Nicholls, North, Buse Co. v. Commissioner

56 T.C. 1225, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 65
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 31, 1971
DocketDocket Nos. 5048-67, 5059-67
StatusPublished
Cited by69 cases

This text of 56 T.C. 1225 (Nicholls, North, Buse Co. 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
Nicholls, North, Buse Co. v. Commissioner, 56 T.C. 1225, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 65 (tax 1971).

Opinion

Withey, Judge:

Tbe respondent determined deficiencies in income tax against the corporate petitioner for the taxable years ended December 31, 1963, and December 31,1964, in tbe respective amounts of $299.16 and $2,260.11 and against tbe individual petitioners for the same years in the respective amounts of $388.91 and $36,359.62. The only issue affecting the year ended December 31,1963, for either petitioner has been settled by stipulation which will be given effect under Bule 50.

The issues remaining unresolved are first, whether respondent erred as to petitioner Nicholls, North, Buse Co. in the disallowance of depreciation and operating expenses of a boat purchased with corporate funds and in the disallowance of the investment credit related thereto, and second, whether respondent erred as to petitioners Herbert A. Besenhoeft and Charlotte Besenhoeft in his assertion of a deficiency on the theory that a constructive dividend was received to the extent of either the purchase price of the boat or the value of the use of the boat.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and the stipulation of facts and exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by reference.

Nicholls, North, Buse Co., a Wisconsin corporation, hereinafter referred to as Nicholls, had its principal place of business in Milwaukee, Wis., and filed Federal corporation income tax returns for the years 1963 and 1964 with the district director of internal revenue, Milwaukee, Wis.

Petitioners Herbert A. Besenhoeft and Charlotte Besenhoeft, husband and wife, filed joint tax returns for the years 1963 and 1964 with the district director of internal revenue in Milwaukee, Wis. They resided in Milwaukee, Wis., at all times pertinent to this proceeding. Since Charlotte Besenhoeft is a party herein only because she filed a joint return, Herbert A. Besenhoeft will hereinafter be referred to as Besenhoeft.

Nicholls was engaged as a broker of foodstuffs, seed peas, containers, field warehousing, and the rental of equipment related to the food-packing industry. Due m part to the canners’ frequent inability to obtain necessary credit from banks and Nicholls’ dependency on the survival of small canning companies, Nicholls also provided to canning companies with whom it had brokerage relationships substantial credit in the form of loans. These loans were financed by Nicholls primarily through the borrowing of funds from the First Wisconsin Bank, Milwaukee, Wis., under an open line of credit. During the year 1964, Nicholls carried a monthly notes receivable balance ranging from a high of $801,677 to a low of $306,305. At December 31,1964, Nicholls’ current liabilities included $717,000 in notes payable to the bank. In its operation as a broker, Nicholls served canning companies in their acquisition of raw materials, supplies, and warehousing services, and in the sale of their product to wholesalers and retailers of foodstuffs.

In 1964 the common-stock ownership, officers, and directors of Nicholls were as follows:

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Nicholls had only common stock outstanding. The shares of class A common and class B common were identical in all respects except that the latter had no voting rights.

Nicholls has paid no dividends from its inception through the years in question.

Shareholders Eobert E. Eesenhoeft and James Eesenhoeft, noted above, are the sons of petitioner Herbert Eesenhoeft. In 1964, James was 25 years old and although not an officer he was Nicholls’ sales manager and had been employed by Nicholls on a ful'l-time basis since 1961. Eobert and James received their stock through periodic gifts from Eesenhoeft as well as by purchase.

Eesenhoeft has been a principal stockholder since the company’s beginning in 1921. During 1963 and 1964 in his capacity as president of Nicholls, Eesenhoeft was required to meet customers, suppliers, and business associates.

Eesenhoeft’s compensation from Nicholls for the year 1964 and for several previous years was set by formula at 75 percent of Nicholls’ profit prior to deducting income taxes. During the year regular salary entries were charged to salary expense and added to Eesenhoeft’s drawing account, and following the end of the year an adjusting entry was made to reflect the difference between that already charged and 'the amount equaling 75 percent of pretax profits. During 1964, Eesen-hoeft’s total compensation from Nicbolls thus computed was $22,695. However, not all of the amounts added to the drawing account were paid to Eesenhoeft in cash. The drawing account, representing an amount payable to Eesenhoeft, was reduced by adjusting entries for taxes withheld and for certain expenses paid by Nicholls which were determined to be personal expenses of Eesenhoeft. In 1964, these expenses included all or a part of some club bills, a portion of the expenses of two autos owned by Nicholls but used by Eesenhoeft, and 25 percent of the combined total depreciation and operating expenses for the year for the boat Pea Picker III. The amount of boat costs charged to Eesenhoeft’s drawing account for 1964 was $1,144.72. Nicholls’ general practice was that the allocation of corporate expenditures between Eesenhoeft’s personal expenses and business expenses was made by Eesenhoeft’s secretary and bookkeeper, Meta Herzog, based on her understanding of Eesenhoeft’s business and private activities ; occasionally Meta received specific direction from Eesenhoeft as to the appropriate recording of an expenditure.

Pea Picker III, the yacht at the center of this controversy, was a Chris Craft Constellation, a 52-foot wood-hulled cruiser with teak decks. It contained sleeping accommodations for passengers (two staterooms), and crew’s quarters, as well as a bathroom and galley. It was propelled by two inboard gasoline engines developing 275 horsepower each. The yacht was equipped with radar, ship-to-shore radio, and several pieces of additional optional equipment. The added equipment provided better all-weather navigability and stability. Most of the optional equipment was installed at Pompano Beach, Fla., the site of construction, although some pieces were added by the dealer in Milwaukee, Wis.

Prior to the time of purchase of Pea Picker III, Eesenhoeft was the owner of boats Pea Picker I and Pea Picker II. Pea Picker I was acquired for $7,200 in 1960 and sold in 1961 for $6,000. At the time of thait sale, Pea Picker II was acquired for $23,000. Pea Picker II was sold on August 24, 1964, the day following the date of final payment for Pea Picker III, to the distributor from whom Pea Picker III was purchased. The proceeds from the sale of Pea Picker //, $20,000, were paid by the purchaser to Eesenhoeft who, by prior arrangement, loaned the same amount to Nicholls to aid in the purchase of Pea Picker III. This loan was to be repaid at a rate of $4,000 per year, beginning July 1,1965. The payment due in 1965 was made on a timely basis.

Pea Picker II was a 1954 model, built by the Christ Craft Co., had a length of 45 feet, and was powered by two gasoline engines. She was used occasionally by James and/or Eesenhoeft for entertainment of persons related to Nicholls’ business. Each of Resenhoeft’s sons was free to operate each of the craft, including Pea Picher III, without special permission.

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Bluebook (online)
56 T.C. 1225, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 65, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nicholls-north-buse-co-v-commissioner-tax-1971.