Helvering v. South Penn Oil Co.

68 F.2d 420, 62 App. D.C. 373, 13 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 528, 1933 U.S. App. LEXIS 4975
CourtCourt of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
DecidedDecember 11, 1933
DocketNo. 5708
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 68 F.2d 420 (Helvering v. South Penn Oil Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Helvering v. South Penn Oil Co., 68 F.2d 420, 62 App. D.C. 373, 13 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 528, 1933 U.S. App. LEXIS 4975 (D.C. Cir. 1933).

Opinion

ROBB, Associate Justice.

Petition for review of a decision of the Board of Tax Appeals holding invalid waivers of the statutory period for the assessment of income and profits taxes for 1935 to 3917, inclusive, executed on behalf of dissolved West Virginia corporations after the expiration of the statutory period, where the statutory period had expired subsequent to dissolution (20 B. T. A. 1180).

Respondent, South Penn Oil Company, is a Pennsylvania corporation, organized in 1889. In August, 1917, it acquired all the capital stock of two West Virginia corporations, the Big Creek Development Company and the Yawkey-Freeman Drilling Company, hereinafter referred to, respectively, as the development company and the drilling company. Shortly thereafter the respondent caused all of the assets and property of the development company and the drilling company to be transferred to it in liquidation of the capital stock, the net value of the assets in the case of each corporation being in excess of its liabilities for the taxes herein involved. Subsequently, respondent caused the development company and the drilling company to be dissolved, certificates of dissolution being issued by the secretary of the state of West Virginia in September, 1917.

The officers of the development company were E. E. Crocker, president; S..G. Hartman, vice president; R. W. Cummins, secretary; and F. C. Leftwich, treasurer; the latter two were also officers of the drilling company, namely, R. W. Cummins, president, and F. C. Leftwich, secretary and treasurer. The board of directors of the development company and the drilling company were identical a.nd included, among others, E. E. Crock-er, R. W. Cummins, and S. G. Hartman. Since 3913, S. G. Hartman had been the treasurer and a director of respondent corporation, and on October 8, 1930, was occupying those positions. E. E. Crocker was vice president and a director of respondent corporation from 1906 to 1923.

This review involves the 3915 and 1916 taxes of the development company and the 1917 taxes of the drilling company.

On February 21, 1916, the development company filed its return of income and excess profits taxes for the calendar year 1915; on April 7,1917, filed its return for 1916. In its return for the calendar year 1917 (filed March 30, 1918), the development company stated that its charter was surrendered in September, 1917.

On March 30, 1918, the drilling company filed its return for the period January 1 to September 30, 1917, and stated that its charter was surrendered in September, 1917.

The statutory period of limitation on the assessment of additional taxes under the above returns, unless extended by waiver’s, would have expired as follows: for 3915, on February 21, 1921; for 1916, on April 7, 1922; and for 1917, on March 30, 1923 (section 250 (d), Revenue Act of 1921, 42 Stat. 265; section 277 (a), Revenue Act of 1924, 43 Stat. 299, 26 USCA § 1057 note).

The following waivers were submitted by the taxpayers and signed by the Commissioner (section 250 (d), Revenue Act of 1921, e. 136, 42 Stat. 227, 265; section 278 (e), Revenue Act of 1924, 43 Stat. 253, 299 (26 US CA § 1060 note) :

On January 2, 1923, the development company, “by S. G. Hartman, vice pres.,” filed a waiver consenting to a “determination, assessment, and collection of income and profits taxes” due for the years 1916 and 3917, “irrespective of any period of limitations.” This waiver, unlimited in time as to [422]*422assessment for 1917, under a departmental ruling promulgated April 11, 1923, expired as to assessment for 1917 on April 1, 1924. Mim. 3085, I.R.Cum.Bull. II — 1, p. 174; see Aiken v. Burnet, 282 U. S. 277, note 1 at page 279, 51 S. Ct. 148, 75 L. Ed. 339.

On February 7, 1924, tbe development company, “by S. G. Hartman,” filed a waiver consenting to assessment of taxes due for 1916 and 1917, “said consent to remain in effect for one year after expiration of statutory period of limitation, or tbe statutory period of limitation as extended by any waivers already on file with the Bureau.”

On January 16, 1925, the Commissioner wrote to the development company regarding the assessment of a deficiency in tax for the years 1916 and 1917, stating that the statutory period within which the Commissioner may assess additional taxes for 1916 and 1917 “will expire presently,” and, in order tp avoid the necessity of making an assessment prior to consideration of information which the taxpayer might submit, requested that forms of waiver which were inclosed be signed. In fact, the statutory periods had already expired.

In response thereto, on January 17, 1925, the development company, “by S. G. Hartman, treasurer,” filed a waiver extending the time of assessment of taxes due for 1916, the waiver to he effective until December 31, 1925. Also, in response to the letter addressed to the development company, the drilling company, “by S. G. Hartman, treasurer,” on January 17, 1925, filed a waiver extending the time of assessment of taxes due for 1917, the waiver tp he effective until December 31, 1925.

On May 9, 1925, the development company, “S. G. Hartman, v. prest.,” filed a waiver extending the time of assessment of taxes due for the years 1912 to 1915, inclusive, the waiver to remain in effect until December 31, 1925.

On August 18, 1925, the Commissioner notified the development company of a deficiency, asserting additional income and profits taxes as follows: For 1915, $3,519.55; for 1916, $5,756.16. On the same day the Commissioner notified the drilling company of a deficiency for 1917 of $2,872.88.

On December 24, 1925, the Commissioner made assessment of these additional taxes against the development company and the drilling company, respectively.

On August 27, 1926, the Commissioner mailed a notice of deficiency (69-day letter) to respondent as transferee of the assets of the taxpayer corporations and asserted a liability against respondent for the taxes herein involved, pursuant to- section 280 of the Revenue Act of 1926 (c. 27, 44 Stat. 9, 61 [26 USCA § 1069 and note]).

Respondent thereupon filed its petition for redetermination with the Board of Tax Appeals (section 2Í74 (a), Revenue Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 9, 55 [26 USCA'§ 1048]).

The proceeding before the Board also involved the liability of respondent as transferee of the development company for additional taxes for the year 1917 of over $50,-000. The 1917 return was filed March 30, 1918; assessment of additional taxes would have been barred after March 30, 1923. On January 2, 1923, and February 7, 1924, the development company (then- dissolved) filed the waivers above mentioned. Assessment whs made on December 24,1925. On August 27, 1926, notice of deficiency was mailed to respondent asserting a liability against respondent as transferee for the additional taxes for 1917. The Board affirmed the Commissioner in asserting against respondent liability for the 1917 taxes of the development company. In other words, it held that a waiver of the statute of limitations for assessment of taxes executed by a dissolved West Virginia corporation is valid if executed pri- or to the expiration of the statutory period; and that respondent, as transferee of the assets of the dissolved corporation, is liable for the 1917 taxes of the dissolved corporation. Respondent sought review in this court of this portion of the decision of the Board, but subsequently abandoned its petition.

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Bluebook (online)
68 F.2d 420, 62 App. D.C. 373, 13 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 528, 1933 U.S. App. LEXIS 4975, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/helvering-v-south-penn-oil-co-cadc-1933.