Harris Hardwood Co. v. Commissioner

8 T.C. 874, 1947 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 220
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 24, 1947
DocketDocket No. 4424
StatusPublished
Cited by31 cases

This text of 8 T.C. 874 (Harris Hardwood 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
Harris Hardwood Co. v. Commissioner, 8 T.C. 874, 1947 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 220 (tax 1947).

Opinion

OPINION.

Arnold, Judge:

The first issue involves an expenditure of $2,765.29 which the respondent capitalized and which petitioner contends is a 1941 expense item. The testimony is specific that the $2,765.29 was charged as an expense item against 1940 income and deducted on petitioner’s 1940 income tax return. Clearly petitioner is not entitled to deduct the expenditure in both taxable years as an expense item. The evidence does not convince us that petitioner is entitled to deduct any part of the $2,765.29 as an expense item chargeable against 1941 income.

The second issue is an alternative to the first.1 It raises for the first time the question of whether petitioner is entitled to a loss deduction in 1940 under section 23 (f) of the code. The pleadings, as shown in footnote 1, allege the amount of the loss sustained to be $2,765.29. There is no allegation that the loss was in excess of that amount. The petitioner contends in its brief that “* * * damage existed in an amount greater than the dirt fill cost [i. e., $2,765.29] and the allowance of such damage would stand on its own basis and not as an alternative.” By this argument we understand petitioner to contend that, regardless of its allegation of error as to the amount of its 1940 flood damages, or lack of a proper allegation, it is entitled to deduct as a loss the amount of damages proved by the evidence adduced. Petitioner contends that it has proved damages to its permanent structures or improvements aggregating $5,300 or more. It offered the testimony of its superintendent at its Roanoke plant and its general superintendent, both of whom testified in detail with respect to the damages suffered by the various structures and improvements at petitioner’s plant. The witnesses estimated that the aggregate cost of repairing and restoring the improvements to their former usefulness would be between $5,300 and $8,000. We have found from their testimony that the unrepaired flood damage to petitioner’s plant at the end of 1940 was estimated to be at least $5,000. We were unable to find as a fact that petitioner sustained a loss by flood of $5,000.

We are, however, convinced that petitioner sustained a loss from the flood and that no loss deduction has been claimed or allowed in determining its 1940 income tax liability. Our problem is to determine the amount of the loss. In determining the amount of the loss we must examine the evidence in the light of the limitation contained in the pleadings that the loss sustained was $2,765.29. We are convinced that at least this amount of loss was sustained. The testimony aforementioned and petitioner’s 1940 tax return support this determination, the latter showing that petitioner’s undepreciated cost of permanent structures was far in excess of the claimed loss. Considering all the facts and circumstances herein, we are of the opinion, and hold, that petitioner is entitled to a loss deduction in 1940 of at least $2,765.29. The identity in amount of the loss deduction with the expense deduction claimed in the first issue is a mere coincidence, due to the manner in which issues involving entirely different sections of the code were pleaded.

The next issue is whether in computing petitioner’s excess profits tax for 1940 it is fully taxable on a group life insurance dividend in the amount of $1,483.56, or only a portion thereof. Petitioner would prorate the 1940 dividend between the taxable years 1939 and 1940. It points out that if the 1940 dividend is prorated mathematically to the policy years, which are different from the calendar years, the amount eliminated from 1940 excess profits tax net income would total $999.88. Petitioner’s argument ignores the provision of its group life insurance policy providing for payment of dividends which is set forth in our findings. By the terms thereof the board of directors of the insurance company was required annually to ascertain and apportion the divisible surplus accruing upon the policy at the end of each policy year. The amount of the dividend so ascertained and apportioned by the insurance company to petitioner for 1940 was $1,483.56. As no dividends were received on the policy in 1939, it must be presumed that there was no divisible surplus accruing on the policy during that year. Under the specific terms of the insurance policy and the facts of record, we would not be justified in holding that part of the 1940 dividend could be apportioned to any other taxable year. On this point we sustain the respondent.

As an alternative to proration petitioner contends that $1,247.06 of the dividend should be eliminated upon the ground that it is abnormal in amount. Abnormalities in income for the taxable year 1940 are defined in section 721, Internal Revenue Code, as amended, the pertinent portions of which are set forth in the margin.2 Our findings show that it was not abnormal for petitioner to receive income of this class. It had contracted therefor, and under the terms of the insurance policy it had derived income therefrom in 1937 and 1938. Clearly there was no abnormality with respect- to the hind of- income. The second portion of the definition of abnormal income relates to the amount of income in such class which is in excess of 125 per cent of the-average amount for the four previous taxable years. This excess amount is specifically defined as abnormal income by section 721 (a). Our findings show the income derived from dividends on the group policy for the four years previous to the taxable year 1940. By following the statutory formula the amount of abnormal income can be determined. Determination of the amount of abnormal income is of no benefit to petitioner, however, unless it can show that a part or all thereof is excluded from excess profits net income for the reason that it is attributable to years other than the year in which the excess profits tax is being computed. Sec. 35.721-3, [Regulations 112,3 promulgated pursuant to the provisions of section 721 (b) of the code. Since petitioner has not shown that any part of this abnormal incomo is attributable to prior years, we must affirm respondent’s determination that no part of the dividend is excludible for excess profits tax purposes. Premier Products Co., 2 T. C. 445; E. T. Slider, Inc., 5 T. C. 263; cf. Arrow-Hart & Hegeman Electric Co., 7 T. C. 1350.

(b) Amount Attbibutabub to Otheb Ybabs. — The amount of the net abnormal Income that is attributable to any previous or future taxable year or years shall be determined under regulations prescribed by the Commissioner with the approval of the Secretary. • • •

The next issue involves adjustments to petitioner’s excess profits net income for base period years under section 711 (b) (1) (J) (ii). Section 711 of the Internal Revenue Code relates to excess profits net income. Subsection 711 (a) provides that for any taxable year beginning after December 31,1939, the excess profits net income shall be the normal tax net income except for adjustments not here material. Subsection 711 (b) relates to the taxable years in the base period, and paragraph (1) thereof states that for any taxable year subject to the Revenue Act of 1936 the excess profits net income shall be the normal tax net income. For any other taxable year beginning after December 31,1937, and before January 1,1940, the excess profits net income shall be the special class net income defined in section 14 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1936.

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Harris Hardwood Co. v. Commissioner
8 T.C. 874 (U.S. Tax Court, 1947)

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Bluebook (online)
8 T.C. 874, 1947 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 220, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harris-hardwood-co-v-commissioner-tax-1947.