Nevada-Massachusetts Co. v. Commissioner

128 F.2d 347, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 499, 1942 U.S. App. LEXIS 3579
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMay 19, 1942
DocketNo. 9960
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 128 F.2d 347 (Nevada-Massachusetts Co. v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Nevada-Massachusetts Co. v. Commissioner, 128 F.2d 347, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 499, 1942 U.S. App. LEXIS 3579 (9th Cir. 1942).

Opinion

STEPHENS, Circuit Judge.

This appeal is from a decision of the Board of Tax Appeals holding that the Petitioner, a Maine corporation with its principal business office in California, was liable for the surtax on undistributed profits for the years 1936 and 1937, as assessed by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, respondent herein, in the amount of $22,752.16 for 1936 and $12,326.10 for 1937, under § 14 of the Revenue Act of 1936, c. 690, 49 Stat. 1648, 26 U.S.C.A. Int. Rev.Acts page 823. Petitioner claims a credit on the undistributed profits as provided in § 26(c) (2) of the Revenue Act of 1936, 26 U.S.C.A. Int.Rev.Acts p. 836, which provides :

“§ 26. Credits of Corporations.
“In the case of a corporation the following credits shall be allowed to the extent provided in the various sections imposing tax—
* * * * *
< “(c) Contracts Restricting Payment of Dividends.
sj» í{í >|c >j<
“(2) Disposition of profits of taxable year.
“An amount equal to the portion of the earnings and profits of the taxable year which is required (by a provision of a written contract executed by the corporation prior to May 1, 1936, which provision expressly deals with the disposition of earnings and profits of the taxable year) to be paid within the taxable year in discharge of a debt, or to be irrevocably set aside within the taxable year for the discharge of a debt; to the extent that such amount has been so paid or set aside. * * *”

It is settled that the above section being one granting a deduction must be strictly construed, and that the taxpayer must be able to show that he comes within its terms, Helvering v. Northwest Steel [349]*349Mills, 311 U.S. 46, 61 S.Ct. 109, 85 L.Ed. 29; New Colonial Co. v. Helvering, 292 U.S. 435, 440, 54 S.Ct. 788, 78 L.Ed. 1348; White v. United States, 305 U.S. 281, 292, 59 S.Ct. 179, 83 L.Ed. 172. The facts on which petitioner relies are these:

Petitioner was organized by creditors of Pacific Tungsten Company, who held Pacific Tungsten’s interest bearing notes, pursuant to an agreement executed by them on December 24, 1924, and amended by a supplemental agreement of February 16, 1925, which two agreements petitioner contends constitute the contract under which it claims the credit on the surtax. The agreement of December 24, 1924, recited that the notes, above referred to, were overdue and uncertain of payment and as action by one or more of the creditors might result in great loss, a new corporation should be formed by the parties with a capital stock of $100,000 divided into 100,-000 shares. It further recited that “each of the parties hereto * * * shall assign * * * to said corporation the balance of the indebtedness owing to each respectively by the said Pacific Tungsten Company, and as evidenced by the said notes.” In consideration of such transfer “the corporation” would issue stock to the parties and “make, execute and deliver to each of the parties * * * its promissory note for the unpaid amount of the promissory notes so assigned to said new corporation.”

The agreement further provided:

“That said new corporation shall further agree that out of the net proceeds of the operation of the said mining property of the said Pacific Tungsten Company * * * and out of any other moneys which the said new corporation may have available for that purpose, it will pay to The First National Bank of Boston and The National Shawmut Bank of Boston together the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5000) and after such payment, it will pay one-half of such moneys to the First National Bank of Sonora, until said promissory notes so to be delivered to the said First National Bank of Sonora, with interest thereon, shall have been paid in full, and the remaining one-half of such moneys shall be applied pro-rata on account of payment of the respective notes held, as aforesaid, by each of the other parties hereto; and when the said notes held by said First National Bank of Sonora shall have been fully paid, thereafter such moneys shall be applied pro rata to the payment in full of the promissory notes of said new corporation, together with interest thereon, held by the other parties hereto * * *.”

The effect of the agreement of February 16, 1925, was to incorporate into the agreement of December 24, 1942, certain notes of Pacific Tungsten which had been acquired by one Charles H. Segerstrom, one of the parties.

The two agreements were presented to petitioner’s Board of Directors on February 18, 1925, and on motion it was voted that they “be and they hereby are, insofar as they may be applicable, accepted by this corporation as and for its undertaking with the parties thereto.” The Directors then voted to purchase the outstanding notes of Pacific Tungsten from the parties to the agreement, as provided therein, and “to issue in consideration therefor” notes of petitioner, reciting various aggregate amounts payable to each of the parties, “said notes to be payable on demand and to bear interest at the rate of six per cent per annum”, and to issue shares of the capital stock of the company to said parties in respective amounts as agreed.

Petitioner at a sheriff’s sale in June, 1925, acquired the Pacific Tungsten assets and engaged in mining operations and milling. Its noteholders were assessed for advances equal to 15 per cent of the amount of their notes as provided in the contract, to provide working capital, and additional notes were executed to cover these advances. On April 1, 1929, petitioner issued renewal notes in exchange for the old notes, no payments having been made thereon. Segerstrom, one of the parties, had acquired Johnson’s notes, and after the renewal he also acquired the notes of the First National Bank of Sonora. During 1931 and 1932 Segerstrom, because the Banks were not permitted to make further advances, voluntarily advanced $43,059.99 receiving interest bearing notes therefor. The creditors under the contract waived their respective priorities for repayment of their notes in favor of pro rata payment of the notes including those for advances. No formal separate agreement was executed as to these advances, but it was agreed that all these notes would be paid prior to any distribution of the funds of petitioner.

On July 12, 1934, renewal notes were again issued, covering the interest from April 1, 1929 to June 30, 1934, and the [350]*350directors voted to pay $2,000 monthly on an $18,000 note held by one of the parties, and $10,000 upon all of the other notes. Being- unable to pay so much this resolution was rescinded.

During 1936 and 1937 the petitioner extracted tungsten ore from its land and milled it at its mill. It also worked leased mines at Mina, Nevada, on a royalty basis, but sustained losses from these operations and about 1937 abandoned its rights to title upon payment of specified royalties. The petitioner also worked the Humboldt property under a lease made in 1927, and acquired title to this property about 1933, after royalties which it had paid aggregated $75,000.

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

Related

Riverside Cement Co. v. Rogan
59 F. Supp. 401 (S.D. California, 1945)
Anglim v. Acme Brewing Co.
143 F.2d 412 (Ninth Circuit, 1944)
Rogan v. Walter Wanger Pictures, Inc.
143 F.2d 459 (Ninth Circuit, 1944)
Commissioner v. Saginaw & Manistee Lumber Co.
133 F.2d 755 (Seventh Circuit, 1943)
Artificial Ice Co. v. Glenn
48 F. Supp. 835 (W.D. Kentucky, 1943)
Helvering v. Magnus Beck Brewing Co.
132 F.2d 379 (Second Circuit, 1942)
Commonwealth Theatres Corp. v. Commissioner
130 F.2d 875 (Eighth Circuit, 1942)
Oviatt's v. Commissioner
128 F.2d 352 (Ninth Circuit, 1942)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
128 F.2d 347, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 499, 1942 U.S. App. LEXIS 3579, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nevada-massachusetts-co-v-commissioner-ca9-1942.