Meade Cycle Co. v. Commissioner

10 B.T.A. 887, 1928 BTA LEXIS 4006
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedFebruary 20, 1928
DocketDocket No. 5756.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 10 B.T.A. 887 (Meade Cycle 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
Meade Cycle Co. v. Commissioner, 10 B.T.A. 887, 1928 BTA LEXIS 4006 (bta 1928).

Opinion

[893]*893OPINION.

MoRRis:

The first assignment of error is the failure of the respondent to include in invested capital $100,000 for capital stock of the Mead Manufacturing Co. under the facts hereinabove set forth. The petitioner contends that this amount should have been allowed [894]*894from the date of the original subscription, while the respondent allowed it only from the date of the entry on petitioner’s books charging the personal accounts of its stockholders with the amount of their subscriptions.

Section 326 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1918 provides: “ That as used in this title the term ‘ invested capital ’ for any year means (except as provided in subdivision (b) and (c) of this section) (1) actual cash bona fide paid in for stock or shares; (2) actual cash value of tangible property, other than cash, bona fide paid in for stock or shares, at the time of payment, * * Tangible property referred to in section 326 (a) (2) above is defined in section 325 (a) to mean “stocks, bonds, notes and other evidences of indebtedness, bills and accounts receivable, leaseholds, and property other than intangible property.” As far as the Mead Manufacturing Co. is concerned, the only evidence of cash or other tangible property having been paid in for stock was a credit to it on the books of another corporation of $100,000. It issued no stock, did not engage in the conduct of any business, nor did it need* or use any cash or other property. The petitioner contends, however, that the $100,000 was used in and was at the risk of the consolidated business during this entire period, and that the only reasonable conclusion to be drawn therefrom is that the money was actually paid in for the stock at the time it was subscribed therefor and that the omission of the bookkeeper to execute an order to make an entry on the books has no effect on petitioner’s right to include this sum in invested capital from December 8, 1917, to the close of its taxable year. We are unable to agree with the conclusion drawn from the petitioner’s premise. The only way the amount in controversy could be included in invested capital would be through its conversion from borrowed capital into cash paid into the business. The facts do not support such a conversion. The stockholders’ accounts were not charged with the amounts of the subscriptions until October 28, 1918, and interest was credited on these amounts until that date in accordance with the petitioner’s practice of paying interest on the stockholders’ credit balances. Even after discovery that prior entries were not made, the stockholders’ accounts were not charged back with the interest credited to them from December 8, 1917, to October 28, 1918. The respondent’s determination on this item is therefore approved.

The second assignment of error involving sections 327 and 328 of the Revenue Act of 1918 will be hereinafter discussed.

The third assignment of error relates to the action of the respondent in deducting from its invested capital for the year 1918 the sum of $1,832.74 representing 1917 income tax. It appears that this deduction- was made in accordance with the regulations in force for the [895]*895period under consideration; therefore, under the provisions of section 1207 of the Bevenue Act of 1926, the action of the respondent must be approved. Appeal of Russel Wheel & Foundry Co., 3 B. T. A. 1168.

The fourth assignment of error is to the effect that the respondent incorrectly computed the petitioner’s invested capital in that the petitioner’s good will had been excluded from said computation. The business of the petitioner was organized as a proprietorship in July, 1895, and was owned by James L. Mead. The proprietorship continued to operate as such until it was incorporated, in January, 1898. During that period the profits were $69,555.21. Mead’s testimony disclosed that these profits were determined without taking into consideration any salary for himself. A fair salary for his services for the period July, 1895, to December 31,1897, would be about $6,250 for the entire period, or $2,500 a year. Deducting this salary, the net jorofit for that period was $63,305.21. However, the business was increasing steadily in worth. Prior to the purchase of the business by the petitioner, a committee was appointed to investigate the advisability of accepting the offer of sale which had been made by Meafi, and, as a result of the report of that committee, the business was purchased, the petitioner paying therefor 994 shares of its capital stock. When the assets were taken over, the petitioner’s books were charged with tangible assets of $24,400 and good will of $75,000. The petitioner’s witness stated that the reason for not entering the entire net assets in the books of account at $27,167.49, their true book value, was that they were desirous of using a “ round figure.” From January, 1908, to November, 1910, the entire good will account of $75,000 was written off the books to profit and loss. In computing the petitioner’s invested capital for the year ended October 31, 1918, the respondent; failed to allow any portion of the good will of the company as invested capital.

We are satisfied from the evidence the company acquired a very substantial good will when it purchased the business of James L. Mead in 1898. This conclusion is borne out by a consideration of the earnings for the period July, 1895, to December 31,1897. We realize, of course, that a period of two and one-half years is an exceedingly short time within which to determine the worth of a going business, but we do not rely entirely upon the test of profits. The committee appointed to investigate and determine the advisability of purchasing the assets in question considered that the established business and good will were abundantly worth the difference between the actual assets and the par value of 994 shares of stock, viz, $72,324.51. We are satisfied that this value is amply supported by the evidence, and should be included in invested capital for the tax[896]*896able year in question, subject to the limitation on intangibles. See D. N. & E. Walter & Co. v. Commissioner, 10 B. T. A. 620.

Under this assignment of error the petitioner is also claiming additional invested capital through the purchase of good will for cash based on expenditures made for advertising over a series of years and charged to expense. The situation presented on this item is the same as that appearing in the Appeal of Northwestern Yeast Co., 5 B. T. A. 232, in which we recognized that some part of the cost of advertising may be a capital investment which may be included in invested capital, but in the absence of any evidence upon which an allocation can be predicated, no additional invested capital was allowed by reason of such expenditures. As no allocation of the advertising expenses has been made in the instant proceeding, invested capital may not be increased thereby.

=- The fifth assignment of error is the failure of the respondent to allow as a credit against its taxes for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1918, certain taxes paid to Great Britain in 1920 on its income for the fiscal year in question from sources within that country.

.Section 238 of the Revenue Act of 1918 provides as follows:

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Meade Cycle Co. v. Commissioner
10 B.T.A. 887 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1928)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
10 B.T.A. 887, 1928 BTA LEXIS 4006, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/meade-cycle-co-v-commissioner-bta-1928.