Marwais Steel Co. v. Commissioner

38 T.C. 633, 1962 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 100
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 15, 1962
DocketDocket No. 91236
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 38 T.C. 633 (Marwais Steel Co. 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
Marwais Steel Co. v. Commissioner, 38 T.C. 633, 1962 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 100 (tax 1962).

Opinion

Fat, Judge:

Tbe respondent determined deficiencies in the income tax of petitioner in the amounts of $7,361.73 and $15,147.26 for the years ended January 31, 1957, and January 31, 1958, respectively.

On February 12, 1962, respondent filed an amendment to answer and claimed increased deficiencies in the amounts of $2,514.41 and $85.58 for the years ended January 31, 1957, and January 31, 1958, respectively.

The only issue left unsettled by the parties involves whether or not the petitioner may carry over and deduct the net operating losses of its subsidiary under the provisions of sections 332 and 381 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.1

FINDINGS OF FACT.

Some of the facts were stipulated, and they are included herein by this reference.

The petitioner is a California corporation, incorporated on June 28, 1949, with its principal place of business in Los Angeles, California. It filed its Federal income tax returns for the years ended January 31,1953, through January 31, 1959, with the district director of internal revenue, Los Angeles, California. During the taxable years involved herein petitioner was on the accrual basis of accounting and utilized the reserve method of accounting to provide for bad debts.

Petitioner at all times since its inception engaged in the sale and distribution of secondary fiat-rolled steel products, principally in the area of southern California. The term “secondary steel” connotes a broad category of flat-rolled steel which does not meet certain customers’ requirements or specifications. At all times since petitioner’s inception to the present, Marshall I. Wais, hereinafter referred to as Wais, has been its president, principal managing officer, director, and controlling shareholder. Since November 10,1950, Wais has also been treasurer of the petitioner.

Steel Processing and Distribution Company, hereinafter referred to as S.P.D., was a California corporation which was incorporated on August 20,1950. S.P.D. originally engaged in the business of slitting coiled steel pipe stock and other steel processing. It also engaged in the sale of prime steel products and had its principal business activity in the San Francisco Bay area. At all times material herein Wais was the president, treasurer, principal managing officer, and a director of S.P.D.

The originally issued and outstanding capital stock of S.P.D., consisting of 50 shares of $100-par-value common stock, was issued to and purchased by petitioner. On or about July 11,1951, Wais purchased, at par, 94 percent of the issued and outstanding common stock of S.P.D. from petitioner. From July 14,1952, Wais owned all the issued and outstanding common stock of S.P.D. On or about September 2, 1958, S.P.D. merged with petitioner.

Wilmington Metal Manufacturing Company, hereinafter referred to as Wilmington, was a California corporation incorporated on August 27,1951, with its principal place of business in Los Angeles, California. Wais was the president of Wilmington at all times from June 18,1954, to August 22,1956, and at all times prior to its dissolution he was a director thereof.

The originally issued and outstanding capital stock of Wilmington consisted of 50 shares of no-par stock, which stock was issued to and purchased by petitioner in consideration of the cancellation of $5,000 of indebtedness owed by Wilmington to petitioner.

Petitioner caused the formation of Wilmington for two principal reasons. In the short run, petitioner felt that existing market conditions would enable Wilmington to engage profitably in a steel fabricating operation. The long-range reason for the formation of Wilmington was petitioner’s desire to engage in manufacturing operations related to its steel business which might offset the cyclical nature of the steel business generally.

In September 1951, following its incorporation, Wilmington purchased for approximately $33,928 certain machinery, equipment, dies, inventories, and furniture and fixtures from Metal Stamping & Manufacturing Company, an unrelated California corporation, which had conducted an automobile accessory manufacturing business at 11215 S. Wilmington Avenue, Los Angeles, California. Wilmington also entered into a 2-year lease on or about September 1,1951, pursuant to which Wilmington obtained occupancy of the manufacturing plant of Metal Stamping & Manufacturing Company and the use of certain machinery and equipment located in said plant. Wilmington thereupon commenced the manufacture and sale of automobile accessories with particular emphasis on wheels and fender skirts.

Wilmington was not successful in the wheel-manufacturing business, and the volume of its wheel sales declined from approximately $117,000 for the year ended September 30, 1952, to approximately $31,000 for the year ended September 30,1953.

In 1953, due to Wilmington’s poor sales volume and to the fact that its lease was due to expire on August 31,1953, the possibility of liquidating Wilmington was considered by Wais. However, a contract was obtained with the Chevrolet Division of General Motors Corporation to manufacture original equipment automobile fender skirts, and Wais decided to allow Wilmington to remain in business.

Upon the expiration of its lease in August 1953, Wilmington moved its plant to Lynwood, California. Thereafter, Wilmington discon-tinned the manufacture and sale of wheels and allocated a major portion of its business activity to the manufacture and sale of original equipment fender skirts. Wilmington, in addition, manufactured other miscellaneous automobile accessories in minor amounts at this time. Due to automobile model changes and Wilmington’s inability to perform its contracts, the automobile fender skirt business also proved to be unprofitable, and it was discontinued in the year ended September 30,1954.

During the period from September 1951 to March 31,1955, in which Wilmington was engaged in active business operations, it purchased steel from petitioner and S.P.D. In addition, during this period both petitioner and S.P.D. from time to time advanced various amounts of cash to Wilmington and incurred and paid expenses on behalf of Wilmington. At various times Wilmington made payments to petitioner and S.P.D. on account of these purchases, advances, and expense payments. At all times these intercompany transactions between Wilmington and petitioner and between Wilmington and S.P.D. were reflected as accounts payable on the books of Wilmington and as trade accounts receivable on the books of petitioner and S.P.D., respectively.2

From its inception until March 31,1955, when it ceased manufacturing, Wilmington’s operations were financially unsuccessful. On its income tax returns for the period August 27, 1951, to September 30, 1951, and for the years ended September 30, 1952, through September 30,1955, Wilmington reported the following net operating losses:

Period 8/27/61-9/30/61_$2, 769.19
Year ended 9/30/62_ 24, 022. 77
Year ended 9/30/53_17,971.96
Year ended 9/30/64_ 8,457.29
Year ended 9/30/55_ 8, 832.49

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Marwais Steel Co. v. Commissioner
38 T.C. 633 (U.S. Tax Court, 1962)

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Bluebook (online)
38 T.C. 633, 1962 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 100, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marwais-steel-co-v-commissioner-tax-1962.