N. v. Koninklijke Hollandische Lloyd v. Commissioner

34 B.T.A. 830, 1936 BTA LEXIS 640
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedJuly 24, 1936
DocketDocket No. 78662.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 34 B.T.A. 830 (N. v. Koninklijke Hollandische Lloyd 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
N. v. Koninklijke Hollandische Lloyd v. Commissioner, 34 B.T.A. 830, 1936 BTA LEXIS 640 (bta 1936).

Opinion

OPINION.

Van Fossan :

This proceeding was brought to redetermine a deficiency in the income tax of the petitioner for the year 1932 in the sum of $49,749.83, together with a penalty of $12,437.46 for delinquency.

The sole issue is whether or not moneys received by the petitioner, a foreign corporation, in payment of a judgment in its favor against the United States as the result of a suit in the Court of Claims for damages for the illegal detention of the petitioner’s steamship during the War, constituted income from sources within the United States and, as such, was subject to tax.

The imposition of the penalty raises a dependent issue.

The facts were stipulated substantially as follows:

The petitioner is, and was at all times material hereto, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of The Netherlands, with its principal office at Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

During the year 1917 the petitioner was the owner and operator of a fleet of ocean-going steamships, and was engaged in the business of transporting passengers and freight between the ports of various nations and on the high seas. One of said ships was the steamship Zeelandia, which prior to October 17, 1917, was engaged in transporting passengers and freight between The Netherlands and South American ports, touching at North American ports enroute.

In September 1917 the Zeelandia sailed from South American ports for The Netherlands, via New York, carrying a cargo, all of which was consigned to Netherlands Oversea Trust Co., at various [831]*831ports of The Netherlands; and also carrying about fifty-five passengers, some of whom were United States naval officers who took passage to New York, and mails destined for the United States. When the Zeelandia arrived off New York Harbor she carried a full supply of provisions, stores, and fuel sufficient to enable her to continue her voyage to The Netherlands without taking on additional stores or provisions, provided no additional passengers were taken on at New York. The passengers and mail could have been discharged by tugs beyond United States waters, but relying on the assurances of customs officials that the vessel might come into New York Harbor and be cleared out without hindrance, the Zeelandia came into the harbor of New York on October 16, 1917.

On October 17, 1917, an official of the petitioner applied to the United States Shipping Board for a license to take additional stores on the Zeelandia to enable her to carry a number of stranded Dutch citizens who desired to book passage to Holland. On October 22, 1917, not having received a reply to its application, the petitioner abandoned its plan to transport the additional Dutch passengers and applied for clearance of the Zeelandia from the port of New York. The United States customs officials refused clearance on the ground that petitioner did not submit an export license for the vessel’s transit cargo, bunkers, and stores. On the same day, petitioner applied, under protest, for an export license for such transit cargo, bunkers, and stores. From October 22, 1917, until March 21, 1918, officials of the United States Government refused to permit the Zeelandia to leave New York Harbor.

On March 21, 1918, the United States formally seized, requisitioned, and took over the steamship Zeelandia and placed her in the active service of the United States, and subsequently the petitioner was paid by the United States for the use of the vessel after that date.

For several years thereafter the Government of The Netherlands unsuccessfully attempted to procure a diplomatic settlement through the State Department of the United States, of the claim of the petitioner against the United States for the damages sustained by it by reason of the refusal of the Government authorities to grant clearance to the Zeelandia during the period from October 17, 1917, to March 21, 1918. On March 3, 1927, the Congress of the United States enacted the following act:

An Act for the Relief of the Royal Holland Lloyd, a Netherlands corporation of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled: That the claim of the Royal Holland Lloyd, owners of the Netherlands steamship Zeelandia, against the United States for damages alleged to have been sustained as a result of the refusal [832]*832of the Federal authorities to grant clearance to the vessel during the period from October 17, 1917, to March 21, 1918, may be sued for by the said Royal Holland Lloyd in the United States Court of Claims, and said court shall have jurisdiction to he?„r and determine such suit to judgment and either party shall have the right of appeal: Provided, That such notice of the suit shall be given to the Attorney General of the United States as may be provided by order of the said court, and it shall be the duty of the Attorney General to appear and defend for the United States: Provided further, That said suit shall be brought and commenced within four months of the date of the passage of this Act.

Thereafter, pursuant to the said act, the petitioner instituted a suit against the United States in the Court of Claims. On December 7, 1931, the Court of Claims decided that petitioner was entitled to recover $446,826.22, together with interest, as follows:

Loss of use of vessel_$332, 292. 20
Cost and loss on coal- 30, 602. 02
Wages and premiums to crew- 49, 086. 00
Cost of provisioning crew_ 19,126. 00
Cost of repairs and survey and deck and engine room supplies_ 7, 500.00
Cost of port expenses_ 4,192. 50
Cost of water consumed_ 850. 50
Cost of insurance_ 3,177. 00
446, 826. 22

See Royal Holland Lloyd v. United States, 73 Ct. Cls. 722.

On July 18, 1932, the petitioner received from the United States Government a warrant in the amount of $531,356.95 in partial payment of the judgment of the Court of Claims. The payment included damages for the market value of the use of the Zéelandia, and also for the cost and loss of fuel, wages, various repairs, port expenses, water, insurance, and like items, exclusive of any allowance for overhead or advertising expenses, by reason of the refusal of the United States to grant clearance of the steamship ZeelamMa, and the refusal to permit her to leave the harbor of New York from October 22, 1917, to March 20, 1918, together with interest in the amount of $84,531.73.

During the calendar year 1932 and at all times prior thereto the steamship Zeelandia was documented under the laws of The Netherlands; and at all times material hereto the laws of The Netherlands granted to citizens of the United States and to corporations organized in the United States an equivalent exemption to the one granted to the operators of ships under a foreign flag by section 231 (b) of the Revenue Act of 1932.

During the year 1932 the petitioner was not engaged in business in the United States and did not maintain an office for employees kept within the United States.

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N. v. Koninklijke Hollandische Lloyd v. Commissioner
34 B.T.A. 830 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1936)

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Bluebook (online)
34 B.T.A. 830, 1936 BTA LEXIS 640, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/n-v-koninklijke-hollandische-lloyd-v-commissioner-bta-1936.