Luckman v. Commissioner

56 T.C. 1216, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 64
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 31, 1971
DocketDocket No. 3959-65
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 56 T.C. 1216 (Luckman 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
Luckman v. Commissioner, 56 T.C. 1216, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 64 (tax 1971).

Opinion

SUPPLEMENTAL OPINION

Foerester, Judge:

The issue presented for our decision is to what extent petitioners’ receipt in 1961 of $37,245.75 from Rapid American Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Rapid) was a taxable dividend.

Originally that issue turned upon the resolution of one principal question and three subsidiary questions. On November 12, 1968, in accordance with our opinion of July 24,1968, reported at 50 T.C. 619, we entered our decision with respect to the principal question. Our resolution of the principal question made, it unnecessary for us to reach any of the three subsidiary questions, consequently we did not decide them.

The Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit has now reversed our decision with respect to the principal question and remanded this case for our consideration of the three subsidiary questions. Luckman v. Commissioner, 418 F. 2d 381 (C.A. 7, 1969). In its opinion the Seventh Circuit decided that the exercise ¡by Rapid’s employees of certain restricted stock options effected a reduction in Rapid’s earnings and profits.

The three subsidiary questions we must now consider are:

(1) Whether the deficit in Rapid’s earnings and profits offsets earnings and profits of corporations acquired under section 3321 so that distributions to shareholders subsequent to the acquisitions are considered to be a return of capital rather than a distribution of the acquired corporations’ earnings and profits;

(2) Whether income recognized by the corporation in the fiscal years ending January 1961 and January 1962 from an installment sale consummated in fiscal 1961 should be disregarded in computing Nap-id’s earnings and profits for those years where the installment sale ultimately resulted in a net loss to Eapid;

(3) Whether respondent’s determination (and Eapid’s aquiescence after 1963) that Eapid’s taxable income prior to 1961 was greater than that reported by Eapid, requires a retroactive adjustment in Eapid’s earnings and profits at January 31,1961, and thereafter.

On October 27,1970, the parties filed with this Court a stipulation which they have represented as sufficient to place in the record all of the facts necessary for resolution of the three subsidiary questions. Both parties have also represented to this Court that they do not desire either further trial or the opportunity to file further briefs in respect of those questions.

Although largely duplicative of our Findings of Fact at 50 T.C. 619, all of the facts necessary for and relevant to the resolution of the three subsidiary questions are fully restated in the course of this opinion in order to provide an adequate background for bur discussion. Eeference to petitioner hereinafter refers only to Sid Luckman.

From and after April 6,1961, petitioner was the owner of approximately 100,000 shares of Eapid’s common stock. His cost basis with respect to this stock was $1.56 per share.

Prior to 1960 Eapid kept its books of account and filed Federal income tax returns on a calendar year basis. In 1960 with approval from the Internal Eevenue Service, its annual accounting period was changed to the fiscal year ending January 31. The change became effective with the month ending January 31,1960.

During the calendar year 1961 Eapid made cash distributions to its shareholders as follows:

March 30, 1961_$175, 324. 70
June 30, 1961_ 205,178. 56
September 29, 1961_ 206, 765.28
December 29, 1961_ 253, 571.99
Total_ 840, 840, 53

Petitioner’s share of these distributions totaled $37,245.75 and was received as follows:

Date distributed Date received Amount
June 30,1961_ July 1961- $12,415.25
Sept. 29, 1961_ October 1961_ 12, 415.25
Dec. 29, 1961_ December 1961_ 12, 415.25
Total. 37, 245. 75

Petitioner did not include any of these distributions as dividends in bis 1961 Federal income tax return 'because be bad been advised by Eapid tbat all distributions paid by Eapid on its common stock in 1961 constituted returns of capital and consequently were not taxable.

As of January 31, 1961, Eapid’s accumulated earnings and profits (prior to any reduction for stock options exercised by its employees, including $563,400 reported as income from the disputed installment sale, and prior to any increase as a result of respondent’s determination tbat Eapid’s taxable income prior to 1961 was greater than Eapid had reported) amounted to $967,877.80. As a consequence of the Seventh Circuit’s opinion at 418 F. 2d 381, the above figure is altered by the $2,545,907 reduction for stock options exercised by Eapid’s employees, and becomes a net deficit of $1,578,029.20.

For the fiscal year ending January 1962, Eapid’s current earnings and profits (prior to any reduction for stock options exercised by its employees, prior to any adjustments as a result of Eapid’s acquisition of certain corporations under section 332, and including $1,101,807.58 reported as income from the disputed installment sale) amounted to $1,169,889.30. As a consequence of the Seventh Circuit’s opinion at 418 F. 2d 381, the above figure is altered by the $871,939 reduction for stock options exercised by its employees during its fiscal year ending January 1962, and becomes $297,950.30.

Subsidiary Question No. 1

On or about April 1, 1961, Eapid acquired in a stock-for-stock exchange 100 percent of the stock of Cellu-Craft Products Corp. On or about July 31,1961, Cellu-Craft Products Corp. and 10 other companies related to Cellu-Craft Products Corp. (hereinafter collectively referred to as the Cellu-Craft companies) were liquidated into Eapid in a nontaxable transaction qualifying under section 332. At that date the accumulated earnings and profits of all of the liquidated Cellu-Craft companies totaled as follows: Aggregate earnings and profits, $1,634,046.30; aggregate deficits, $224,152.19.

Section 301 (c) (1) provides that to the extent a distribution of property by a corporation to a shareholder is a dividend it shall be included in the shareholder’s gross income. Section 316(a) defines the term “dividend” as any distribution of property made by a corporation to its shareholders as follows:

SEO. 316. DIVIDEND DEFINED.
(a) General Rule. Eor purposes of this subtitle, the term “dividend” means any distribution of property made by a corporation to its shareholders—
(1) out of its earnings and profits accumulated after February 28, 1913, or

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56 T.C. 1216, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 64, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/luckman-v-commissioner-tax-1971.