Oviatt's v. Commissioner

128 F.2d 352, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 504, 1942 U.S. App. LEXIS 3580
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedMay 19, 1942
DocketNo. 9997
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 128 F.2d 352 (Oviatt's 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
Oviatt's v. Commissioner, 128 F.2d 352, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 504, 1942 U.S. App. LEXIS 3580 (9th Cir. 1942).

Opinion

STEPHENS, Circuit Judge.

This appeal, is from a decision of the Board of Tax Appeals disallowing a credit of $47,127.61 claimed by petitioner herein, a California corporation with its principal office in Los Angeles, California, against its net taxable income on which a deficiency surtax on undistributed profits for the fiscal year ending January 31, 1937, was assessed by the Commissioner in the amount of $5,802.22, under the provisions of Section 26(c) of the Revenue Act of 1936. Act of June 22, 1936, c. 690, § 26, 49 Stat. 1664, 26 U.S.C.A. Int.Rev.Acts, page 836.

It appears that the petition before the Board sought relief under Section 26 (c), and that the Board’s decision centered on subdivision (2) thereof. Petitioner [353]*353moved to file a Motion for Rehearing, but the 30 day period allowed by Rule 19 of Rules of Practice of the Board, 26 U.S.C.. A.- Int.Rev.Code following section 5011, had expired before the motion was made. Grounds of the , motion were that the Board should have decided whether or not petitioner was entitled to a credit under subdivision (1) of Section 26(c) of the 1936 Revenue Act as well as subdivision (2). Petitioner also offered to adduce some additional facts before the Board which it thought important. The Board refused to grant the motion, and petitioner cites this as error. We point out that this denial of motion is not an appealable order, and deserves no consideration by this Court. However, we will consider the applicability of subdivisions (1) and (2) of Section 26(c) of the 1936 Revenue Act in determining whether or not the Board erred in refusing to grant the claimed credit to petitioner, which subdivisions read as follows:

“§ 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 — -
ic * % *
“(c) Contracts Restricting Payment of Dividends.
“(1) Prohibition on payment of dividends. An amount equal to the excess of the adjusted net income over the aggregate of the amounts which can be distributed within the taxable year as dividends without violating a provision of a written contract executed by the corporation prior to May 1, 1936, which provision expressly deals with the payment of dividends. If a corporation would be entitled to a credit under this paragraph because of a contract provision and also to one or more credits because of other contract provisions, only the largest of such credits shall be allowed, and for such purpose if two or more credits are equal in amount only one shall be taken into account.
“(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; * *

The facts upon which petitioner bases its claim for credit are as follows: On June 1, 1934, an agreement was made between Alexander & Oviatt Corporation, as first party; Oviatt’s Incorporated, successor to Alexander & Oviatt Corporation, second party, and petitioner herein; James Oviatt, president of the corporation, as third party; and Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, as fourth party. In general the agreement provided that petitioner, second party acquire the assets and assume the liabilities of first party, and execute its promissory notes, guaranteed personally by third party, in favor of fourth party and other merchandise creditors. Second party was to issue its stock to first party, and said stock was then in turn to be pledged to fourth party, as pledgeholder, to secure ratably the notes to be executed by second party to fourth party. The agreement provided the form of said notes, the payments to be made thereon, and also set out in full the terms of the pledge agreement above mentioned, which reads as follows:

“Pledge Agreement”
“In Consideration of an agreement made as of June 1, 1934, between Alexander & Oviatt Corporation, as first party, Oviatt’s Inc., as second party, James Oviatt, as third party, Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, as fourth party, and certain merchandise creditors of Alexander and’ Oviatt Corporation who have subscribed and become parties to said agreement, which is hereby expressly referred to, incorporated in and made a part hereof for greater particularity, and as collateral security for the pro-rata and equal payment of the promissory notes and indebtedness referred to in and intended to be secured under said agreement, the undersigned, Alexander & Oviatt Corporation, a corporation, hereinafter called the pledgor, does hereby pledge, assign, transfer and deposit with Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, as pledgeholder, the following described personal property to be held for the purposes stated in said agreement and with the powers and subject to the conditions hereinafter set forth, to-wit:
[354]*354“650 shares of the preferred stock of Oviatt’s Inc., evidenced by Certificate No....
“1500 shares of the common stock of Oviatt’s Inc., evidenced by Certificate No....
“This agreement is executed and delivered subject to the conditions in the aforesaid agreement, and the conditions hereinafter stated, and Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, as Pledgeholder is given and granted the following powers; to-wit:
“(a) To cause said stock to be transferred to and issued in its own name as pledgeholder;
“(b) While this pledge shall remain in force, to vote said stock as the owner thereof;
“(c) To collect and receive all dividends and distributions upon said stock;
“(d) In the event of either a failure in business or insolvency or bankruptcy or a general assignment of Oviatt’s Inc., * * * .the pledgeholder is authorized and empowered to sell * * * the whole or any part of said pledged property. * * *
“(e) After deducting all legal and other costs * * * the pledgeholder shall apply the remainder of the proceeds of the sale thereof ratably upon the indebtedness secured hereby, and if said indebtedness be thereby paid in full, the balance of the proceeds of said sale shall be held subject to the order of the pledgor.
■Jf He * * * *
“Alexander & Oviatt Corporation
“By .President.
“By.Secretary.”

As stated in the case of Nevada-Massachusetts Company v. Commissioner, 128 F.2d 347, also filed by this court this day, it is settled that Section 26 of the 1936 Revenue Act being one granting a' deduction must be strictly construed, and that the taxpayer must be able to show that he comes within its terms.

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Bluebook (online)
128 F.2d 352, 29 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 504, 1942 U.S. App. LEXIS 3580, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/oviatts-v-commissioner-ca9-1942.