Korn Industries, Inc. v. United States

532 F.2d 1352, 209 Ct. Cl. 559, 37 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1228, 1976 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 255
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedApril 14, 1976
DocketNo. 268-74
StatusPublished
Cited by24 cases

This text of 532 F.2d 1352 (Korn Industries, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Korn Industries, Inc. v. United States, 532 F.2d 1352, 209 Ct. Cl. 559, 37 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1228, 1976 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 255 (cc 1976).

Opinion

Nichols, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Plaintiff, Korn Industries, Inc., brings this action to recover Federal income taxes of $27,618.80 for the taxable year ended November 30, 1969, plus statutory interest. We [561]*561have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 TJ.S.C. § 1491. The question before the court is whether the taxpayer’s inclusion of three additional items of cost in computing its finished goods inventory for taxable year 1969, not previously included, constituted a change in the plaintiff’s method of accounting within the meaning of Sec. 481 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. We hold for plaintiff.

The material facts are not in dispute. Taxpayer, a South Carolina corporation in the business of manufacturing furniture, keeps its books and records using the accrual method of accounting, with its fiscal year ending November 30. For the fiscal year ended November 30,1969, and for many years prior thereto, in determining its taxable income, taxpayer had arrived at and used inventory valuations as follows: Separate inventories of raw materials, work-in-process, supplies and finished goods were taken as of each November 30, based on physical count 'and calculation of actual cost. The actual cost of each piece of furniture in the finished goods inventory was computed by using the standard cost for that piece, which standard cost was assigned at the beginning of the year, and then adding or subtracting any variances between the standard cost and the actual cost, as of the end of the year. The standard cost of each piece of furniture was the aggregate of the cost elements of materials, labor and overhead in that piece. There were 14 kinds of materials in the finished furniture, as follows: (1) lumber, (2) squares, (3) wood bedrails, (4) metal bedrails, (5) mirrors, (6) mirror frames, (7) plywood, (8) plastic and plastic tops, (9) finishing materials (paints, varnishes, etc.), (10) glue, (11) hardware, (12) nails and screws, (13) cartons, and (14) packing supplies.

In checking inventories for fecal 1969 plaintiff’s auditors discovered that three elements of the 14 materials costs had by an accountant’s error not been included in the calculation of the finished goods inventory for fiscal 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1968. These elements were plywood, plastics and plastic tops, and finishing materials, except that plastics and plastic tops had not been cost elements in 1965. These 3 elements of cost were not omitted from the raw materials inventory, the work-in-process inventory or the supplies inventory.

[562]*562The cost elements omitted from the inventories for the years 1965 through 1968 were as follows:

These improper omissions from the finished goods inventory caused a correspondingly improper addition to the cost of goods sold and thus an understatement of taxable income.

Plaintiff’s income tax return for fiscal 1969 reported beginning inventories of $1,608,733, an increase of $78,378.00 over the closing inventories shown on its 1968 return. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audited plaintiff’s return for the fiscal year ended November 30,1969, and by a 30-day letter determined that the omission of the 3 items of materials costs in prior tax years and the adjustment in plaintiff’s beginning inventory for 1969 was a “change in method accounting” during 1969 necessitating an adjustment pursuant to Sec. 481 of the Internal Revenue Code. The IRS increased plaintiff’s taxable income for 1969 by $78,378, and computed a deficiency, as per Sec. 481(b) (1) of $40,023.34. Plaintiff filed a protest to the 30-day letter denying that there was a “change in method of accounting” in 1969 but admitting that its taxable income for 1967 and 1968 should be increased by $36,945. For convenience the additional taxes admitted due were calculated as a deficiency for 1969 and on September 27,1972, plaintiff paid the IRS $19,462.64, representing $17,733.60 tax and $1,729.40 interest. Plaintiff refused to pay the balance of the $40,023.34 proposed deficiency. The real dispute is whether plaintiff has the benefit of the statute of limitations as to 1966 and 1965.

Thereafter on January 12, 1973, the IRS, by statutory notice of deficiency, determined that plaintiff owed $40,023.34 on the same basis as proposed in the 30-day letter. Plaintiff paid the balance due of $27,618 and then filed a claim for refund. Plaintiff contends that it did not change its method [563]*563of accounting and that Sec. 481 is inapplicable. Plaintiff’s claim was disallowed and it timely filed suit in this court.

Section 481(a) of the Internal Eevenue Code of 1954 entitled “Adjustments required by changes in methods of accounting,” states in pertinent part:

(a) General rule. — In computing the taxpayer’s taxable income for any taxable year * * *
(1) if such computation is under a method of accounting different from the method under which the taxpayer’s taxable income for the proceeding taxable year was computed, then
(2) there shall be taken into account those adjustments which are determined to be necessary solely by reason of the change in order to prevent amounts from being duplicated or omitted, except there shall not be taken into account any adjustment in respect of any taxable year to which this section does not apply unless the adjustment is attributable to a change in the method of accounting initiated by the taxpayer.

Section 481 was added to the Code in 1954 so that “If there is a change in the method of accounting employed in computing taxable income from the method employed for the proceeding taxable year, adjustments must be made in order that every item of gross income or deduction is taken into account and that none are omitted. At the same time no item is to affect the computation of taxable income more than once. It is only those omissions or doubling ups which are due to the changes in method which must be adjusted.” H. Rep. No. 1337, 83d Cong., 2d Sess. (1954), 3 U.S. Code, Cong. & Adm. News (1954), 4017, 4303; S. Eep No-. 1622, 83d Cong., 2d 'Sess. (1954), 3 U.S. Code Cong. & Adm. News (1954), 4621, 4947. Courts have recognized that the principal intent of Congress in enacting Sec. 481 was to ensure that after 1954 no item would escape taxation or be over-taxed or under-taxed when a taxpayer changed its method of accounting or reporting income. Grogan v. United States, 475 F. 2d 15 (5th Cir. 1973); Commissioner v. Welch, 345 F. 2d 939 (5th Cir. 1965); Graff Chevrolet Co. v. Campbell, 343 F. 2d 568 (5th Cir. 1965). Defendant, in its brief emphasized the sentence from the House Eeport quoted above beginning “At [564]*564the same time.” However, the real issue in this case is whether there has 'been a “change in method of accounting.” Unless this condition has been met, Sec. 481 does not come into play.

As to this, the parties have cited numerous cases. We have considered them but none are close on the facts. The adjustments in issue present a novel problem. Defendant relies on the recent case of Witte v. Commissioner, 513 F. 2d 391 (D.C. Cir. 1975) to show that Sec. 481 covers a change from an improper method to a proper one. We may concede the truth of this, 'but it does not tell us, were plaintiff’s egregious errors a “method” at all ?

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532 F.2d 1352, 209 Ct. Cl. 559, 37 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1228, 1976 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 255, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/korn-industries-inc-v-united-states-cc-1976.