Marzetta v. Commissioner
This text of 1991 T.C. Memo. 318 (Marzetta 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.
Opinion
*353
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION
RUWE,
| Additions | |||
| to Tax | |||
| Year | Deficiency | Sec. 6651(a)(1) 2 | Sec. 6653(a)(1) |
| 1985 | $ 28,120.00 | -- | $ 1,406.00 |
| Year | Sec. 6653(a)(2) | Sec. 6661 |
| 1985 | 50 percent of | $ 4,703.50 |
| the interest | ||
| due on $ 28,120.00 |
| Additions to Tax | |||
| Year | Deficiency | Sec. 6651(a)(1) | Sec. 6653(a)(1)(A) |
| 1986 | $ 9,895.00 | $ 1,410.00 | $ 568.85 |
| Year | Sec. 6653(a)(1)(B) | Sec. 6661 |
| 1986 | 50 percent of | $ 2,473.75 |
| the interest due | ||
| on $ 9,895.00 |
*354 After concessions, 3 the issues for decision are: (1) Whether the noncorporate lessor requirements of
*355 FINDINGS OF FACT
Petitioners resided in Vacaville, California, at the time they filed their petitions in these cases.
The deficiency determinations in issue arise out of a sale-leaseback transaction entered into between Gary Marzetta (petitioner) and Pacific Wood Preserving of Bakersfield, Inc. (Pacific Wood), a Nevada Corporation. Pacific Wood is in the wood preservation and treatment business. Pacific Wood has different clients who have differing wood treatment needs. For instance, Pacific Wood treats wood products used in the railroad, construction, and wine industries.
Southern Pacific Transportation Company (Southern Pacific) was engaged primarily in the railroad business. At one time, Southern Pacific maintained a plant in Houston, Texas, for chemically treating railroad ties and other wood products.
Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI
*353
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION
RUWE,
| Additions | |||
| to Tax | |||
| Year | Deficiency | Sec. 6651(a)(1) 2 | Sec. 6653(a)(1) |
| 1985 | $ 28,120.00 | -- | $ 1,406.00 |
| Year | Sec. 6653(a)(2) | Sec. 6661 |
| 1985 | 50 percent of | $ 4,703.50 |
| the interest | ||
| due on $ 28,120.00 |
| Additions to Tax | |||
| Year | Deficiency | Sec. 6651(a)(1) | Sec. 6653(a)(1)(A) |
| 1986 | $ 9,895.00 | $ 1,410.00 | $ 568.85 |
| Year | Sec. 6653(a)(1)(B) | Sec. 6661 |
| 1986 | 50 percent of | $ 2,473.75 |
| the interest due | ||
| on $ 9,895.00 |
*354 After concessions, 3 the issues for decision are: (1) Whether the noncorporate lessor requirements of
*355 FINDINGS OF FACT
Petitioners resided in Vacaville, California, at the time they filed their petitions in these cases.
The deficiency determinations in issue arise out of a sale-leaseback transaction entered into between Gary Marzetta (petitioner) and Pacific Wood Preserving of Bakersfield, Inc. (Pacific Wood), a Nevada Corporation. Pacific Wood is in the wood preservation and treatment business. Pacific Wood has different clients who have differing wood treatment needs. For instance, Pacific Wood treats wood products used in the railroad, construction, and wine industries.
Southern Pacific Transportation Company (Southern Pacific) was engaged primarily in the railroad business. At one time, Southern Pacific maintained a plant in Houston, Texas, for chemically treating railroad ties and other wood products. Because of the passage of environmental restrictions, Southern Pacific decided that the plant was no longer economically feasible. Southern Pacific solicited bids for the sale of the equipment located at its Houston wood processing plant, and on November 9, 1984, Pacific Wood and Southern Pacific executed an agreement under which Pacific Wood agreed to purchase the equipment. *356 As part of this agreement, Pacific Wood agreed to sell railroad ties to Southern Pacific at a discount. Appendix A is a list of the equipment that Southern Pacific sold to Pacific Wood.
Pacific Wood received financing from Canadian Commercial Bank (Canadian Commercial). In early 1985, Canadian Commercial became concerned about the amount of Pacific Wood's equipment purchases. Specifically, Canadian Commercial was concerned that the equipment was too specialized in nature, that it did not have a high resale value, and that it did not adequately secure Canadian Commercial's loans to Pacific Wood. In order to ease these concerns, Pacific Wood decided to sell some of its equipment and then lease it back.
