Lessinger v. Commissioner

85 T.C. No. 48, 85 T.C. 824, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 16
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 20, 1985
DocketDocket No. 24103-81
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 85 T.C. No. 48 (Lessinger 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
Lessinger v. Commissioner, 85 T.C. No. 48, 85 T.C. 824, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 16 (tax 1985).

Opinion

Clapp, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners’ Federal income tax in the amounts of $114,147.30 and $1,427.50 for the taxable years 1977 and 1978, respectively.

After concessions, the issues remaining for decision are: (1) Whether petitioner Sol Lessinger should recognize gain of $251,014, in the taxable year 1977 pursuant to section 357(c);1 and (2) whether petitioner Edith Lessinger is entitled to relief from liability for the 1977 deficiency under the provisions of section 6013(e).

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are found accordingly.

Petitioners Sol and Edith Lessinger, husband and wife, resided at Suffern, New York, on the date the petition in this case was filed. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the taxable years 1977 and 1978, the years before the Court.

For over 25 years prior to December 31, 1976, petitioner Sol Lessinger (hereinafter petitioner in the singular) was engaged in business as a sole proprietor using the trade name Universal Screw & Bolt Co. (hereinafter proprietorship). The proprietorship acted as a wholesale distributor of a variety of metal fasteners. Universal Screw & Bolt Co., Inc., a New York corporation (hereinafter Universal), was organized on January 1, 1962. Petitioner has been the sole shareholder of Universal since it was incorporated. Universal was engaged in a similar business as the proprietorship, that is, the wholesale distribution of a variety of metal fasteners. Petitioner was the president and chief executive officer of Universal.

The business operations of Universal and the proprietorship were conducted from the same location on Ninth Avenue, New York, New York. Prior to January 1, 1977, Universal and the proprietorship carried on separate business operations and maintained separate books and records. Both maintained their books and records and filed their Federal income tax returns using the accrual basis of accounting and the calendar year accounting period.

The proprietorship’s working capital was provided in part by a factor which made loans secured by a pledge of the proprietorship’s accounts receivable. In the latter part of 1976, the factor refused to continue the existing arrangement. It notified petitioner, through S.Z. Swidler, petitioner’s attorney and accountant, that it would continue the financing only for a corporation so that the factor could take advantage of the higher interest rate permitted on loans to corporations under the laws of the State of New York. Petitioner instructed Mr. Swidler to do whatever was necessary for the proprietorship to become a corporation so that he could continue operation. The details of the transfer were not explained to petitioner. Mr. Swidler instructed his associate, Nathan Kutner, a certified public accountant, and Max Fuchs, the bookkeeper of the proprietorship, as to the necessary arrangements for the transfer. It was determined that the businesses operated by the proprietorship and Universal should be consolidated as of January 1, 1977.

The unaudited balance sheet of the proprietorship as of December 31, 1976, disclosed the following:

Assets
Current assets:
Cash in bank and on hand $3,915.80
Accounts receivable 424,880.51
Marketable securities and
mutual funds 266,603.93
Merchandise inventory 885,419.00
Total current assets $1,580,819.24
Fixed assets:
Furniture and fixtures 74,211.66
Equipment 9,953.69
Automobiles and trucks 51,915.87
Office machines 13,648.30
Improvements 33,328.75
Total 183,058.27
Less accumulated depreciation 77,432.48
Total fixed assets 105,625.79
Other assets:
Investment - Israeli bonds 1,330.00
Goodwill 40,000.00
Programming - net 1,070.00
Prepaid expenses 3.300.03
Total other assets 45,700.03
Total assets 1.732.145.06
Liabilities and Capital
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable - trade $416,026.24
Notes payable - due within 1 year 990,795.02
Due to broker 329.15
Taxes payable 6,735.55
Loans and exchanges 5,022.91
Accrued expenses 161.807.97
Total current liabilities $1,580,716.84
Other liabilities:
Notes payable - due after 1 year 341,822.81
Capital:
Sol Lessinger - Capital (Exhibit "B”) (190.394.59)
Total liabilities and capital 1.732.145.06
Schedule A-l
Due within Due after
1 year 1 year
Notes payable:
Chemical Bank $202,500.00 $337,786.47
Trade 464,288.62 4,036.34
Auto loans 8,727.51
Insurance 278.89
Trefoil 315.000.00
Total notes payable 990.795.02 341.822.81

On January 1, 1977, the proprietorship bank account was closed and all business activity formerly conducted by the proprietorship was carried on by Universal. On that date, the operating assets and related business liabilities of the proprietorship were transferred to the pre-existing corporation, Universal. The principal assets which were not transferred were mutual fund shares. The principal liability not transferred was the loan from Chemical Bank secured by the mutual fund shares.

No shares of stock or other securities were issued by Universal. No written agreements were prepared or executed between Universal and petitioner in connection with the consolidation.

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Bluebook (online)
85 T.C. No. 48, 85 T.C. 824, 1985 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 16, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lessinger-v-commissioner-tax-1985.