Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co. v. United States

272 F. Supp. 97, 20 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5307, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11488
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. North Carolina
DecidedAugust 15, 1967
DocketC-66-G-63, C-194-G-63
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 272 F. Supp. 97 (Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Co. v. United States, 272 F. Supp. 97, 20 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5307, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11488 (M.D.N.C. 1967).

Opinion

FINDINGS OF FACT AND CONCLUSIONS OF LAW

EDWIN M. STANLEY, Chief Judge.

The plaintiff, Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company, seeks by these actions to recover of the defendant, United States of America, Federal income taxes allegedly overpaid with respect to the years 1958 and 1959. In its answers, the defendant, in addition to denying liability to the plaintiff, asserts counterclaims with respect to additional income taxes assessed against the plaintiff for the years 1958 and 1959. The plaintiff, by replies timely filed, denies liability for the deficiency assessments asserted in the counterclaims.

The cases were tried by the Court without a jury. At the conclusion of the trial, the parties stipulated that, because of the numerous and complicated issues involved, and in the interest of obtaining a decision at the earliest possible date, it would be agreeable for the Court to dispense with its customary practice of writing opinions in non-jury cases, and confine its decision to findings of fact and conclusions of law.

The Court, after giving due consideration to the pleadings and the evidence, including exhibits and stipulations, the requests and briefs submitted by the parties, and oral arguments of counsel, now makes and files herein its Findings of *100 Fact and Conclusions of Law, separately stated:

FINDINGS OF FACT

I

General Findings

1. The facts herein found are applicable with respect to the taxable years 1958 and 1959, except as otherwise stated or indicated.

2. Jefferson Life Insurance Company (hereinafter referred to as “Jefferson”), and Pilot Life Insurance Company (hereinafter referred to as “Pilot”), are domestic stock life insurance companies duly incorporated and existing under the laws of the State of North Carolina, and engaged in business as life insurance companies as defined in § 801(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (hereinafter referred to as “the Code”). The principal office of Jefferson is located at Jefferson Square in the City of Greensboro, Guilford County, North Carolina, and the principal office of Pilot is located at Sedgefield, Guilford County, North Carolina.

3. Jefferson owns all the outstanding capital stock of Pilot, and Jefferson and Pilot duly elected to file consolidated income tax returns for the years 1958 and 1959.

4. Jefferson duly and timely executed and filed with the District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of North Carolina Federal income tax returns (the same being consolidated returns applicable to Jefferson and its subsidiary, Pilot, as permitted by law), for the taxable (and calendar) year 1958, and for the taxable (and calendar) year 1959.

5. As provided by law, Jefferson’s subsidiary, Pilot, duly consented to and authorized the filing of said consolidated income tax returns, and pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, Jefferson, both on its own behalf and as the duly authorized agent of its subsidiary, Pilot, was entitled to file in its sole name said consolidated income tax returns for the years 1958 and 1959, and to file in its sole name the claims for refund hereinafter mentioned.

6. Jefferson, both on its own behalf and as the duly authorized agent of its said subsidiary, Pilot, is entitled, in its sole name, to institute and prosecute these actions, and to receive the amounts of refund, if any, which the Court may adjudge to be due Jefferson in these actions.

7. Jefferson’s tax return for the year 1958 reported a tax liability for said taxable year in the amount of $7,213,-029.00, and this tax was duly and timely paid to the District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of North Carolina.

8. Jefferson’s tax return for the year 1959 reported a tax liability for said taxable year in the amount of $7,280,350.00. However, of said reported amount, $292,-906.00 represented Jefferson’s liability for the transitional tax for the year 1957, arising under the provisions of § 818(e) of the Code. Thus, the amount of tax shown to be due by Jefferson’s return for the year 1959, exclusive of said 1957 transitional tax, was $6,987,444.00. Under the mentioned statute, Jefferson is allowed to pay its 1957 transitional tax in ten equal annual installments. Accordingly, with respect to the year 1959, Jefferson duly and timely paid to the District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of North Carolina the amount of $6,987,444.00, plus $29,291.00 representing one-tenth of said 1957 transitional tax, or an aggregate amount of $7,016,735.00.

9. At all times referred to herein, the District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of North Carolina was the agent of the defendant duly authorized by law to accept and collect, on behalf of the defendant, payments of the aforementioned income taxes made by Jefferson and, consequently, payment of said income taxes to the said District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of North Carolina constituted a payment of said taxes to the defendant.

10. Jefferson duly filed, pursuant to the provisions of § 6511 and § 7422(a) *101 of the Code, and within the time required by law, with the defendant, through its authorized agent, the District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of North Carolina, claims for refund for certain amounts paid to the defendant on account of Jefferson’s income tax returns for the years 1958 and 1959, and for lawful interest thereon, and for such additional refund or other relief to which it might be lawfully entitled, and alleged by Jefferson to have been erroneously and illegally assessed against, and collected from, Jefferson by the defendant. These actions, based upon said claims for refund, were timely instituted.

11. By orders duly entered, the Court granted motions of the defendant to amend its answers by adding counterclaims with respect to additional income taxes asserted and assessed against Jefferson for the years 1958 and 1959. The amendments were timely filed and served upon Jefferson. Jefferson, by replies to the amended answers, and the counterclaims therein set forth, which replies were timely filed and served upon the defendant, denied liability for said adjustments to its income tax liabilities, and for the deficiency assessments made by the defendant and referred to in its counterclaims, to the extent and for the reasons set forth in its replies.

II

The Applicable Rate of Tax

12. Both Jefferson and Pilot are life insurance companies subject to the tax imposed under § 802 of the Code.

13. The form 1120 L, corporate income tax return provided by the Internal Revenue Service for use by life insurance companies subject to the tax imposed by § 802 of the Code for 1958 and 1959, specified a tax of 30 percent on amounts not over $25,000.00 and 52 percent on amounts in excess of $25,000.00. Said form further specified, in the event a consolidated return was filed, a tax of 32 percent on amounts not over $25,-000.00 and 54 percent on amounts in excess of $25,000.00. Jefferson computed and paid tax at the latter rates on its consolidated returns for 1958 and 1959.

14.

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272 F. Supp. 97, 20 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5307, 1967 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11488, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jefferson-standard-life-insurance-co-v-united-states-ncmd-1967.