On July 1, 1985, petitioner and Pacific Wood entered into an agreement under which petitioner agreed to purchase some of the equipment which Pacific Wood had previously purchased from Southern Pacific and lease this equipment back to Pacific Wood. This was one of the sale-leaseback transactions entered into by Pacific Wood to placate Canadian Commercial. Pursuant to the terms of this agreement, petitioner agreed to purchase equipment from Pacific Wood for $ 125,000. Petitioner*357 made a down payment of $ 15,000 and executed a promissory note for $ 110,000, payable in monthly installments. Pursuant to this agreement, Pacific Wood agreed to maintain the equipment in good repair, condition, and working order, to furnish all parts and servicing at its own expense, maintain casualty insurance on the equipment at its own expense, and to obtain and maintain liability insurance on the equipment. The lease term was for five years.
On July 22, 1985, Pacific Wood and petitioner executed a second lease agreement. This second lease agreement was entered into for the sole purpose of accurately listing the equipment which petitioner was purchasing and leasing back to Pacific Wood. Otherwise, the terms of the second lease agreement were the same as the terms in the first lease agreement. The second lease agreement states that petitioner is purchasing and leasing back to Pacific Wood a drott hydraulic crane, a framing mill, and a tie stacker and bander. A drott hydraulic crane is used for moving equipment. A framing mill is a structure that houses equipment used in the process of "dopping," or cutting railroad ties at various angles. A tie stacker and bander is used*358 to band railroad ties together so that they can be put into treatment cylinders or loaded onto boxcars or flat cars for movement.
Sometime after petitioner and Pacific Wood had entered into the sale-leaseback agreement, Pacific Wood's accountant and assistant secretary, Alex Moore, who had signed the agreement on behalf of Pacific Wood, noticed that under the terms of the lease, petitioner would fail to qualify for the investment tax credit because he did not satisfy one of the requirements that a noncorporate lessor must meet in order to qualify for the investment tax credit under
OPINION
The first issue for decision is whether petitioners have satisfied the noncorporate lessor requirements contained in (3) Noncorporate Lessors. -- A credit shall be allowed by (A) the property subject to the lease has been manufactured or produced by the lessor, or (B) the term of the lease (taking into account options to renew) is less than 50 percent of the useful life of the property, and for the period consisting of the first 12 months after the date on which the property is transferred to the lessee the sum of the deductions with respect to such property which are allowable to the lessor solely by reason of
As this Court explained in
The rental property under consideration here was neither manufactured nor produced by petitioner. Thus, petitioner, as a noncorporate lessor, must satisfy the requirements of
1. Requirement that Lease Term be Less Than 50 Percent of Useful Life
The parties agree that the lease term is five years. The parties disagree on the useful life of the property. In order to satisfy the less than 50 percent requirement of
Prior to trial, petitioners took the position that the rental equipment was Railroad Machinery and Equipment. *363 During trial, petitioners introduced evidence in an effort to prove this position.
Railroad Machinery and Equipment is a subcategory of the asset class "Railroad Transportation." The Railroad Transportation asset class includes assets used "in the commercial and contract carrying of passengers and freight by rail."
The common factor among the assets listed in
Respondent argues that the rental equipment is properly classified in the Manufacture of Wood Products and Furniture asset class. This asset class "Includes assets used in the production of plywood, hardboard, flooring, * * * and other wood products, including the treatment of poles and timber."
On brief, petitioners argue that the rental property does not fall within any of the asset classes listed in
Even if
2. Requirement that
At trial, petitioners introduced into evidence a copy of the bill submitted by Pacific Wood and the cancelled check which constituted payment of the bill. Under certain circumstances, this evidence would be sufficient to satisfy petitioners' burden of proof. However, the facts and circumstances in this case dictate a different result.
Under the terms of the lease and the addendum, petitioner was required to reimburse Pacific Wood for expenses incurred, but, in any event, in an amount not less than 16 percent of the gross rentals generated by the lease during the first year. Thus, even if no expenses were incurred, petitioner promised to*368 pay back at least 16 percent of the gross rentals. Petitioners could not have deducted the reimbursement amount if Pacific Wood had not paid or incurred such expenses, and petitioners make no argument to the contrary. Rather, they contend that Pacific Wood did incur expenses with regard to the rental equipment, and that petitioner's $ 5,200 payment was to satisfy his obligation to reimburse the lessee for these expenses.
