executed within 3 years from the time the return was filed. The return was actually filed on December 4,1943, but by virtue of section 275 (f) of the 1939 Code it shall be considered as filed on December 15, 1943. Therefore, the agreement would have to be “executed” on or before December 15,1946, which date fell on a Sunday.

It has been stipulated that throughout 1946 Mays had express written authority from the Commissioner to sign the Commissioner’s name to all assessment waivers and in each case to place Mays’ initials immediately under the signature, together with the date of such signing.

Petitioner contends that on December 11, 1946, when Mays mailed Form 872 to petitioner with the name of the taxpayer and the taxable year typed on the form and advised petitioner that an extension of time for filing a protest would be granted “providing the enclosed Form 872 is signed and returned to this office” the Commissioner had consented in writing to an extension of time for making any additional assessment; and that when on December 18 or December 14,1946, the Form 872 was signed by the president of petitioner on behalf of petitioner and mailed by registered mail to Mays, the Form 872 had been executed by both the Commissioner and the taxpayer pursuant to section 276 (b)3

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Glenshaw Glass Co. v. Commissioner
25 T.C. 1178 (U.S. Tax Court, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
25 T.C. 1178, 1956 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 249, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/glenshaw-glass-co-v-commissioner-tax-1956.