Pacific Coast Music Jobbers, Inc. v. Commissioner

55 T.C. 866, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 180
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedFebruary 25, 1971
DocketDocket Nos. 284-68, 285-68
StatusPublished
Cited by50 cases

This text of 55 T.C. 866 (Pacific Coast Music Jobbers, Inc. 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
Pacific Coast Music Jobbers, Inc. v. Commissioner, 55 T.C. 866, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 180 (tax 1971).

Opinion

Sterrett, Judge:

The respondent determined a deficiency in the Federal income taxes of the petitioner Pacific Coast Music Jobbers, Inc., of $4,605.28 and $6,769.09 for its taxable years ending August 31, 1963, and August 31,1964, respectively. A deficiency of $11,419.89 was also determined by respondent in the Federal income taxes of the petitioners Charles H. Hansen and Isabel Hansen for the taxable year ended December 31,1964.

We have before us two issues for consideration. We are first to determine whether petitioner Pacific Coast Music Jobbers’, Inc.’s election to be treated as a small business corporation under subchap-ter S was terminated in 1962, and thus not in effect during the years in issue, under section 1372(e) (l)1 for the failure of a new shareholder to consent to that election. This requires us first to ascertain whether petitioner Charles H. Hansen became that shareholder in 1962. The second issue before us is whether petitioner Charles H. Hansen constructively received dividends from the petitioner Pacific Coast Music Jobbers, Inc., in 1964.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and the stipulations of facts and the exhibits attached therto are incorporated herein by this reference.2

Pacific Coast Music Jobbers, Inc. (sometimes hereinafter referred to as Pacific or the company), is a corporation organized under the laws of California. At the time of filing its petition herein Pacific’s principal place of business was San Francisco, Calif. Pacific reported its income on an accrual basis utilizing a fiscal year ending August 31. For the taxable years ended August 31, 1963, and August 31, 1964, Pacific filed TJ.S. small business corporation returns of income with the district director of internal revenue, San Francisco, Calif. An election to be taxed as a small business corporation pursuant to section 1372 had been filed by Pacific on November 28, 1958.

Petitioners Charles H. Hansen (sometimes hereinafter referred to as Hansen) and Isabel Hansen, husband and wife, filed a joint Federal income tax return for the calendar year 1964 with the district director of internal revenue, Jacksonville, Fla. At the time of filing their petition herein Charles and Isabel Hansen resided in Miami Beach, Fla.

At all times relevant hereto, Pacific had 50 shares of stock issued and outstanding. Pacific’s business was the distribution of music. As of November 23, 1962, James L. Haley (sometimes hereinafter referred to as Haley) and Peter L. Caratti (sometimes hereinafter referred to as Caratti) each owned 20 shares of stock, and Miss Mary W. Thomson (sometimes hereinafter referred to as Miss Thomson) owned 10 shares of stock. Prior to November 23,1962, Haley and Caratti and Miss Thomson (sometimes hereinafter collectively referred to as sellers) were all officers and full-time employees of Pacific. They managed all its day-to-day and overall business activities.

Haley began to look forward to retirement in the early part of 1961 and asked Hansen to buy Ms interest in Pacific. Hansen was reluctant to put his own money in Pacific, and did not consider Pacific a salable business because it was restricted to jobbing. An unsuccessful effort was made by Hansen to find a buyer for Haley’s interest. When three prospects did not work out, Hansen then expressed an interest in purchasing all the stock in Pacific, and not merely Haley’s share. Caratti and Miss Thomson agreed to sell their interests in Pacific since they also wanted to retire.

Haley continued to discuss the possible sale of Pacific with Hansen and with Philip Becker (hereinafter sometimes referred to as Becker), an accountant, who had been Hansen’s financial adviser for approximately 25 years. Hansen relied very heavily on Becker’s skill and judgment in the negotiation and consummation of the transaction in issue as well as the purchase of Capital Music Co., a Seattle, Wash., company in a similar business. In 1962 negotiations were conducted between Becker, representing Hansen, and Leo J. O’Brien, an attorney, and Bichard F. Tyler, an accountant, representing the sellers.

During the negotiations with Becker and Hansen for the sale of Pacific, Haley was of the opinion that the corporation was worth between $80,000 and $100,000. Haley’s opinion of the value of the business was based in part on his estimate of income the business would produce during the 5 years subsequent to 1962, and also on the price paid by Hansen for the purchase of Capital Music Co. Hansen purchased Capital in 1961 for approximately $60,000. Capital’s sales were about the same as Pacific’s, but it had no profits. In the 5 years immediately preceding the transaction in issue, Pacific had profits each year ranging between $16,000 and $26,000 per year.

Hansen felt that Pacific was worth more than Capital. His financial adviser, Becker, felt Haley was overvaluing Pacific and that the company was really worth between $25,000 and $30,000. Becker’s valuation was based on his belief that, due to the nature of the business, the prior profit level could not be maintained once the key people, the sellers, left the business.

Before entering into any agreement with the sellers, Becker did a study of Pacific’s business over the last 10 previous years and was familiar with its earnings. Hansen was similarly aware of Pacific’s earnings.

When Becker heard that the sellers were basing their valuation of the business on 5 years’ earnings, it occurred to him that Hansen could arrange to have the sellers enjoy the earnings of the company for a period which would allow them to realize the price they had in mind, and then Hansen could take over the stock. Besultingly, Becker asked the sellers to submit a list of what they would expect to earn over a 5-year period. The sellers submitted a list which Becker found reasonable and accepted. The notion of receiving payments over a 5-year period was acceptable to the sellers because they felt their taxes would be lower than if they received a large lump-sum amount for their stock.

On November 23, 1962, Hansen simultaneously entered into two agreements with each of the sellers. The terms and conditions of each pair of agreements were substantially identical except that the amounts due Miss Thomson were smaller to reflect her lesser stock interest.

The first or main agreement entered into by each seller provided that the seller agreed to sell his Pacific stock to Hansen for $500 per share. The document contained express conditions that the corporation continue its usual business at least until August 31, 1967, that each stockholder have the right to receive all dividends and earnings until August 31, 1967, and that all shares continue to be registered in tílie selling stockholders’ names until October 1,1967. The first agreement also provided that the stock certificates were to be endorsed and delivered to Leo J. O’Brien to be held by him in escrow until October 1, 1967, at which time they were to be delivered to Hansen, It was further agreed by the sellers that they would continue Pacific’s status as a small business corporation until August 31,1967, and that they would report and pay taxes on their respective shares of Pacific’s income until that same date.

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Bluebook (online)
55 T.C. 866, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 180, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pacific-coast-music-jobbers-inc-v-commissioner-tax-1971.