Grieb v. Commissioner

36 T.C. 156, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 165
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 26, 1961
DocketDocket No. 79501
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 36 T.C. 156 (Grieb 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
Grieb v. Commissioner, 36 T.C. 156, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 165 (tax 1961).

Opinion

Fisher, Judge:

Respondent determined a fiduciary liability against petitioner under section 311(a) (2) of the 1939 Code resulting from the distribution to him of the assets of Victory Builders, Inc., upon its liquidation, and the subsequent payment of some of its debts without first satisfying a liability of that company for unpaid income taxes of $560.37 for the year 1949. Respondent has also determined against petitioner an addition to tax in the amount of $61.88 under section 293(a), I.R.C. 1939, ancl $177.75 for interest which was also determined against the company.

Petitioner, having failed to contest the propriety of the determination of the tax liability against Victory, either in pleading or on brief, has apparently conceded the corporate liability. The significant question for our determination is whether petitioner is liable as a fiduciary of the company for its tax liability, any transferee liability being barred by limitations.

FINDINGS OE EACT.

Some of the facts are stipulated and are found, accordingly.

Petitioner, Leon G. Grieb, prior to 1943 had been engaged in business as a general contractor in an individual capacity in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1943 he established Victory Builders, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation (hereinafter referred to as the company) through which he carried on his business. At all times pertinent hereto, petitioner owned .all of the outstanding stock of the company, with the exception of 2 qualifying shares, and. was its president and one of its directors. Although all of petitioner’s business was handled through the corporate structure, most of the contracts were drawn up designating petitioner personally without mentioning the company. Petitioner did not make an effort to convey to the people with whom he transacted business that it was a corporation they were dealing with as distinguished from him personally.

For the year 1949, the company filed its income tax return with the then collector of internal revenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On January 2, 1953, respondent determined against the company additional income taxes for the year 1949, additions to tax, and interest in the amount of $1,477.32. During the same month the company’s assets were transferred to a new sole proprietorship formed by petitioner. »

On the morning of January 29, 1953, there was an actual cash balance in the company checking account in the amount of $6,918.41. The source of this amount can be traced as follows:

Balance as of Jan. 29,1953- $627. 27
Jan. 21,1953 Advance on “Grieb-Hacker job”_ 2, 239. 54
Jan. 27, 1953 Advance on Grieb-Hacker job- 61.47
Payment on “Ereeman job”- 534. 39
Jan. 28,1953 Advance on “Boettcher job”- 3, 455. 74
Balance as of Jan. 29, 1953- 6, 918. 41

A total of $531.07 of company checks cleared the bank that day leaving a balance of $6,387.34. Although there were still many company checks outstanding, petitioner that day withdrew the amount of $6,377.34 (leaving a balance in the company account of $10) and deposited that sum, with another check for $255, in a new checking account with the same bank entitled “Leon G. Grieb, Builder.” Petitioner arranged with the bank to have outstanding checks of the company charged to this new account as they were presented to the bank for payment.

During the period from January 29, 1953, to February 24, 1953, the following checks issued by the company for business expenses were charged to the account of Leon G. Grieb, Builder.

Motor Vebicle Dept_$25. 00
Joseph M. Roblee & Co- 54.45
Lorin Frefentbaler_ 28.47
Audrey J. Grieb_ 6.50
Builders Hardware, Inc_ 228.41
Railroad Express_ 24.23
Cash_ 25. 00
Cash_ 10.00
Wisconsin Electric Power Co- . 55
Total_ 402. 61

During this same period other charges were made against the Leon G. Grieb account totaling $145.23 in payment of miscellaneous bills of the company such as telephone, electricity, attorney fees, office rent due for January, etc. There is no evidence as to whether these checks were written by the company or by petitioner personally.

Although the company was left without assets, it was never formally dissolved.

At the time of the transfer of assets to petitioner the company was in the process of building two homes. They are referred to as the “Boettcher job” and the “Hacker-Grieb job.” Petitioner continued to work on the jobs in process and to carry on the business of general contractor which had been previously conducted by the company. In connection with these jobs in process, during January and February of 1953, petitioner contracted with subcontractors and materialmen for work on them. The procedure of payment to them was as follows. As the subcontractor presented his bill for payment, petitioner would approach the owner for a certificate for withdrawal on a lending institution equivalent to the demand of the subcontractor. After receiving this certificate, petitioner would call in the subcontractor involved, obtain a waiver of lien covering the specific amount of work up to that time, give him a check for such amount, and then proceed to the lending institution to withdraw the advance. Prior to January 29, 1953, all such advances were credited to the company’s advance billing account.

During the period from January 29, 1953, to February 24, 1953, petitioner issued checks totaling $4,003.78 against the Leon G. Grieb, Builder, account in payment to the contractors and materialmen who had performed services and/or furnished materials in connection with the Boettcher job. Included in the amount of $4,003.78 was the sum of $1,170 paid to the Wisconsin Furnace Company by check dated February 5, 1953. The invoice for that amount represented work completed on the Boettcher job on or before November 11, 1952, on which date the invoice was issued. The payment to the furnace company was delayed pending receipt of an advance from the owner (Boettcher) on January 28, 1953.

The balance sheet of the company as of December 31, 1952, is as follows:

Assets
Casa_ $1, 227. 73
Note receivable_ 1,200. 00
Supplies on band_ 1,410. 39
Prepaid taxes_ 20. 03
Fixed assets (net)_ 1, 524.62
Contracts receivable_ 698. 35
Stock subscription_ 4, 800. 00
Jobs in process_ 1

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Grieb v. Commissioner
36 T.C. 156 (U.S. Tax Court, 1961)

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Bluebook (online)
36 T.C. 156, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 165, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grieb-v-commissioner-tax-1961.