International Textbook Co. Appeal

48 Pa. D. & C.2d 748, 1969 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Dauphin County
DecidedDecember 19, 1969
DocketCommonwealth docket 1968, no. 415
StatusPublished

This text of 48 Pa. D. & C.2d 748 (International Textbook Co. Appeal) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Dauphin County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
International Textbook Co. Appeal, 48 Pa. D. & C.2d 748, 1969 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1969).

Opinion

KREIDER, P. J.,

This is an appeal filed by International Textbook Company, a Pennsylvania corporation with its principal place of business in Scranton, Pa., from an order of the Bureau of Employment Security of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry denying appellant s petition for reassessment. The basis of the original assessment in the amount of $187.20, with interest of $25, was that certain amounts of money paid to William [750]*750W. Manville by appellant in the operation of its business during the period in question should have been included in its contribution reports as “wages” paid for “employment” as defined by the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law of December 5, 1936, Second Extraordinary Session, P. L. (1937) 2897, as amended, 43 PS §751, et seq., and, therefore, subject to tax.

Manville, whose remuneration is in question during the period November 1, 1965, through July 31, 1967, was employed by Haddon Craftsmen, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of appellant, International Textbook Company, as an administrative engineer under a renewable annual contract from November 1, 1950, until October 30, 1965. During this period, Mr. Man-ville was admittedly in the status of an employe and contributions were paid on the wages received by him. Prior to November 1, 1950, he had been an employe of Stevenson, Jordan & Harrison, a consulting engineering firm.

As of October 31, 1965, Mr. Manville’s position with appellant was abolished. However, he was hired thereafter by appellant allegedly as a “consultant” industrial engineer under a 90-day contract which was renezued on seven consecutive occasions. The last such renewal expired July 31, 1967.

Some time during the month of August 1967, Mr. Manville filed an application for benefits under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law. This application established for him a base year consisting of the last three quarters of 1966 and the first quarter of 1967. Thereafter, the Bureau of Employment Security issued its decision holding that Mr. Manville was not financially eligible for benefits for the reason that he had no reported wages during his base year.

As a consequence of this denial and Mr. Manville s protest with respect thereto, the Bureau of Employ[751]*751ment Security, pursuant to the provisions of section 304 of the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law, issued a notice of assessment against appellant for failure to include in its quarterly contribution reports the remuneration received by Mr. Manville. Following this notice, appellant filed a petition for reassessment, alleging that during the period in question Mr. Manville was not its employe but was an “independent contractor” and that the moneys received by him were not “wages” within the meaning of the statute.

A hearing was held by the bureau’s examiner on said petition. He concluded that, as a matter of law, “The services performed by William Manville did constitute ‘employment’ within the meaning of section 4 (1)(2)(B) of the Law, and the remuneration received therefor did constitute ‘wages’ subject to the contribution provisions of the Law,” and recommended that the petition for reassessment be dismissed. Thereafter, the bureau issued its decision dismissing appellant’s petition. From that decision an appeal to this court was filed.

Relevant sections of the Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law of December 5,1936, Second Extraordinary Session, P. L. (1937) 2897, as amended, 43 PS §751, et seq., are as follows:

Section 4(x):

“ ‘Wages’ means all remuneration, (including the cash value of mediums of payment other than cash), paid by an employer to an individual with respect to his employment . . .”

Section 4(j):

“(1) ‘Employer’ means every — individual . . . who or which employed or employs any employe in employment subject to this act ...”

Section 4(1)(1):

“ ‘Employment’ means all personal service performed for remuneration by an individual under any [752]*752contract for hire, express or implied, written or oral,

The exclusionary provisions of section 4(1)(2)(B), provide, in pertinent part, as follows:

“Services performed by an individual for wages shall be deemed to be employment subject to this act, unless and until it is shown to the satisfaction of the department that — (a) such individual has been and will continue to be free from control or direction over the performance of such services both under his contract of service and in fact; and (b) as to such services such individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business.”

There is no question that Manville performed services for appellant and received remuneration. Unless appellant can show that both requirements, viz., (a) and (b), of the above exclusionary exempting provisions are met, the remuneration paid will be considered “wages” subject to the act.

Since Manville was performing services for remuneration, the burden shifts to appellant to bring itself within either the general exception set forth in section 4(1)(2)(B) or one of the special exclusions of section 4(1)(4). As stated, the taxpayer must satisfy both clauses (a) and (b) to exclude itself from coverage under the general exception of section 4(1)(2)(B): Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bureau of Employment Security v. Hecker and Co., 409 Pa. 117, 121, 122 (1962), affirming the opinion of this court, 78 Dauph. 354 (1962).

To determine whether Manville was an employe within the meaning of the act or an independent consultant as contended by appellant, we must examine both the new employment contract and the circumstances surrounding Manville’s performance of services. For appellant to have been exempt from unem[753]*753ployment tax on remuneration paid, Manville must have been free from control or direction of the performance of his services both under the written contract and in fact. It is immaterial whether any control over the performance of Manville’s services was actually exercised. The mere right to exercise such control prevents an individuals remuneration from qualifying under the exclusionary provisions of section 4(l)(2)(B)(a). See Department of Labor & Industry v. Valley Forge Grinding Wheel Co., 83 Dauph. 322, 327 (1965).

When Mr. Howlett, assistant plant manager of Haddon Craftsmen, Inc., and “directly responsible for most manufacturing activities” was asked to describe briefly what Mr. Manville did for the company during the period in question, he replied:

“A. He conducted time studies, made recommendations on layout methods, consulted on performance efficiencies of personnel in the distribution center, suggested ways of improving efficiency, reducing costs — period. To give a general answer, he performed as — what I would consider — a consultant industrial engineer.”

In reply to a question whether during this period the company exercised any control or supervision over the performance of Mr. Manville’s services, Mr. Howlett said:

“I would say only in the respect that we assigned him an overall project and then evaluated his contribution to this project.”

This witness further testified that Mr.

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Related

Commonwealth v. Hecker & Co.
185 A.2d 549 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1962)

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Bluebook (online)
48 Pa. D. & C.2d 748, 1969 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/international-textbook-co-appeal-pactcompldauphi-1969.