Oklahoma Transportation Co. v. United States

272 F. Supp. 729, 19 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1538, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9656
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Oklahoma
DecidedDecember 29, 1966
DocketCiv. No. 65-265
StatusPublished

This text of 272 F. Supp. 729 (Oklahoma Transportation Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Oklahoma Transportation Co. v. United States, 272 F. Supp. 729, 19 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1538, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9656 (W.D. Okla. 1966).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION

DAUGHERTY, District Judge.

In this case the plaintiff sues for the recovery of assessed federal corporation income taxes and deficiency interest for its fiscal year ended June 30, 1961.

The Commissioner of Internal Revenue made certain adjustments on the plaintiff’s tax return. This resulted in the assessment of additional taxes which the plaintiff has paid and now seeks to recover herein. The Items involved in the adjustment and this litigation are ten in number as follows:

(1) An adjusted depreciation deduction on buses;
(2) The allocation of income and deductions under Section 482 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954;
(3) Liability of the taxpayer for an accumulated earnings tax assessed by the Commissioner under Sections 531 and 532 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954;
(4) A disallowed deduction for airplane travel expense in the sum of $693.99;
(5) The disallowances of a deduction of the sum of $2,409.12 for club dues and entertainment expense;
(6) The disallowance of a deduction in the sum of $882.25 as a depreciation expense on a 1960 Pontiac automobile;
(7) The disallowance of a deduction in the sum of $1,868.49 as a depreciation expense on a 1961 Cadillac automobile;
[731]*731(8) Disallowance of a deduction in the sum of $400.00 for- gasoline, motor oil and insurance expense;
(9) Disallowance of the deduction of the sum of $3,049.50 as an ordinary and necessary business expense in accomplishing certain roof repairs, the Commissioner contending that such expenditure must be capitalized, and,
(10) The disallowance of a deduction of certain gifts totaling $317.93.

In a suit for refund of federal taxes, the taxpayer has the burden of establishing the essential facts from which the determination of the tax liability for the involved year can be made. Helvering v. Taylor, 293 U.S. 507, 55 S.Ct. 287, 79 L.Ed. 623 (1935); Roybark v. United States, (9th Cir.-1954) 218 F.2d 164; 5 Mertens, Law of Federal Income Taxation, Section 28.03, c. 6.28, p. 27.

Items (5), (6), (8), and (10) above listed, are resolved in favor of the defendant, inasmuch as the plaintiff has offered no proof in support of its claim to these deductions.

As to Item (4) above, this issue is resolved in favor of the plaintiff inasmuch as this air travel expense, under the evidence, was properly claimed as a business expense since it pertained to attending a Motor Bus Owners’ Association convention and a trip to Detroit, Michigan, in connection with General Motors buses bought by plaintiff in that area.

As to Item (7) the Court finds and concludes that the plaintiff is entitled to claim and receive 75% of the depreciation originally claimed inasmuch as, under the evidence, the vehicle was used to this extent for business purposes and otherwise for non-business purposes.

As to Item (9) above, the plaintiff is entitled to claim the roof repair expense as an ordinary and necessary business expense since the evidence is to the effect that this money was spent to replace deteriorated roof decking which involved a part of the roof of one building and which condition was detected when other repairs were being made to the roof by reason of a storm. The Court finds that from the nature of this work it constituted the repair of deteriorated parts of the building and such did not appreciably prolong the original useful life of the property. Farmers Creamery Company of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Petitioner v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, Respondent, 14 T.C. 879.

Items (1), (2) and (3) above, represent the significant issues of this litigation'and will now be treated in that order.

Regarding Item (1) on depreciation, the Court finds that the plaintiff has sustained its burden of proof by a ten-year study presented with reference to its buses, which study fairly demonstrates through experience a useful life of its buses of six years with 25% salvage. For the two previous tax years (1959 and 1960) this useful life and salvage value was determined to be appropriate for the plaintiff on the identical equipment by Conferee Miller of the Internal Revenue Service. This determination called for additional taxes which were paid by the plaintiff and such determination was acquiesced in by the plaintiff. The Commissioner contends herein that the depreciation deduction claimed by the plaintiff for its fiscal year 1961 (which was based on the determination of Conferee Miller) should be redetermined and supports this position with the argument that the taxpayer during fiscal year 1961 sold two buses that were about three years old to a bus company in Rhode Island and one bus of about the same age to the town of Laverne, Oklahoma. The flourt finds under the evidence that both of these sales, that is, to Rhode Island and Laverne, were unanticipated and not customary sales and did not occur in the usual and normal course of plaintiff’s business and operation. The two buses sold to Rhode Island were disposed of as a favor to a Rhode Island bus company which was in desperate need of the buses and paid a premium price for the same. Likewise, the sale of the bus to Laverne cannot be considered as an ordinary disposition by [732]*732the taxpayer. The Court finds and concludes that a six-year useful life with 25% salvage value is reasonable and fair under the evidence and should be sustained, and that the defendant is not entitled under the evidence and the regulations 1 to redetermine the useful life and salvage value on the basis of the two abnormal bus dispositions. These two dispositions are not deemed to constitute a significant change in useful life. Moreover, there is no clear and convincing basis for the redetermination made by the Government. Macabe Company, Inc. v. Commissioner, 42 T.C. 1105; S. & A. Company v. United States, (D.C. Minn-1963) 218 F.Supp. 677, affirmed (8th Cir.-1964) 338 F.2d 629. It is interesting to note that in making the adjustment for the year involved herein the Commissioner claimed a four-year useful life with 70% salvage value but at the start of the trial this position was changed by the Commissioner to an eight-year useful life with 50% salvage value. Under the evidence herein, and all the facts and circumstances involved, the Court is of the opinion, and finds and concludes, that the correct useful life under plaintiff’s use and experience is six years and the proper salvage value is 25%. This coincides with the determination of the Commissioner for the fiscal years 1959 and 1960, constitutes the formula used by the taxpayer for tax year 1961 involved herein and conforms with the duty of consistent treatment. Massaglia v. C. I. R., (10th Cir-1961) 286 F.2d 258; Orange Securities Corp. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, (5th Cir.-1942) 131 F.2d 662; Alamo Nat. Bank v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, (5th Cir.-1938) 95 F.2d 622.

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Related

Helvering v. Taylor
293 U.S. 507 (Supreme Court, 1935)
United States v. Consolidated Edison Co. of NY
366 U.S. 380 (Supreme Court, 1961)
United States v. Duke Laboratories, Inc.
337 F.2d 280 (Second Circuit, 1964)
United States v. S & a Company
338 F.2d 629 (Eighth Circuit, 1964)
Athens Roller Mills v. Com'r of Internal Revenue
136 F.2d 125 (Sixth Circuit, 1943)
Duke Laboratories, Inc. v. United States
222 F. Supp. 400 (D. Connecticut, 1963)
S & a COMPANY v. United States
218 F. Supp. 677 (D. Minnesota, 1963)
Macabe Co. v. Commissioner
42 T.C. 1105 (U.S. Tax Court, 1964)

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Bluebook (online)
272 F. Supp. 729, 19 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1538, 1966 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9656, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oklahoma-transportation-co-v-united-states-okwd-1966.