Hobbs v. Commissioner

26 B.T.A. 241, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1341
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedJune 3, 1932
DocketDocket Nos. 27351, 27352.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 26 B.T.A. 241 (Hobbs v. Commissioner) 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
Hobbs v. Commissioner, 26 B.T.A. 241, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1341 (bta 1932).

Opinion

[250]*250OPINION.

Black:

No deficiencies were determined against Henry Hobbs for the years 1919 and 1921, nor against Mrs. Hobbs for 1921, but overassessments were determined for those respective years and it follows that the proceedings for 1919 and 1921 as to Henry Hobbs, and for 1921 as to Mrs. Hobbs, should be and are hereby dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. Cornelius Cotton Mills, 4 B. T. A. 255.

On the hearing and upon final submission counsel for petitioners moved to dismiss the proceeding as to Mrs. Hobbs for the year [251]*2511919, upon tbe ground that the Board has no jurisdiction because the deficiency notice did not determine a deficiency against her for said year. The facts with reference to this phase of the proceeding have been stated in the findings of fact. .

Petitioners’ contention is based on section 273, Act of 1926, which defines “ deficiency ” as the amount by which the tax imposed by this title exceeds the amount shown as the tax by the taxpayer upon his return; but the amount so shown on the return shall first be increased by the amounts previously assessed (or collected without assessment) as a deficiency, and decreased by the amounts previously abated, credited, refunded, or otherwise repaid in respect of such tax.” Petitioner contends that the use of Mrs. Hobbs’ deficiency to reduce Henry Hobbs’ overassessment is a collection without assessment and that when this is added to the tax shown on her return there is no deficiency. We think petitioner overlooks the word “previously” as used in the section. The act provides that when the deficiency is determined there shall be added to the amount shown on the return amounts previously assessed or previously collected without assessment. In making his determination here, the respondent followed the act as we interpret it. At the time of determining the deficiency there had been no previous collection of the amount involved therein with or without assessment and there was nothing to add to the tax shown on the return on this account. Moreover, the evidence shows that, notwithstanding the language used in the deficiency notice, there has never been any rise of the over-assessment determined in favor of Henry Hobbs in settlement of the deficiency determined against Mrs. Hobbs. In these circumstances we hold that respondent determined a deficiency and Mrs. Hobbs appealed from that determination to this Board, which is sufficient to give the Board jurisdiction. Cf. Austin Go., 8 B. T. A. 628; Uncasville Mfg. Co. v. Commissioner, 55 Fed. (2d) 893.

Petitioners’ next contention is that the transfer by Hobbs and associates of their oil properties to the Hobbs Oil Company, a joint stock association, was a taxable transaction completed in 1919, and that the value of that stock so received in 1919, rather than the cost of the properties so exchanged for said stock, is the proper basis for determining the profit on the sale of the Hobbs Oil Company stock in 1920 to C. N. Haskell and associates.

In determining the gain of petitioners in the Haskell transaction, the respondent took as his basis the cost of the property which petitioners conveyed to the Hobbs Oil Company, while it is contended by petitioners that the proper basis was the fair market value of the Hobbs Oil Company stock on the date of its issue, December 15,1919; that said stock was worth more on that day than they received for it; and that a loss was sustained rather than a gain.

[252]*252We do not agree to this contention. The organization of the Hobbs Oil Company and the transfer to it of the lands and leases was merely a part of one main transaction, which was to sell certain oil lands and interests in oil lands which were specified in the contract, plus 75 per cent of the stock in the Texas Chief Oil & Gas Company, for a consideration of $2,100,000 cash and $600,000 capital stock of the Delaware Company. The fact that to perform the contract the organization of a common law trust or association was resorted to as a means to carry through the deal, does not alter the character of the transaction. There was no intention on the part of Hobbs or his associates to effect an exchange of their oil lands for stock in the Hobbs Oil Company, but their intention was to make a sale of their lands to Haskell and the Delaware Company by which they were to receive a large part of the agreed purchase price in cash and the balance in stock of the Delaware Company. All the shares of stock of the Hobbs Oil Company were issued to Hobbs and by him immediately sent to New York for delivery to the Delaware Company to be held by it as a part of its own property. No owner of the oil lands and leases conveyed to the Hobbs Oil Company had any beneficial interest in or power of disposition over the stock, as it belonged to the Delaware Company as soon as issued. The interest of the owners of the oil lands and leases conveyed to Hobbs Oil Company was in the consideration which they were to receive under the main contract and supplements thereto. We hold that the respondent was correct in fixing, as the basis for the calculation of gain, the cost of the oil properties to petitioners. Commissioner v. Moore, 48 Fed. (2d) 526; certiorari denied, 284 U. S. 620; Commissioner v. Garber, 50 Fed. (2d) 588.

Petitioners’ next contention is that $800,000 of the notes received in 1920 in connection with the Haskell transaction and secured by a lien on the Hobbs Oil Company properties should be valued at not more than $300,000 for the purpose of fixing the profits on the Hobbs-Haskell transaction. Notwithstanding the testimony of some witnesses at the hearing that the fair market value of these notes was considerably less than their face value, we do not think petitioners have overcome the prima facie correctness of respondent’s determination that the notes were worth their face value. We think on this point it is sufficient to say that the notes were the unconditional promises to pay. They were negotiable and $650,000 of these notes were paid during 1920 and $150,000 early in January, 1921, and the nonnegotiable note for $100,000, which is not in controversy, was settled some years later. We have had the respondent’s valuation of these notes before us once before in W. Oscar Williams, 16 B. T. A. 109, and we there sustained the respondent, and that case was affirmed [253]*253in Williams v. Commissioner, 45 Fed. (2d) 61. There is no substantial difference, we think, in the evidence in the instant case from that which we had before us in W. Oscar Williams, supra, and respondent’s action is approved.

Petitioners’ next contention is that they should be taxed with only so much of the commissions in the Haskell transaction as Hobbs received in 1920. Respondent included $23,820.13 as the amount which petitioners received in 1920 on account of these commissions. There has been no adequate evidence to rebut the correctness of the determination of the Commissioner on this point and accordingly we approve this determination.

Petitioners further contend that the 500 shares of Texas Chief Oil & Gas Company stock transferred by Henry Hobbs to his wife in 1919 constituted a gift and made that stock her separate property; that the basis for determining taxable profit on the subsequent sale of these shares of stock was their value at the date of gift; and that no part of the proceeds of sale can be considered as taxable income to Henry Hobbs.

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Hobbs v. Commissioner
26 B.T.A. 241 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1932)

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Bluebook (online)
26 B.T.A. 241, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1341, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hobbs-v-commissioner-bta-1932.