Osborne v. Commissioner

55 T.C. 329, 1970 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 27
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 24, 1970
DocketDocket No. 2376-65
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 55 T.C. 329 (Osborne 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
Osborne v. Commissioner, 55 T.C. 329, 1970 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 27 (tax 1970).

Opinion

AtmNS, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in income tax for the taxable years 1960 and 1961 in the respective amounts of $22,913.59 and $31,396.39.

The parties having settled certain issues by stipulation, the issues remaining for decision are whether the election .of East Gate Center, Inc., to be treated as a small business corporation under subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 was terminated under section 1372(e) (5) of the Code with the result that petitioners are not entitled to deduct any part of such corporation’s net operating losses, and, if not, the amounts of such corporation’s net operating losses for its taxable years ended May 31,1960 and 1961, and the adjusted basis at the end of such years of the petitioners’ stock in the corporation and of any indebtedness of the corporation to them.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are incorporated herein by this reference.

The petitioners are husband and wife and at the time they filed their petition herein resided in Chattanooga, Tenn. For each of the taxable years 1960 and 1961 they filed a joint Federal income tax return with the district director of internal revenue, Nashville, Tenn., wherein they reported their income on the cash method of accounting.

Petitioner Weldon F. Osborne owned a large tract of land adjacent to the city of Chattanooga, Tenn. On June 4, 1956, the petitioners organized East Gate Center, Inc., under the laws of Tennessee for the purpose of building and operating a shopping center on such property. The capital stock of East Gate Center, Inc., hereinafter referred to as East Gate, at all material times consisted of 10 shares of common stock which were owned equally by petitioners, each having received 5 shares at a cost of $500.

During 1957 East Gate had various market surveys and architectural layouts prepared with respect to the shopping center and began soliciting prospective tenants. At that time it was anticipated that the center would be opened for operation sometime during 1959.

To the north of the site for the proposed center was Brainerd Eoad which was a Federal highway and major artery between the downtown area of Chattanooga and Knoxville, Tenn. However, the land between the proposed center site and Brainerd Eoad was owned by Independent Enterprises, Inc., an unrelated corporation. This corporation was also planning to develop a shopping center on its property. The petitioner owned a 50-foot-wide accessway to Brainerd Eoad which was located to the east of the land owned by Independent Enterprises, Inc. In June 1957, in order to obtain another accessway to Brainerd Eoad, East Gate purchased four residential lots located to the west of the land owned by Independent Enterprises, Inc. Two of the lots were vacant. Moderately priced houses had been constructed on the other two lots and the houses were occupied when they were acquired by East Gate. At the time the lots were acquired East Gate intended to raze the two houses and construct an access road to Brain-erd Eoad.

East Gate’s development of the shopping center was delayed by actions of the State Highway Commission with respect to a proposed expressway to be located to the south of petitioner’s property. Prior to final determinations with respect to the route to be followed by the expressway and the necessary right-of-way to be condemned, the State Highway Commission would not allow any construction in the area in which petitioner’s property was located. Because of this delay, East Gate did not raze the two houses as intended. Instead, it permitted the occupants to continue to rent the houses, rather than evict them.

In July 1960, the right-of-way for the expressway was established and the necessary land was condemned. At some time not disclosed in the record East Gate reached an agreement with Independent Enterprises, Inc., under which East Gate was permitted access to Brainerd Eoad over the property owned by Independent Enterprises, Inc. Such agreement obviated the necessity of constructing an access road over the four residential lots acquired by East Gate in June 1957. Actual construction of the shopping center was commenced in 1964.

For its taxable year ended May 31, 1958, East Gate filed a Federal income tax return on Form 1120 with the district director of internal revenue at Nashville. On November 15,1958, East Gate filed with such district director an election to be treated as a “small business corporation,” together with stockholder consents. For each of its taxable years ended May 31, 1959, 1960, and 1961, East Gate filed a Federal income tax return on Form 1120-S with the district director at Nashville. For its taxable year ended May 31, 1962, East Gate filed a return on Form 1120 with such district director. In all its returns East Gate reported its income on an accrual method of accounting.

For its taxable years ended May 31, 1958 through 1962, East Gate reported gross income as follows:

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On their joint return for the taxable year 1960 each of the petitioners claimed a deduction in the amount of $9,086.98 purporting to represent his share of a net operating loss suffered by East Gate in its taxable year ended May 31,1960. In the notice of deficiency, respondent determined that the net operating loss of East Gate for its taxable year ended May 31, 1960, was in the amount of $14,121.97 of which petitioner Weldon F. Osborne’s proportionate share was $7,060.99, but that such amount was not 'deductible by him because East Gate’s election to be treated as a small business corporation under subchapter S of the 'Code was terminated in its taxable year ended May 31, 1960, because of its receipt of rents in such year in excess of 20 percent of its gross receipts for such year. He determined that the petitioner Eleanor W. Osborne’s proportionate share of such net operating loss was $7,060.98, but that such amount was not deductible by her because East Gate’s election pursuant to subchapter (3 of the Code was terminated as described hereinabove, and because the adjusted basis of her stock in East Gate was zero.1

On their joint return for the taxable year 1961, each of the petitioners claimed a deduction in the amount of $12,410.17, purporting to represent his share of a net operating loss suffered by East Gate in its taxable year ended May 31, 1961. In the notice of deficiency the respondeat determined that the net operating loss of East Gate for its taxable year ended May 31, 1961, was in the amount of $14,952.39 of which, petitioner Weldon F. Osborne’s proportionate share was $7,476.20, 'but that such amount was not deductible by him 'because East Gate’s election 'to be treated as a small business corporation under subchapter S of the Code was terminated in its taxable year ended May 31, 1961, or in an earlier taxable year, because of its receipt of rents in excess of 20 .percent of its gross receipts for such year. He determined that petitioner Eleanor W. Osborne’s proportionate share of such net operating loss was $7,476.19, but that such amount was not deductible by her because East Gate’s election pursuant to sub-chapter S of the Code was terminated as described hereinabove, and because the adjusted basis of her stock in East Gate was zero.

OPINION

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Related

Greene v. Commissioner
70 T.C. 534 (U.S. Tax Court, 1978)
Osborne v. Commissioner
55 T.C. 329 (U.S. Tax Court, 1970)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
55 T.C. 329, 1970 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/osborne-v-commissioner-tax-1970.