At trial, petitioners presented the testimony of Alex Moore, Pacific Wood's accountant. Although Mr. Moore did not prepare the actual bill that was submitted to petitioner, he provided the information upon which the bill was based. Mr. Moore testified that the amount shown on the bill represented two expenses: the cost of insurance and the estimated cost of repairing petitioner's equipment.
Mr. Moore testified that the portion of the bill which represented the estimated cost of insurance was based on Pacific Wood's insurance broker's determination of Pacific Wood's insurance cost which was attributable to petitioner's equipment. Neither the testimony of the insurance broker nor any documentation was presented to corroborate this testimony, and there was no *369 evidence presented regarding the amount of insurance premiums.
Mr. Moore testified that the portion of the bill which represented the estimated cost of repairs to petitioner's equipment was initially based upon the repair allowance for wood treating equipment provided for under the Treasury Regulations. 5 Mr. Moore testified that this figure was reduced because he believed that Pacific Wood could probably repair the equipment at a cost which was less than that provided for under the regulations. However, Mr. Moore testified that Pacific Wood's accounting system did not separately account for repair expenses incurred in connection with petitioner's equipment despite the fact that Pacific Wood was supposed to submit a bill to petitioner for the actual expenses incurred in connection with the repair of this equipment. Mr. Moore testified that he did not know whether any actual repair expenses were incurred with respect to petitioner's equipment. Finally, there is no other evidence in the record which indicates that the repair expenses were actually incurred in connection with petitioner's equipment. Petitioners have failed to satisfy their burden of proving that they incurred expenses*370 which were allowable as deductions under
The second issue for decision is whether respondent properly disallowed petitioners' deduction of $ 5,200 in "billed expenses" on Schedule E of their 1986 Federal income tax return. The parties agree that petitioner paid $ 5,200 to Pacific Wood. Petitioners' only argument is that this payment is a reimbursement of expenses incurred with respect to the equipment, *371 and thus deductible under
The third issue for decision is whether petitioners are liable for additions to tax for negligence or intentional disregard of the rules and regulations. For the taxable year 1985,
Negligence within the meaning of
With respect to the taxable year 1985, after concessions, the remaining deficiency results from respondent's disallowance of petitioners' claimed investment tax credit. Petitioners claim that they attempted to comply with the admittedly complex requirements of
The final issue for decision is whether petitioners are liable for additions to tax under
Because of respondent's concessions, it is not clear whether petitioners substantially underreported their 1985 tax liability in the case at docket No. 25124-88. If the
*375
APPENDIX A
| LIQUID TANKS | ||
| BID ITEM NO. | DESCRIPTION | QUANTITY |
| T-14 | Movable, drying agent, steel, welded | 1 each |
| tank, capacity: 22,000 gal. | ||
| T-15 | Movable, drying agent, steel, welded | 1 each |
| tank, capacity: 22,000 gal. | ||
| AIR SYSTEM (CYLINDER CHARGE) | ||
| BID ITEM NO. | DESCRIPTION | QUANTITY |
| A-1 | Gardner Denver Stationary Compressor, | 1 each |
| electric two statge, 350 lb. air pro- | ||
| duction capacity. | ||
| A-2 | Emergency Air, Stationary Compressor 7.5 | 1 each |
| H.P., 250 PSI. | ||
| A-3 | Air storage & receiving tanks 350 PSI, | 1 each |
| 1500 CI total. | ||
| TREATING CYLINDER SYSTEM | ||
| BID ITEM NO. | DESCRIPTION | QUANTITY |
| C-4 | 8'X85' welded, treating cylinder | 1 each |
| equipped with fruit jar type doors, | ||
| insulated. Includes condensor, con- | ||
| densor reservoir tanks, and control | ||
