Kaplan v. Commissioner

59 T.C. 178, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 32
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 26, 1972
DocketDocket No. 5346-69
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 59 T.C. 178 (Kaplan v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kaplan v. Commissioner, 59 T.C. 178, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 32 (tax 1972).

Opinion

OPINION

Fat, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner’s Federal income tax for the taxable years 1964 and 1967 in the amounts of $2,483.43 and $3,387.65, respectively.

The issues presented for our consideration are: (1) Whether the 50 shares of no-par-value common stock of Aintree Stables, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Aintree or the corporation), that petitioner acquired on May 20, 1964, were issued pursuant to a written plan as contemplated by section 1244 of the Internal Revenue Code of 19541 and the regulations thereunder for purposes of determining if petitioner’s loss sustained with respect to these shares in the taxable year 1967 is properly characterized as an ordinary loss under section 1244; and (2) whether the 50 shares of no-par-value common stock of Ain-tree that petitioner acquired on January 23, 1967, were issued for money or other property within the meaning of section 1244(c) (1) (D) for purposes of determining if petitioner’s loss sustained with respect to these shares in the taxable year 1967 is properly characterized as an ordinary loss under section 1244.

All of the facts have been stipulated by the parties. The stipulation of facts and the exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner is an individual who was a resident of Washington, D.C., at the time of the filing of the petition in this case. Petitioner’s Federal income tax returns for the taxable years 1964 and 1967 were filed with the district director of internal revenue, Baltimore, Md.

On May 11, 1964, Aintree was incorporated under the laws of the State of Virginia by petitioner, Margaret Elizabeth Kenworthy, Cleave Deck, Richard A. Waterval, and Joseph A. Keating. Aintree was formed to provide a riding stable for public and private hire and to provide equestrian instruction for the general public. Aintree’s articles of incorporation provided that its authorized capital stock would consist of 100 shares of no-par-value common stock. The articles of incorporation further provided that the five incorporators would serve as the corporation’s initial directors.

On May 20, 1964, the first meeting of the incorporators of Aintree was held. At this meeting the corporation’s articles of incorporation and certificate of incorporation were accepted and approved, and the directors named in the articles of incorporation were ratified as Ain-tree’s first directors.

The incorporators further authorized the board of directors “to issue [Aintree’s capital] stock to the full amount or number authorized by the articles of incorporation in such amounts and proportions as from time to time shall be determined by the board.”

The first meeting of Aintree’s board of directors was also held on May 20, 1964. At this meeting, the board of directors authorized the appropriate officer (s) of Aintree to issue to petitioner a certificate representing 50 shares of Aintree’s no-par-value common stock for which petitioner had subscribed and paid $20 per share in cash. Moreover, the board of directors granted Margaret Elizabeth Kenworthy and Cleave Deck options to purchase 24.5 shares of Aintree’s no-par voting common stock at an exercise price of $20 per share. The options could be exercised at any time until May 20, 1974. The options were never exercised and were ultimately canceled and withdrawn by Ain-tree’s board of directors on January 23,1967.

Petitioner was advised by Aintree’s attorney and by Aintree’s corporate secretary on several occasions during the period between September 16, 1964, and January 23, 1967, that Aintree’s future business prospects were poor and that continued capital investments in Aintree would be futile. Petitioner disregarded this negative advice and continued to be optimistic about Aintree’s economic potential. In fact, she made numerous advances of capital to Aintree from May 20, 1964, to January 23,1967. As of January 23,1967, the total amount of petitioner’s advances to Aintree was $30,133.98.

Aintree did not issue any promissory notes or other evidences of indebtedness with respect to these advances. The parties also made no provisions for the payment of interest by Aintree to petitioner and, in fact, no interest payments were made.

The 12th meeting of Aintree’s board of directors was held on January 23,1967. At this meeting petitioner offered to cancel $24,000 of the corporation’s purported indebtedness to her in consideration for the issuance of an additional 50 shares of Aintree’s no-par voting common stock. In accepting petitioner’s offer, the board of directors adopted the following resolution:

Whereupon, Mrs. Kaplan announced that she would immediately offer to cancel $24,000.00 of her prior loans to the Corporation in consideration of immediate issuances of an additional 50 shares of the common stock of the Corporation; and whereupon the Board of Directors, upon motion made, seconded, and unanimously carried,
Resolved that Mrs. Kaplan’s offer is accepted and the Secretary is directed to immediately issue forthwith the remaining 50 shares of authorized common stock of the Corporation to Mrs. Marcia Kaplan and note the stock record transfer books accordingly.

Petitioner’s purported $30,133.98 indebtedness to Aintree was a worthless claim on January 23, 1967, and had a fair market value of zero as of that date.

From January 23,1967, to September 1,1967, petitioner made additional advances totaling $5,510 to Aintree. Aintree did not issue any promissory notes or other evidences of indebtedness with respect to these advances. The parties also made no provisions for the payment of interest by Aintree to petitioner and, in fact, no interest payments were made.

On September 1, 1967, Aintree’s board of directors decided to terminate the corporation’s business. Aintree adopted a plan of liquidation on September 15,1967, and ceased doing business sometime during September 1967.

Petitioner advanced an additional $625 to Aintree during the period from October 23,1967, to November 14,1967. Aintree did not issue any promissory notes or other evidences of indebtedness with respect to these advances. The parties made no provisions for the payment of interest by Aintree to petitioner and, in fact, no interest payments were made.

Petitioner’s total advances to Aintree from May 20,1964, to November 14, 1967, amounted to $36,268.98. The parties did not provide for a maturity date for the repayment of the moneys advanced by petitioner to Aintree. The $36,268.98 that petitioner advanced to Aintree was used to meet Aintree’s day-to-day operating needs. Aintree did not repay any of these advances from petitioner with the exception of a nominal repayment of $82.72 that was designed to close the corporation’s bank account after providing for the corporation’s creditors pursuant to the plan of liquidation.

On her Federal income tax return for the taxable year 1967 petitioner claimed a $25,000 ordinary loss resulting from the exchange of section 1244 stock and a nonbusiness bad debt deduction of $12,186.26 resulting from petitioner’s advances to Aintree.

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Kaplan v. Commissioner
59 T.C. 178 (U.S. Tax Court, 1972)

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Bluebook (online)
59 T.C. 178, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kaplan-v-commissioner-tax-1972.