Marprowear Profit-Sharing Trust v. Commissioner

74 T.C. No. 80, 74 T.C. 1086, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 76
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 22, 1980
DocketDocket No. 1363-78
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 74 T.C. No. 80 (Marprowear Profit-Sharing Trust 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
Marprowear Profit-Sharing Trust v. Commissioner, 74 T.C. No. 80, 74 T.C. 1086, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 76 (tax 1980).

Opinion

Sterrett, Judge:

By letter dated November 10, 1977, respondent determined deficiencies in income taxes and additions to tax for petitioner’s following taxable years and in the following amounts:

Addition to tax TYE Dec. 31— Deficiency under sec. 6651(a)

1973.$24,293 $6,073

1974.84,546 21,137

The issues presented are: (1) Whether an amount transferred by Marprowear Corp. to petitioner represented additional acquisition indebtedness upon the purchase of a shopping center by petitioner, within the meaning of section 514(c), I.R.C. 1954, or was merely an advance contribution; (2) whether the section 511 tax should be computed at trust or corporate rates; and (3) whether the section 6651(a) addition to tax is properly imposed.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts and exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner Marprowear Profit-Sharing Trust (the trust or petitioner) had its offices in Fairfield, N.J., at the time it filed its petition herein. Petitioner was established in connection with the adoption, on April 23, 1968, of a profit-sharing trust by the Marprowear Corp. (corporation). The corporation is a wholesaler of men’s and boys’ wearing apparel and is also located in Fairfield, N.J. The corporation filed timely returns of income for its taxable years ended December 31, 1973 and 1974.

At its inception, the trust agreement created a trustee committee consisting of Harry Riback, Martin Riback, and Joseph Weinberg, and these three individuals constituted the committee during the years in issue. The plan, of which the trust was a part, was qualified under section 401(a) throughout the taxable years before us. No amendments to the original plan were made. The plan was restated in 1976 in compliance with ERISA and was approved in August of 1977. Thus, during the taxable years ended December 31,1973 and 1974, petitioner was part of a qualified profit-sharing plan exempt from tax under section 501(a) since it had met the requirements of section 401(a) and the regulations thereunder.

Petitioner filed Forms 990-P (Annual Return of Fiduciary of Employee’s Pension or Profit-Sharing Trust) for the years 1973 and 1974 on May 15, 1974, and April 17, 1975, respectively. Petitioner also filed a Form 4848 (Annual Employer’s Return for Employee’s Pension or Profit-Sharing Plans) and a Form 4849 (Financial Statement of Employee’s Pension Profit-Sharing Fund or Fiduciary Account) for the same years.

On May 10, 1973, petitioner entered into an agreement with the Ledge wood Circle Shopping Center, Inc., for the purchase of a shopping center located on Route 46 in Roxbury Township, N.J., for the sum of $450,000. The purchase price was to be paid as follows: (1) $25,000 on execution of the contract of sale to be held in escrow pending closing; (2) $225,000 on delivery of the deed; and (3) a 25-year note and first purchase-money mortgage for $200,000. Closing occurred on August 1, 1973. At that time the consideration for the purchase was paid as follows:

Description Amount

Paid as deposit on signing of contract.$25,000.00

Credit for securities on leases. 2,466.66

Credit for tenant’s payment.10,500.00

Purchase-money mortgage.200,000.00

Checks drawn on corporate accounts:

Ch. No. 5193.10,861.77

Ch. No. 5198.25,000.00

Ch. No. 5199.68,000.00

Ch. No. 5202.90,000.00

Ch. No. 062161.....22,000.00

1453,828.43

Checks numbers 5193, 5198, 5199, and 5202 were drawn on the corporation’s account at the National Newark & Essex Bank. In each case, with the exception of check number 5193, the check payor and payee were both Martin Riback. The back of each of these checks was endorsed “Pay to the Order of Joseph S. Sidel Trust Account” followed by Martin Riback’s signature. The payee of check number 5193 was the Joseph S. Sidel Trust Account. Check number 062161, in the amount of $22,000, was drawn upon Yorkwood Savings & Loan Association, with the payor being what petitioner described on brief as a “related partnership.” Thus, the corporation provided $193,861.77 of the amount paid for the shopping center.

The corporation’s 1973 return, Form 1120, Schedule L, reflected this transfer for the benefit of the trust as a “loan” in the amount of $191,763.27.2 This “loan” was shown under “assets” and was listed in that space labeled “Other Investments — attach schedule,” but the label had been stricken and the word “Loans” typed in its place. Schedule M-l of the return showed an “Excess Contribution” of $3,200.08. The corporation’s 1974 Schedule L showed a beginning taxable year “loan” asset of $191,763.27 and an end of taxable year “loan” asset of $240,240.53. The trust’s Form 4849 for 1973 showed the purchase-money mortgage as a yearend “acquisition indebtedness” of $198,798.83. It also showed $185,421.35 of the corporation’s transfer under yearend “other liabilities.” Similarly, the 1974 trust’s Form 4849 showed $195,768.17 as “acquisition indebtedness,” and $149,421.35 as “other liabilities.” The “other liabilities” amount on the trust’s Form 4849 was intended to reflect the transfers described above from the corporation to the trust. Similarly, this transfer was shown on the working papers for 1973 and 1974 of the certified public accountant who prepared the trust’s various returns and forms as an amount due the corporation, as opposed to an employer contribution. Indeed “contributions,” per se, were listed separately on these papers and thereby specifically distinguished from amounts due to, or loans from, the corporation.

In 1973, the tenants of the Ledgewood Circle Shopping Center were:

W. T. Grant Co.
My Lady
Straco Auto Supplies
Spagnola & Mabe Real Estate
Eckert Enterprises (Wash-O-Mat)
Sherwin Williams (paint store)
Fotomat Corp.
Ledgewood Circle Pharmacy (Weitz)
Merit Shoe (Endicott-Johnson)
Marprowear Corp.
Martin Process Co.

In 1974, the tenants were identical with those above, with the addition of Ledgewood Outdoor and the elimination of W. T. Grant as a tenant. W. T. Grant still made rental payments through February 1974.

Shortly after closing, the trust was informed by W. T. Grant Co. (Grant) that it did not intend to renew its lease which expired on February 28, 1974. This put the trust in a quandry.

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Marprowear Profit-Sharing Trust v. Commissioner
74 T.C. No. 80 (U.S. Tax Court, 1980)

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Bluebook (online)
74 T.C. No. 80, 74 T.C. 1086, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 76, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marprowear-profit-sharing-trust-v-commissioner-tax-1980.