Markson Bros. v. Commissioner

15 T.C. 839, 1950 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 12, 1950
DocketDocket Nos. 11942, 14302
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 15 T.C. 839 (Markson Bros. 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
Markson Bros. v. Commissioner, 15 T.C. 839, 1950 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26 (tax 1950).

Opinions

OPINION.

Disney, Judge:

These cases, duly consolidated, involve excess profits taxes for the calendar years 1940 to 1943, inclusive. Deficiencies were determined for those years in the respective amounts of $16,211.70, $61,464.83, and $32,494.54. The year 1942 is involved because of petitioner’s claim to an increased excess profits credit carry-back. The parties are agreed that the year 1940 is not longer in issue. Two questions are presented: (1) Whether after election under section 736 (a), Internal Revenue Code, the Commissioner erred in denying inclusion of uncollected profits on installment accounts receivable, from years beginning after January 1, 1940, not reported as income for income tax purposes, but included in excess profits income, in equity invested capital as capital as “accumulated earnings and profits” within section 718 (a) (4), Internal Revenue Code; and (2) whether such uncollected profits were properly eliminated by the Commissioner in determining, under sections 715 and 720, Internal Revenue Code, reduction for inadmissibles.

All facts were stipulated, as follows:

1. Petitioner is a corporation organized in 1907 under the laws of the State of Maine with its principal offices located at 100 Summer Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Petitioner has been engaged since

1937 in the business of selling clothing and jewelry at retail on the installment plan.

2. Petitioner filed its income and excess profits tax returns for the calendar years 1940 to 1943, inclusive, with the collector for the district of Massachusetts.

3. Petitioner reported its income from installment sales for Federal income and excess profits tax purposes fot each of the calendar years 1938 to 1941, inclusive, on the installment method provided by section 44 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code and the corresponding provisions of prior revenue acts.

4. Pursuant to section 736 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code, petitioner, in its excess profits tax return for the calendar year 1942, elected and qualified, for the purposes of the excess profits tax, to report its income from installment sales on the basis of the taxable period for which such income accrued, in lieu of the basis provided by section 44 (a). The excess profits tax return for the calendar year 1942 was filed on June 15, 1943, pursuant to an extension of time granted by the Commissioner.

5. On June 14,1943, petitioner filed amended excess profits tax returns for the calendar years 1940 and 1941, adjusting the income from installment sales to conform to such election, as required by section 736 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code. Pursuant to an extension of time, its excess profits tax return for the calendar year 1943 was filed on June 29, 1944, with income from installment sales computed on the basis of the taxable period for which such income accrued, in lieu of the basis provided by section 44 (a).

6. Petitioner reported its income from installment sales for Federal income tax purposes for the calendar years 1942 and 1943 on the installment method provided by section 44 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

7. Gross profits included in uncollected installment accounts receivable, arising exclusively out of sales made by petitioner after December 31,1939, were as follows:

Date Amount
Jan. 1, 1941_$592,302.35
Jan. 1,1942_ 841,909. 57
Jan. 1,1943_ 400,066.32
Dec. 31, 1943_ 353,120. 92

8. None of the amounts set forth in paragraph 7 were reported by petitioner in its income tax returns for any of the calendar years involved, but all such amounts have been included in excess profits net income for excess profits tax purposes in returns filed on the accrual basis pursuant to section 736 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

9. In determining petitioner’s excess profits tax credit for the calendar years 1941 to 1943, inclusive, respondent excluded from “accumulated earnings and profits”, in determining equity invested capital, the amounts set forth in paragraph 7.

10. In computing the ratio of inadmissible assets to total assets for the calendar years 1941 to 1943, inclusive, for the purpose of determining invested capital, respondent reduced the balances of “installment” accounts receivable by the uncollected gross profits included therein arising from sales both before and after December 31, 1939. Gross profits included in uncollected “installment” accounts receivable arising out of sales made by petitioner after December 31, 1939, are the amounts set forth in paragraph 7.

11.Petitioner’s original excess profits tax return for tbe calendar year 1941 disclosed a tax liability of $14,959.91, which was paid during the calendar year 1942 as follows:

Date Amount
March 19, 1942_$3,739.98
June 24, 1942_ 3, 739.98
Sept. 26, 1942_ 3, 739. 98
Dec. 26, 1942_ 3, 739. 97

Petitioner’s amended excess profits tax return for the calendar year 1941 disclosed a tax liability of $2,093.54. It filed a claim for refund of 1941 excess profits tax in the amount of $12,886.37 on June 30,1943.

12.Petitioner’s excess profits tax return for the calendar year 1943 disclosed a tax liability of $382,286.58, which was paid as follows:

Date Amount
June 29, 1944-$95, 875. 00
March 24, 1944. 95, 875. 00
Sept. 20, 1944-95, 268. 29
Dec. 18, 1944-95, 268. 29

13.In determining petitioner’s excess profits net income for the calendar years 1940 to 1943, inclusive, the following amounts shall be allowed as bad debt deductions in addition to the amounts previously allowed in- determining petitioner’s excess profits net income for the said calendar years:

Year Amount
1940_ $33,457.69
1941_ 13, 227.16
1942_ 2,134.99
1943_ 2, 007. 50

The petitioner, engaged at all times pertinent in the business of selling clothing and jewelry at retail on the installment plan, filed its Federal income tax returns, so far as we are here concerned, for the calendar years beginning after December 31, 1939,1 to and including the calendar year 1943, upon an installment basis under section 44 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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Related

Leo Kahn Furniture Co. v. Commissioner
15 T.C. 918 (U.S. Tax Court, 1950)
Markson Bros. v. Commissioner
15 T.C. 839 (U.S. Tax Court, 1950)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
15 T.C. 839, 1950 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/markson-bros-v-commissioner-tax-1950.