Motor Coach Industries, Inc. v. United States

536 F.2d 930, 210 Ct. Cl. 188, 38 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6328, 1976 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 266
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedJune 16, 1976
DocketNo. 51-74
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 536 F.2d 930 (Motor Coach Industries, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Motor Coach Industries, Inc. v. United States, 536 F.2d 930, 210 Ct. Cl. 188, 38 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6328, 1976 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 266 (cc 1976).

Opinion

Kashtwa, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is a suit for the recovery of federal excise taxes paid for the period commencing January 1,1966, and ending December 31,1970.

The case is before this court on cross motions for summary judgment. We find that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact. We hold for the defendant for reasons hereafter stated.

Plaintiff, Motor Coach Industries, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Greyhound Corporation. Plaintiff is, and at all relevant times has been, engaged in the manufacture and sale of motor buses. During the period from January 1,1966, through December 31,1970, plaintiff sold motor buses equipped with air-conditioning systems which were designed to provide a comfortable and healthful atmosphere for passengers within the coach by supplying cooled, filtered, and dehumidified fresh and recirculated air through wall ducts located below the side windows. During that period plaintiff sold basically three different intercity bus models, the model MC-5A, the model MC-6, and the model MC-7. Built-in air-conditioning systems were provided as standard equipment on these models. These air-conditioning systems consist of components, some of which are custom built, which are distributed throughout [191]*191tbe bus in spaces predesigned for this purpose; and each, system is designed solely for use in the particular bus mode! in which it is installed.

Plaintiff filed federal manufacturers excise tax returns for each of the quarterly periods from January 1,1966, through December 31, 1970, and paid the taxes reported due thereon-The reported excise taxes were computed 'based upon the sales price of the buses complete with air-conditioning systems-Claims for refund were thereafter filed for each of the calendar years 1966 through 1970, seeking the recovery of that portion of the excise taxes paid which was attributable to-the air-conditioning systems installed in the buses sold. Following the formal disallowance of those claims by the Internal Kevenue Service or the elapsing of six months from the filing thereof, plaintiff’s petition was filed on February 7,. 1974.

The sole question presented is whether air-conditioning systems installed on automobile buses manufactured and sold by plaintiff during the period in issue were subject to the manufacturers excise tax on automotive parts and accessories imposed by § 4061(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.1

[192]*192It appears on casual reading that the air-conditioning systems in question are taxable under § 4061(a) because they are “parts or accessories” and because they were “sold on * * * Automobile bus bodies.” There is no dispute that the air-conditioning systems here in issue were sold on plaintiff’s buses. As for their qualification as “parts or accessories,” we note that §48.4061(b)-2(a) (1963), Treasury Regulations on Manufacturers and Retailers Excise Taxes, reads as follows:2

(a) In general. The term “parts or accessories” includes (1) any article the primary use of which is to improve, repair, replace, or serve as a component part of an automobile truck or bus chassis or body, or other automobile chassis or body, or taxable tractor, (2) any article designed to be attached to or used in connection with such chassis, body, or tractor to add to its utility or ornamentation, and (3) any article the primary use of which is in connection with such chassis, body, or tractor, whether or not essential to its operation or use. * * *

Defendant argues that because (1) air conditioning was sold on taxpayer’s buses as a system, (2) the component parts were built in, custom fitted, or specifically designed primarily for use in bus air-conditioning systems, and (3) these systems [193]*193were designed to provide a comfortable atmosphere for bus passengers, they clearly constitute parts or accessories. Moreover, defendant argues that the regulations expressly include “Automobile air conditioners” as the first example given of taxable parts or accessories in § 48.4061 (b)-2(d).3 See, also, Rev. Rul. 56-544, 1956-2 Cum. Bull. 797 (where automobile air conditioners sold with a taxable motor vehicle were held, in the first published position by the Internal Bevenue Service, to be subject to tax under § 4061(a)); for later rulings expressly holding bus air conditioners to be subject to the parts and accessories tax, see Rev. Rul. 63-23, 1963-1 Cum. Bull. 206, 207, and Rev. Rul. 69-578, 1969-2 Cum. Bull. 199.

Since, as above shown, it appears that plaintiff’s bus air-conditioning systems fall within the language of § 4061(a) and Treas. Beg. § 48.4061 (b)-2(a), supra, imposing a tax on parts or accessories sold with buses, the issue should be one of easy solution. But, as shown in the discussion to follow, the solution is not without problems because of plaintiff’s arguments based on prior decisions of this court in Thermo King Corp. v. United States, 173 Ct. Cl. 860, 354 F. 2d 242 (1965), and U.S. Thermo Control Co. v. United States, 178 Ct. Cl. 561, 372 F. 2d 964, cert. denied, 389 U.S. 839 (1967).

At this point we shall discuss Thermo King Corp. v. United United States, supra.4 In that case the taxpayer sued to recover manufacturers excise taxes paid on the sales of commercial refrigeration units designed to cool the interiors of commercial trucks on the ground that such sales were not taxable under § 4061 (b), Int. Rev. Code of 1954, as automotive parts or accessories. It is significant that the taxpayer was a manufacturer of the refrigeration units and unlike plaintiff in the present case, it was not the manufacturer of [194]*194the trucks in which they were placed. The taxpayer stated that from the enactment in 1932 of an excise tax on automotive parts and accessories until 1941, the sale of track refrigeration units was not subject to any excise tax. The Revenue Act of 1941 taxed commercial refrigeration units and the taxpayer paid the excise tax. In 1942 this provision was repealed. The taxpayer no longer paid the tax until 1945 when the Internal Revenue Service ruled that truck refrigeration units were taxable as automotive parts or accessories rather than as commercial refrigeration units. The Government asserted that the truck refrigeration units were always subject to the tax on automotive parts or accessories and were never intended to be included under the 1941 tax on commercial refrigeration. The court concluded that the sales of this equipment by the, taxpayer were not taxable as sales of automotive parts or accessories under § 606 of the Revenue Act of 1932 as amended and that they were taxable under § 546 of the Revenue Act of 1941 during the period October 1, 1941, to November 1,1942. As to whether it was taxable after November 1,1942, the court stated:

Under the doctrine established in United States v. Leslie Salt Co., 350 U.S. 383 (1956), and J. P. Seeburg Piano Co. v. United States, 62 Ct. Cl. 281 (1926), an article subject to tax under a specifically applicable provision, vis,

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536 F.2d 930, 210 Ct. Cl. 188, 38 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 6328, 1976 U.S. Ct. Cl. LEXIS 266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/motor-coach-industries-inc-v-united-states-cc-1976.