Kelly v. United States

90 F.2d 73, 19 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 806, 1937 U.S. App. LEXIS 3762
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMay 10, 1937
DocketNo. 7942
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 90 F.2d 73 (Kelly v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kelly v. United States, 90 F.2d 73, 19 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 806, 1937 U.S. App. LEXIS 3762 (9th Cir. 1937).

Opinion

MATHEWS, Circuit Judge.

This case has been heretofore twice considered by this court. As originally brought here, the record contained neither [74]*74a statement-of the evidence nor a statement of the case, within the requirements of Equity Rules 75(b) and 77 (226 U.S. 672, 286 U.S. 570, 28 U.S.C.A. following section 723). It contained a so-called abstract of what purported to be evidence, but this was not certified or otherwise authenticated by the District Court. Since the questions raised could not be decided without examining the evidence, we indulged the presumption of correctness and affirmed the District Court’s judgment. 83 F. (2d) 783.

Thereafter we denied a petition for rehearing in which it was suggested that the record be - returned to the District Court for settlement and authentication of ‘the so-called .abstract as a statement of evidence. 84 F.(2d) 541. The Supreme Court granted certiorari, reversed our judgment, and directed us to return the record to the District Court for authentication. 57 S.Ct. 335, 81 L.Ed. -. That has been done, and now, for the first time, we have before us the evidence on which the District Court based its judgment.

In the case of Carlisle Packing Company, a corporation, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue determined that there was a deficiency in respect of the income tax imposed by title 2 (sections 200-286) of the Revenue Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 10-69, for the year 1927, and that there were deficiencies in respect of the income tax imposed’ by title 1 (sections 1-322) of the Revenue Act of 1928, 45 Stat. 795-862 (26 U.S.C.A. §§ 1-322 and notes), for the years 1928 and 1929. ■ As determined by the Commissioner, these deficiencies were in the respective amounts of $12,429.82, $1,435.49, and $1,473.88, being a total of $15,339.19. Deficiency notices were mailed, pursuant to section 274(a) of the Revenue Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 55, and section 272(a) of the Revenue Act of 1928, 45 Stat. 852 (26 U.S.C.A. § 272(a) and note).1 Within the 60-day period allowed by those sections, the corporation petitioned the Board of Tax Appeals for a redetermination of the claimed deficiencies. There were two such petitions. One, relating to the 1927 deficiency, was filed on April 2, 1931. The other, relating to the 1928 and 1929 deficiencies, was filed orr April 22, 1932. The two were consolidated and heard together on September 15, 1933.

In its petitions for redetermination, and at the hearing before the Board, the corporation contended that it had no taxable income in 1927, but suffered losses in that year sufficient to offset any taxable gains realized by it in 1928 and 1929. The Board, in an opinion promulgated December 6, 1933, rejected this contention, and on January 4, 1934, rendered its decision2 sustaining the Commissioner’s determination as to each of the claimed deficiencies. Carlisle Packing Co. v. Com’r, 29 B.T.A. 514. There was no petition to review the Board’s decision.

On January 10, 1934, a State Court of Washington appointed a receiver for the corporation. Because of such appointment, the Commissioner on January 12, 1934, made a summary assessment of the above mentioned deficiencies, with interest, as required by section 282(a) of the Revenue Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 62, and section 274(a) of the Revenue Act of 1928, 45 Stat. 856 (26 U.S.C.A. § 274(a) and note).3 The total amount Of the assessment was $20,515.52. On January 19, 1934, a petition praying that the corporation be [75]*75adjudged an involuntary bankrupt was filed in the District Court. On February 9, 1934, the District Court made such adjudication and, on the same day, referred the matter to a special referee in bankruptcy. Thereafter, on a date which the record does not disclose, appellant was appointed as trustee of the bankrupt estate.

On June 1, 1934, the United States presented to the bankruptcy court its claim for the taxes and interest which the Commissioner had assessed against the bankrupt on January 12, 1934. To this claim appellant on June 18, 1934, filed objections, asserting that the bankrupt received no taxable income in 1927, but suffered losses sufficient to offset any gains realized by it in 1928 and 1929. Thus, by his objections, appellant attempted to raise in the bankruptcy court the same question which the bankrupt had raised before the Board of Tax Appeals, and which the Board had decided adversely to the bankrupt.

There was a hearing before the referee. In support of its claim, the Government offered, and the referee received in evidence, a certified copy of the opinion and decision of the Board of Tax Appeals and of the assessment above referred to. Evidence offered by appellant in support of his objections to the Government’s claim was objected to by the Government on the ground that the Board’s decision was final and conclusive. The referee overruled the Government’s objection, received appellant’s evidence and on December 31, 1934, made an order disallowing the Government’s claim.

The Government filed exceptions to the referee’s order and a petition for review and disaffirmance thereof, and for allowance of its claim. The petition was heard by and submitted to the District Court on the evidence theretofore taken by the referee, including the bankrupt’s tax return for 1927. Also, pursuant to stipulation, the court received in evidence the bankrupt’s tax returns for 1928 and 1929. By its judgment, entered May 6, 1935, the court disaffirmed the referee’s order and allowed the Government’s claim. In re Carlisle Packing Co. (D.C.) 12 F.Supp. 11, 14. This appeal followed.

The District Court correctly held that it had no jurisdiction to review the decision of the Board of Tax Appeals. Jurisdiction to review that decision was vested in this court. Section 1001(a) of the Revenue Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 109, as amended by section 1101(a) of the Revenue Act of 1932, 47 Stat. 286 (26 U.S.C. A. § 642 and note), provides: “The decision of the Board rendered after [February 26, 1926] . . . may be reviewed by a Circuit Court of Appeals, ... if a petition for such review is filed by either the Commissioner or the taxpayer within the three months after the decision is rendered.”

Section 1003(a) of the Revenue Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 110 [26 U.S.C.A. § 641(a) and note], provides: “The Circuit Courts of Appeals and the Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia shall have exclusive jurisdiction to review the decisions of the Board (except as pi-ovided in section 239 of the Judicial Code, [section 346 of Title 28] as amended) ;4 and the judgment of any such court shall be final, except that it shall be subject to review by the Supreme Court of the United States upon certiorari.” Section 1005(a) of the Revenue Act of 1926, 44 Stat. 110 (26 U.S.C. A. § 640(a), (b) (1-3), provides that the decision o f the Board shall become final: 5

“(1) Upon the expiration of the time allowed for filing a petition for review, if no such petition has been duly filed within such time; or

“(2) Upon the expiration of the time allowed for filing a petition for certiorari, if the decision of the Board has been affirmed or the petition for review [76]*76dismissed by the Circuit Court of Appeals and no petition for certiorari has been duly filed; or

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Bluebook (online)
90 F.2d 73, 19 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 806, 1937 U.S. App. LEXIS 3762, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kelly-v-united-states-ca9-1937.