| panel. | ||
| C-5 | 8'X145' welded, treating cylinder | 1 each |
| equipped with hodge type doors, insulated. | ||
| Includes condensor, condensor reservoir | ||
| tanks, and control panel. | ||
| RECEIVING & PREPARATION STATION | ||
| BID ITEM NO. | DESCRIPTION | QUANTITY |
| R-1 | Greenlee, A&B Mill | 1 each |
| R-2 | TABCO, 7 bay tie sorter. Includes | 1 each |
| incoming bay and mill feeder bay. | ||
| Allen-Bradley controls. | ||
| (All or none on R-1 and R-2) | ||
| FRAMING MILL | ||
| BID ITEM NO. | DESCRIPTION | QUANTITY |
| F-1 | Yates American Bandsaw, 7"X27'6" (A748) | 1 each |
| F-4A | Bandsaw, 1"X18'10" (1183) | 1 each |
| F-4B | Fay-Egan Bandsaw, 1/4'X13'9" | 1 each |
| F-4C | Dewalt Delta Saw 9"X12" blade | 1 each |
| F-4D | Dewalt Small Radial Arm Cutoff Saw | 1 each |
| F-3 | Stetson Ross Planer, 2"X4" to 18"X14" | 1 each |
| F-4E | Wallace Universal Table Saw (2067) | 1 each |
| F-4F | Fay Egan Table Saw | 1 each |
| F-2 | Dewalt 30" Radial Cutoff Saw | 1 each |
| F-4G | Metal Bandsaw | 1 each |
| MISCELLANEOUS | ||
| BID ITEM NO. | DESCRIPTION | QUANTITY |
| M-1 | Cooling Tower, 2 fan | 1 each |
| M-2 | Condensation Collecting System | 1 each |
| 2 HP, HT pumps, overhead tank | ||
| * * * | ||
| M-4 | Header/Manifold System | 1 each |
| Includes 2 ea. 50 horse, rotary pumps | ||
| M-5 | Plant electrical - power panels | 1 set |
| M-6 | Hot water heater | 1 each |
| * * * | ||
| M-8 | Steam generator, natural gas, 50,000 lb. | 1 each |
| combustion engineered. | ||
| M-9 | Zeolite Water Softener | 1 each |
| M-10A | Portable Scale (641) | 1 each |
| M-10B | Hamilton Drill Press | 1 each |
| M-10C | Industrial Punch & Shear (392) | 1 each |
| M-10D | 28" Drill Press | 1 each |
| M-10E | Key Way Machine | 1 each |
| M-10F | Metal Size Machine Do-All | 1 each |
| M-11 | Tie Bander and Stacker (Burned) | 1 each |
| M-12 | Overhead Crane including superstructure | 1 each |
| rail, bridge, 10-ton capacity | ||
| EQUIPMENT | ||
| BID ITEM NO. | DESCRIPTION | QUANTITY |
| *E-4 | Pettibone, super 60, 204D model | 1 each |
| carrylife (H52-R) | ||
| *E-5 | Drott, 10 ton, Mobile, hydraulic crane | 1 each |
| *E-6 | Liftall, 6000 lb. ($ 1410) forklift | 1 each |
| *E-7 | Air Compressor, towed, (830) rubber | 1 each |
| tired | ||
| E-8 | Trams, cylinder entry | 102 each |
Footnotes
1. On May 3, 1989, this Court granted respondent's motion to consolidate the case at docket No. 32559-88 with the case at docket No. 25124-88 for trial, briefing, and opinion.↩
2. Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code as amended and in effect for the years in issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
3. During trial or on brief, respondent conceded that petitioners were entitled to all of the deductions claimed with respect to the property described as 498 Camelia Way. Respondent also conceded that petitioners were entitled to the deductions for interest expenses and depreciation which were claimed with respect to rental equipment reflected on petitioners' 1985 and 1986 tax returns. Finally, respondent conceded that petitioners were not liable for the addition to tax under section 6651(a)(1) for the taxable year 1986.↩
4. See
.Fisher v. Commissioner , T.C. Memo 1990-185↩5. We note that this testimony indicates that, at this time, Mr. Moore apparently believed that the equipment was properly categorized as wood treating equipment.↩
6. Petitioner appears to have received no consideration from Pacific Wood in return for his agreement in the lease addendum to reimburse Pacific Wood for certain expenses. While respondent makes no argument along these lines, we question whether petitioner's "reimbursement" under the addendum could be considered ordinary and necessary for purposes of
section 162↩ .
Related
Cite This Page — Counsel Stack
1991 T.C. Memo. 318, 62 T.C.M. 112, 1991 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 353, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/marzetta-v-commissioner-tax-1991.