Gray Knox Marble Co. v. Evatt

44 Ohio Law. Abs. 437
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedNovember 3, 1944
DocketNo. 1845
StatusPublished

This text of 44 Ohio Law. Abs. 437 (Gray Knox Marble Co. v. Evatt) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Board of Tax Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gray Knox Marble Co. v. Evatt, 44 Ohio Law. Abs. 437 (bta 1944).

Opinion

[438]*438ENTRY

This cause came on to be heard upon the appeal of Gray Knox Marble Company, a Delaware corporation with its principal office and place of business in Knoxville, Tennessee, from a tax assessment made against it by the tax commissioner in the sum of $1182.32, including a penalty of $154.22. This cause was heard and submitted upon the transcript of proceedings before the tax commissioner, the evidence and briefs of counsel.

The evidence shows that on June 17, 1938, The Ferro Concrete Construction Company as principal contractor, entered into a contract with the First National Bank of Cincinnati, Ohio, on a cost plus basis for remodeling the ground, first and mezzanine floors of the bank building. On June 30, 1938, the appellant as a subcontractor, entered into a contract with The Ferro Concrete Construction Company whereby appellant, for the consideration of the payment to it by said construction company of a lump sum, agreed to furnish the labor and materials necessary to complete the marble work in said building. After the completion of said subcontract an assessment was made against the appellant based upon the contract price. Thereafter a breakdown was made of the cost of the labor and materials which were incurred in the performance of said subcontract, which items are as follows:

1. Labor at Knoxville (Fabrication of Marble) $ 8,877.65

2. Cincinnati labor, installation, etc. 10,551.86

3. Marble cost 21,132.60

4. Freight 1,536.84

5. Plaster and other supplies purchased in Cincinnati 4,234.33

6. Workmen’s Compensation and Insurance 165.25

7. Paid to contractor 668.43'

8. Miscellaneous 1,294.74

9. Social Security and Unemployment Insurance 422.07

Total $ 48,883.77

[439]*439On rehearing, items Nos. 2, 4, 6 and 9 were eliminated by the tax commissioner as not including materials, and the other items were held subject to the use tax, against which credit was allowed in the sum of $25.84.

Appellant claims, first, that the entire assessment is unlawful on the ground that the transaction by The Ferro Concrete Construction and the bank constituted a sale of property subject to the sales tax and that, therefore, the use tax could not apply to the materials furnished by the appellant which went into the completed job.

The other claim is that if the tax be found legal the amount thereof is excessive. The amounts of the above items are not disputed, but it is contended that item No. 1, which represents the cost of labor in fabricating marble at Knoxville, cannot be included in determining the price of such material.

Sec. 5546-25 GC, defines “consumer” as follows:

“ ‘Consumer’ means the persons who shall have purchased tangible personal property for storage, use, or other consumption in this state.”

This section also provides as follows:

“ ‘Purchase’ means acquired for a consideration, whether the transaction by which such acquisition was effected by a transfer of title, or of possession, or of both, or a license to use or consume; whether such transfer shall have been absolute or conditional, and by whatsoever means the same shall have been effected; and whether such consideration be a price or rental in money, or by way of exchange or barter. ‘Purchase’ shall include production, even though the article produced be used, stored, or consumed by the producer thereof.”

Sec. 5546-26 GC, levies an excise tax on the storage, use, or other consumption in this state of tangible personal property on and after the first day of January, 1936, with certain exceptions, the exception upon which appellant relies being “property the sale of which in this state is subject to the excise tax imposed by §5546-1 GC and succeeding sections of the General Code”.

Appellant’s contention which it makes with reference to the first claimed error is the same contention that was made in Volk v Evatt, Tax Commr., 142 Oh St 335, wherein the court held:

“Under the provisions of §§5546-1 to 5546-50 GC, inclusive, [440]*440a subcontractor engaged in the business of manufacturing, assembling and installing heating units or furnaces in dwelling houses constructed by general contractors is liable for sales and use taxes on materials purchased and used by him in his business.”

In that case appellant, as here, contended that he was not the consumer of the materials purchased and used by him in his business. The court said:

“The appellant insists that at no time did he intend to use for his own consumption any of the various materials embodied in the manufactured furnaces. He says that the ‘materials were merely in his possession temporarily until they were enriched by his skill and labor and transferred to the general contractor who passed them on to the ultimate consumer.’ It is of course true that the appellant himself did not use or ‘consume’ the completed product — the furnaces. However, it is a vastly different matter to say that he did not use or ‘consume’ the various materials from which he manufactured and assembled the furnances. The component parts or materials themselves were of no moment to the general contractors. Their only concern was the completed product— the furnaces or heating units which were used or ‘consumed’ subsequently by the occupants of the dwellings.”

The appellant in that case also contended with reference to the sales tax assessment, that no retail sales were made to him under §5546-1 GC. However, the court said:

“In the purchase of the various materials the sole purpose of the appellant was to manufacture and install completed furnaces in dwelling houses in conformity with his contracts with general contractors. He resold at retail none of the individual materials he purchased, since all of them were used in the process of manufacturing and assembling.”

In this case it is likewise true that the appellant .did not use or consume the completed product — the completed marble work as installed in the building. However, the Board finds, as held in the Volk case, supra, that the appellant did use or consume the materials and supplies which went into the fabrication and production of the completed product, and that the sale of the individual materials with the exception hereinafter mentioned, was not subject to the Sales Tax Act and, [441]*441consequently, did not come within the above exception of §5546-25 GC.

It is noted that §5546-26 GC, contains the following provision:

“For the purpose of the proper administration of this act and to prevent the evasion of the tax hereby levied, it shall be presumed that tangible personal property purchased on or after January 1, 1936, by any person for delivery in this state is purchased for storage, use, or other consumption in this state.”

With reference to the other contention, the term “price” is defined in §5546-25 GC, as follows:

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Bluebook (online)
44 Ohio Law. Abs. 437, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gray-knox-marble-co-v-evatt-bta-1944.