Mohr v. Commissioner

45 T.C. 600, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 122
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 31, 1966
DocketDocket Nos. 95235, 95236, 95237
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 45 T.C. 600 (Mohr 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
Mohr v. Commissioner, 45 T.C. 600, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 122 (tax 1966).

Opinion

IIoxt, Judge:

These consolidated proceedings involve deficiencies in income tax determined by respondent for the years 1957 and 1958 as follows:

Docket No. Petitioner Taxable year Deficiency 96235. 95236. 95237. Eugene A. Mohr. Eugene A. Mohr. Joyce Mohr_ 1957 1958 1957 $4,322.96 5,401.20 4,322.96

Joyce Mohr is a petitioner herein solely by reason of her having joined with Eugene A. Mohr in filing a joint return for 1957. Because the deficiencies involved in these cases relate only to the income of Eugene A. Mohr, references hereinafter to petitioner in the singular shall be to Eugene A. Mohr.

The deficiencies as detailed above were determined on the theory that certain expenses paid by Mohr Buick Co. and claimed as its deductible travel and entertain'ment expenses were constructive dividends to petitioners to the extent of the corporation’s earnings and profits. The original petition and answer filed in each of these consolidated cases dealt solely with the constructive dividend issue.

Subsequently, amendments to the original petitions were filed in each of the three docket numbers. Said amendments alleged that the petitioners were entitled to net operating loss carryback deductions for the taxable years 1957 and 1958 by reason of net operating losses allegedly incurred during the taxable years 1960 and/or 1961, and that, as a result of these carryback deductions, they were entitled to refunds of 1957 and 1958 taxes paid. Subsequent to the trial and submission of original briefs respondent filed a motion to strike the amendments to the petitions.2 The parties submitted written memoranda and were heard in oral argument on this motion, which was subsequently denied.3

Thus, the pleadings, as amended, raise two questions for decision:

(1) Was petitioner, Eugene A. Mohr, in the business of buying and selling automobile dealerships during the years 1960 and 1961 so that he would be entitled to treat his losses in connection with these dealerships as ordinary losses deductible in full in those years in arriving at net operating losses which might be carried back to the tax years here in issue ?

(2) Bid petitioners receive constructive dividend income from Mohr Buick Co., Inc., in 1957 and 1958 by reason of disbursements of funds by said company designated as yacht, travel, and entertainment expense ?

BINDINGS 03? 3TACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated; the written stipulation of facts and supplemental stipulation of facts, and exhibits referred to in each are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitiohers, Eugene A. Mohr, who resides in Dallas, Tex., and Joyce Mohr, who resides in Houston, Tex., were husband and wife on December 31, 1957, but were divorced on April 22, 1958. They filed a joint Federal income tax return for tlie calendar year 1957 with the district director of internal revenue, Dallas, Tex. Petitioner Eugene A. Mohr filed an individual income tax return for the calendar year 1958 with the same district director. Petitioner and Regina Mohr were subsequently married and they were husband and wife on December 31, 1960, and December 31, 1961. They filed joint returns for the calendar years ending on those dates with the Dallas district director.

Petitioner’s father, E. B. Mohr, has been a General Motors dealer since 1929, and petitioner was raised in the business. Petitioner actively entered the automobile business in 1945 as personnel manager of Mohr Chevrolet Co. in Dallas, which company is presently owned by E. B. Mohr. In early 1955 petitioner owned 10 percent of Mohr Chevrolet Co.; in the spring of that year he sold this interest to his father for approximately $106,000.

After petitioner disposed of his interest in Mohr Chevrolet Co. he went to California in April or May of 1955 and applied for a Chevrolet franchise. A person who desires a franchise to sell Chevrolet automobiles submits an application for the franchise (sometimes referred to herein as dealership) to the zone manager for the Chevrolet Division of General Motors Corp. This application is later reviewed by the regional manager. Similarly, an application for a Buick franchise is submitted to the Buick Division zone manager. Chevrolet and Buick franchises are normally issued for specific periods of time, usually 5 years in the case of Chevrolet.

At all times here relevant General Motors adhered to a policy known as the chain dealership policy. Under this policy a franchised dealer would be permitted to acquire a second or additional franchise provided that he entered a contract with a third party applicant, approved by General Motors, to sell over a 5-year period either the original or the additional dealership to the third party. Under the policy a dealer theoretically could acquire several franchises provided that all but one of them were placed on a 5-year sellout agreement. The applicant participating with the chain dealer was required to have at least a 25-percent interest in the dealership. Customarily, a portion of the stock in the dealership corporation is purchased each year of the first 5 years by the applicant, the purpose being that the total buy-out of stock from the original investor is completed at the end of the fifth year.

While waiting for his California application to be processed petitioner attempted to obtain an Oldsmobile franchise in Dallas through negotiations with Carl Diest, the Oldsmobile regional manager in Dallas. Diest had petitioner’s approved application for the new dealership with him when he was killed in an airplane crash. General Motors then appointed a new regional manager for Dallas and the Oldsmobile dealership was subsequently assigned to an applicant other than petitioner.

After the negotiations for the Oldsmobile franchise in Dallas failed, petitioner received advice from California that the El Cajon Chevrolet dealership of San Diego was available for him. Petitioner secured a letter of intent from General Motors that this dealership franchise would be awarded to him; he was about to leave for California to take over the agency and arrange construction of a new building when he was requested by the General Motors representative to release the El Cajon dealership. On the basis of the representative’s promise that he would secure another dealership for him, petitioner acceded to this request.

Petitioner was then directed by General Motors Chevrolet Division to the Jimmy Green Chevrolet Co. at Houston, Tex. Petitioner inspected that dealership, secured Chevrolet’s approval for transfer of the franchise, and negotiated with the owner for purchase; however, the owner’s income tax difficulties prevented him from passing good title to the dealership.

The Chevrolet Division then suggested that petitioner consider the Ornsby Chevrolet dealership in San Antonio. Petitioner inspected this dealership but decided it would be too expensive to fit into his plans; Ornsby had about $400,000 in shop tools in addition to the other assets which had to be purchased with the dealership.

Petitioner then learned that the Higginbotham Buick dealership in Houston was losing money, short of cash, and available; he investigated the situation and applied to General Motors for purchase approval.

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Mohr v. Commissioner
45 T.C. 600 (U.S. Tax Court, 1966)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
45 T.C. 600, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 122, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mohr-v-commissioner-tax-1966.