MacCallum Gauge Co. v. Commissioner

32 B.T.A. 544, 1935 BTA LEXIS 936
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedApril 30, 1935
DocketDocket No. 70437.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 32 B.T.A. 544 (MacCallum Gauge Co. v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Board of Tax Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
MacCallum Gauge Co. v. Commissioner, 32 B.T.A. 544, 1935 BTA LEXIS 936 (bta 1935).

Opinion

OPINION.

MoMahon:

This is a proceeding for the redetermination of a deficiency in income tax for the calendar year 1930 in the amount of $485.48. It is alleged that the respondent erred in determining that [545]*545the basis for the exhaustion or depreciation of a patent secured by James MacCallum, Jr., on a liquid measuring device and assigned by him to petitioner on April 30, 1930, was the cost thereof to the assignor, instead of determining that the proper basis is the value of the patent on the date when it was assigned to the petitioner, which value, it is alleged, was $119,587.58.

The petitioner is a corporation, with principal office in St. Louis, Missouri.

The parties entered into a stipulation of facts, which we incorporate herein by reference, setting forth, however, only such portions as are necessary to an understanding of the proceeding. The stipulation discloses that James MacCallum, Jr., perfected a liquid measuring device; that he agreed to pay E. B. Powell, who assisted him, one third of all the amount received in the event of the sale of the invention, and one third of all royalties received, and withheld from Powell any other interest in any patents or application for patents therein; that thereafter MacCallum agreed to pay O. F. McKnight, in consideration of his promotion of the invention, certain stock of a proposed company to be incorporated, to which company the rights to manufacture the said measuring device were to be conveyed, and one sixth of the net royalties received; that thereafter the Gaso-Scope Corporation of America was organized, to which MacCallum, in exchange for stock, transferred the rights to manufacture the measuring device for which application for letters patent had been made; that in the agreement between MacCallum and the Gaso-Scope Corporation of America, dated October 12, 1922, it was provided that in case the Gaso-Scope Corporation of America should become insolvent or be adjudged a bankrupt, then all rights conferred should revert to MacCallum; that MacCallum then transferred some of the stock to others; that on February 20,1923, MacCallum, Paul J. Bier-man, and the Gaso-Scope Corporation of America entered into an agreement under which Bierman agreed to invest $25,000 in the corporation in exchange for 2,500 shares of preferred stock and 36,550 shares of the common stock; that the contract of February 20, 1923, also provided for the organization of a new Missouri corporation, the stock thereafter to be distributed on the same basis as the common stock of the Gaso-Scope Corporation of America was then held or to be held, and that MacCallum should transfer the invention to the new Missouri corporation; that in the meantime Bierman had secured an option to purchase from Powell whatever interest he had in an undivided one-third interest in 60,000 shares of the common stock of Gaso-Scope Corporation of America issued in the name of MacCallum, the consideration being $5,000; that Bierman failed to fulfill his part of the contract of February 20, 1923, became dissatis[546]*546fied, and was instrumental in involving the Gaso-Scope Corporation of America in receivership proceedings, and then in bankruptcy; that subsequently the Gaso-Scope Corporation of America was adjudicated a bankrupt and thereby lost its right to manufacture the measuring device; that during 1925 MacCallum entered into an agreement with the King-Seeley Corporation under which he granted that corporation the exclusive right to manufacture the measuring device in consideration of the payment to him of royalties; that on June 12, 1928, patent No. 1673753 was issued to James MacCallum, Jr., by the United States covering this measuring device; that sometime in 1929 or 1930 Bierman caused to be organized the Gage-Kite Corporation; and that such corporation and Bierman instituted suit against MacCallum and the King-Seeley Corporation to compel the transfer of patents or applications therefor to the Gage-Kite Corporation in pursuance of the agreement of February 20, 1923, and for an accounting of the amount of money paid by the King-Seeley Corporation to MacCallum under the license agreement. The stipulation then states as follows:

15. In order to settle all litigation between the parties, and prevent the loss of other patents perfecting said measuring device, for which applications wore pending, by failure to prove said patents before the Patent Office due to the tying up of the money by impounding under court order, Bierman and MacCallum entered into a contract in 1930 under which they agreed to organize a new corporation to be named the MacCallum Gauge Company, and MacCallum agreed to transfer his patent to said company, said company to have a capital of 1,200 shares of stock, 840 shares of which were to be issued to MacCallum and 360 shares to Bierman. The agreement provided for the payment of $5,000.00 from MacCallum to Bierman to reimburse Bierman for the money he paid to Powell for his stock in the Gaso-Scope Corporation of America. Said agreement also provided that the outstanding license agreement between MacCallum and King-Seeley Corporation, covering the domestic manufacture of said measuring devices under said patent, should be issued to said new corporation, contemporaneously with the execution of said agreement.
16. In pursuance to [sic] said agreement, the MacCallum Gauge Company was organized April 28, 1930, under the laws of the State of Missouri, with a capital stock of 1,200 shares and 840 shares of the stock of said corporation were issued to MacCallum, and 360 shares were issued to Bierman. On April 30, 1930, MacCallum assigned to said company the patent for said measuring device and the license agreement existing between him and the King-Seeley Corporation.
17. On April 30, 1930, when said patent was transferred to the MacCallum Gauge Company, its fair market value was $100,000.00. The cost of said patent to MacCallum is $18,780.56.
18. It is petitioner’s contention that the basis for the annual deduction for exhaustion of said patent is $100,000.00, the value thereof when transferred to petitioner, which contention is denied by respondent. Respondent’s contention is that said basis is the cost of said patent to MacCallum. and the cost, $18,780.56, has been allowed by respondent as the basis for the annual deduction for exhaustion of said patent.

[547]*547The question presented for determination is whether the basis, in the hands of the petitioner, for the determination of the exhaustion allowance upon the patent transferred to the petitioner on April 30, 1930, is the value of the patent at the date of such transfer to the petitioner, $100,000, as contended by the petitioner, or the cost of the patent to MacCallum, $18,780.56, as held by the respondent.

Section 114 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1928 provides that the basis upon which exhaustion is to be allowed in respect of any property shall be the same as is provided in section 113 for the purpose of determining the gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of such property. Section 113 provides that the basis for determining the gain or loss from the sale or other disposition of property acquired after February 28, 1913, shall be the cost of such property, with certain exceptions. One of such exceptions is contained in subdivision (8) of section 113 (a).

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MacCallum Gauge Co. v. Commissioner
32 B.T.A. 544 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1935)

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Bluebook (online)
32 B.T.A. 544, 1935 BTA LEXIS 936, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/maccallum-gauge-co-v-commissioner-bta-1935.