Liquid Asphalt Systems, Inc. v. United States

555 F. Supp. 1100, 52 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6521, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17369
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Missouri
DecidedNovember 23, 1982
Docket78-0616-CV-W-9
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 555 F. Supp. 1100 (Liquid Asphalt Systems, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Missouri primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Liquid Asphalt Systems, Inc. v. United States, 555 F. Supp. 1100, 52 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6521, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17369 (W.D. Mo. 1982).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

BARTLETT, District Judge.

This is a civil action against the United States of America for recovery of manufacturer’s excise tax under Section 4061(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, 26 U.S.C. § 4061(a)(1). Plaintiff alleges the taxes, penalties and interest at issue were erroneously paid, or erroneously or illegally assessed and collected. Plaintiff also seeks recovery of attorney’s fees under the Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Awards Act of 1976, 42 U.S.C. § 1988. The case was tried to the Court on September 27-28, 1982.

The Court has considered the testimony adduced at trial, the exhibits introduced into evidence, the briefs and arguments of the parties and the applicable law, and issues this Memorandum and Order in accordance with Federal Rules of Civil Procedure 52(a).

The plaintiff is Liquid Asphalt Systems, Inc., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Missouri. It was formed in 1973 and its president since incorporation has been Melvin D. Stevenson. During all relevant periods, plaintiff’s principal place of business has been located at 2425 Jefferson, Kansas City, Missouri, within the Western District of Missouri. Since the second quarter of 1973, plaintiff has been manufacturing and selling asphalt-handling systems for the roofing industry.

Plaintiff manufactures four variations of asphalt-handling systems: (1) truck-mounted job tanks, (2) trailer-mounted job tanks, (3) mobile storage units, and (4) yard storage units. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue assessed manufacturer’s excise tax only on certain truck-mounted and trailer-mounted models. The truck-mounted models were designated JTK6, JTK7, JTK12, JTK13, JTK15, JTK20; the trailer-mounted models were designated JTR3 and JTR6. 1

Liquid Asphalt seeks recovery of $73,-430.59 in manufacturer’s excise tax, penalties and interest paid to defendant for the calendar quarters ending June 30, 1973, through December 31, 1975, inclusive, together with interest, costs, expenses and attorneys’ fees. The total amount of excise tax paid by the plaintiff for the years 1973, 1974, and 1975 was $64,593.80. Of this amount, $55,066.95 were charged to and collected from the ultimate purchasers of the products. The remaining $9,526.85 plus $8,836.79 in interest and penalties were paid directly by the plaintiff and were not assessed to or collected from the ultimate purchasers.

Plaintiff has agreed to refund to its customers any excise taxes recovered as a result of this action to the extent that the tax was collected from its customers. Most of the ultimate purchasers of plaintiff’s job tankers who paid the tax have consented in writing to the making of a refund. Therefore, plaintiff can claim in this action a refund for the tax imposed on those sales as well as the tax paid by it. 26 U.S.C. § 6416(a)(1)(D).

The Court has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter of this suit pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1346(a)(1) and *1102 plaintiff has complied with the requirements of 26 U.S.C. § 7422. In a tax refund suit, the assessments made by the Internal Revenue Service have a presumption of correctness. Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111, 115, 54 S.Ct. 8, 9, 78 L.Ed. 212 (1933). The taxpayer must prove by a preponderance of the evidence both that it has overpaid tax and the amount of the overpayment. Helvering v. Taylor, 293 U.S. 507, 514, 55 S.Ct. 287, 290, 79 L.Ed. 623 (1935); United States v. Janis, 428 U.S. 433, 440, 96 S.Ct. 3021, 3025, 49 L.Ed.2d 1046 (1976). The taxpayer has both the burden of going forward with the evidence and the burden of ultimate persuasion. Laurel Hill Cemetery Association v. United States, 427 F.Supp. 679, 686 (E.D.Mo.1977), aff’d, 566 F.2d 630 (8th Cir. 1977); Rosenberg v. United States, 295 F.Supp. 820, 822 (E.D.Mo.1969), aff’d, 422 F.2d 341 (8th Cir.1970).

The Court has previously granted summary judgment for the defendant on two constitutional claims made by the plaintiff. The remaining issues are:

1. Are the job tanks in question subject to the manufacturer’s excise tax under Section 4061(a)(1)?
2. Are the machinery and equipment installed on these job tanks taxable under Section 4061(a)(1)?

Section 4061(a)(1) does not distinguish between highway and nonhighway vehicles. However, since 1956, the manufacturer’s excise tax imposed by Section 4061(a)(1) has been diverted to the highway trust fund which provides funding for primary, secondary, and urban roads and the interstate highway system. H.R.Rep. No. 2022, 84th Cong., 2d Sess. 41-50 (1956); 1956-2 Cum. Bull. 1285, 1290-95. In recognition of this use for the proceeds of the manufacturer’s excise tax, the Secretary of the Treasury has narrowed the scope of Section 4061(a)(1) by promulgating regulations which exempt from the tax vehicles not designed for highway use.

To resolve the issues in this case two sets of regulations must be interpreted and applied. During the period from April 4, 1973, to December 31,1975, when the tax in question was allegedly incurred, regulations propounded in 1963 were in effect (hereinafter referred to as the “prior regulations”). See Treas.Reg. § 48.4061(a)-l etseq. (1963), T.D. 6648, 1963-1 Cum.Bull. 197. In 1977 the regulations were revised (hereinafter “revised regulations”). See 26 C.F.R. § 48.-4061(a)-l, T.D. 7461, 1977-1 Cum.Bull. 317.

Treasury regulations must be upheld if they are found to implement the congressional mandate in some reasonable manner. United States v. Cartwright, 411 U.S. 546, 550, 93 S.Ct. 1713, 1716, 36 L.Ed.2d 528 (1973). This case does not involve a challenge to either the prior or revised regulations. The issues raised depend for their resolution on the interpretation and application of these regulations.

Exemptions from taxation are to be strictly construed and not easily expanded. Heiner v. Colonial Trust Co.,

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605 F.3d 319 (Sixth Circuit, 2010)
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247 F. Supp. 2d 299 (W.D. New York, 2003)

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Bluebook (online)
555 F. Supp. 1100, 52 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6521, 1982 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17369, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/liquid-asphalt-systems-inc-v-united-states-mowd-1982.