Hartman v. United States

694 F.3d 96, 110 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5853, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 19008, 2012 WL 3892880
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
DecidedSeptember 10, 2012
Docket2011-5110
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 694 F.3d 96 (Hartman v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hartman v. United States, 694 F.3d 96, 110 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5853, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 19008, 2012 WL 3892880 (Fed. Cir. 2012).

Opinion

DYK, Circuit Judge.

William F. Hartman and Therese Hartman (collectively, “the Hartmans”) appeal a decision of the United States Court of Federal Claims (“Claims Court”) granting summary judgment to the government on the Hartmans’ claim for a federal income tax refund. Hartman v. United States, 99 Fed.Cl. 168 (2011). Because the Claims Court properly determined that the Hart-mans were not entitled to a refund, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

This case requires an interpretation of the Treasury Regulations governing the constructive receipt of income, which in turn interprets section 451 of the Internal Revenue Code, imposing a tax on “[t]he amount of any item of gross income ... for the taxable year in which received by the taxpayer.” 1 I.R.C. § 451(a). Under the Treasury Regulations, taxpayers computing their taxable income under the cash *98 receipts and disbursements method must include as taxable income “all items which constitute gross income ... for the taxable year in which actually or constructively received.” Treas. Reg. § 1.446 — 1(c)(i). “Income ... is constructively received by [a taxpayer] in the taxable year during which it is credited to his account, set apart for him, or otherwise made available so that he may draw upon it at any time, or so that he could have drawn upon it during the taxable year if notice of intention to withdraw had been given. However, income is not constructively received if the taxpayer’s control of its receipt is subject to substantial limitations or restrictions.” Id. § 1.451 — 2(a).

The question here is whether Mr. Hartman constructively received all shares of stock allocated to him for the sale of Ernst & Young LLP’s (“E & Y”) consulting business in 2000 (as originally reported) or whether he received only that portion of the shares which had been monetized (sold) in 2000 (as reflected in the Hart-mans’ amended return and request for a refund). 2

I

The background of this dispute began in 1999. In late 1999, E & Y was preparing to sell its consulting business to Cap Gemini, S.A. (“Cap Gemini”), a French corporation. At this time, Mr. Hartman was an accredited consulting partner of E & Y. On February 28, 2000, E & Y and Cap Gemini devised a Master Agreement for the sale of E & Y’s consulting business. Under the Master Agreement, E & Y would form a new entity, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young U.S. LLC (“CGE & Y”), and would then transfer E & Y’s consulting business to CGE & Y in exchange for interest in CGE & Y. Each accredited consulting partner in E & Y, including Mr. Hartman, would then receive a proportionate interest in CGE & Y. Each partner would terminate his partnership in E & Y, retaining his interest in CGE & Y. The accredited consulting partners would then transfer all of their interests in CGE & Y to Cap Gemini. In exchange for their respective interests in CGE & Y, E & Y and the accredited consulting partners were to receive shares of Cap Gemini common stock. The shares of Cap Gemini common stock would be allocated to each accredited consulting partner in accordance with his proportionate interest in CGE & Y. Additionally, each accredited consulting partner was to sign an employment contract with CGE & Y, which would include a non-compete provision. CGE & Y would then become the entity through which Cap Gemini would conduct its consulting business in North America.

As a part of the transaction described in the Master Agreement, each accredited consulting partner was also required to execute and sign a Consulting Partner Transaction Agreement (“Partner Agreement”) between the partners, E & Y, Cap Gemini, and CGE & Y. Under the Partner Agreement, the Cap Gemini shares received by each accredited consulting partner would be placed into separate Merrill Lynch restricted accounts in each individual partner’s name. The Partner Agreement further provided that for a period of four years and 300 days following the closing of the transaction, the accredited consulting partners could not “directly or indirectly, sell, assign, transfer, pledge, grant any option with respect to or otherwise dispose of any interest” in the Cap Gemini common stock in their restricted accounts, *99 except for a series of scheduled offerings as set forth in a separate Global Shareholders Agreement (“Shareholders Agreement”). J.A. B-627. The Shareholders Agreement provided for an initial sale of 25% of the shares held by each accredited consulting partner in order to satisfy each partner’s tax liability in the year 2000 as a result of the transaction, and subsequent offerings of varying percentages at each anniversary following closing. 3 Although their right to sell or otherwise dispose of Cap Gemini shares was restricted, the accredited consulting partners enjoyed dividend rights on the Cap Gemini shares beginning on January 1, 2000, without restriction. The dividends earned on the Cap Gemini shares were not subject to forfeiture. Additionally, the accredited consulting partners had voting rights on the Cap Gemini shares held in the restricted accounts, though they provided powers of attorney to the CEO of CGE & Y to vote the shares on their behalf.

In addition to the restrictions on the sale of the shares, certain percentages (“forfeiture percentages”) of the Cap Gemini shares were subject to forfeiture “as liquidated damages.” J.A. B-628. The percentage of shares subject to forfeiture declined over the life of the agreement and expired entirely at four years and 300 days following closing. 4 In the period four years and 300 days following closing, the applicable forfeiture percentages of the shares would be forfeited if the accredited consulting partner (1) breached his employment contract with CGE & Y; (2) left CGE & Y voluntarily; or (3) was terminated for cause. Id. Additionally, where the accredited consulting partner was terminated for “poor performance,” he would forfeit at least fifty percent of the applicable forfeiture percentage. 5 Notwithstanding the monetization restrictions and forfeiture provisions, the Master Agreement provided that the parties, including the accredited consulting partners, “agree that for all U.S. federal ... Tax purposes the transactions undertaken pursuant to [the Master] Agreement will be treated and reported by them as ... a sale of a portion of the [CGE & Y] interests by ... the Accredited Partners to [Cap Gemini] in exchange for the Ordinary Shares [of Cap Gemini].” 6 J.A. B-123-24. Cap Gemini was required to provide E & Y and each accredited consulting partner with a Form 1099-B with respect to its acquisition of the CGE & Y interests. 7 The Master Agreement also provided that “the parties agree that *100 all [Cap Gemini] Ordinary Shares that are not monetized in the Initial Offering will be valued for tax purposes at 95% of the otherwise-applicable market price.” J.A. B-555.

II

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Bluebook (online)
694 F.3d 96, 110 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5853, 2012 U.S. App. LEXIS 19008, 2012 WL 3892880, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hartman-v-united-states-cafc-2012.