Perpetual Bldg. & Loan Asso. v. Commissioner

34 T.C. 694, 1960 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 106
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 15, 1960
DocketDocket No. 64575
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 34 T.C. 694 (Perpetual Bldg. & Loan Asso. 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
Perpetual Bldg. & Loan Asso. v. Commissioner, 34 T.C. 694, 1960 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 106 (tax 1960).

Opinion

Fishee, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in income tax, declared value excess-profits tax, excess profits tax, and additions to the tax under section 291(a), Code of 1939, as follows:

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The issues presented are:

1. Whether the petitioner was exempt from taxation under the provisions of section 101(4) of the Code of 1939 during the years 1945 to 1951, inclusive; (2) whether petitioner is liable for additions to the tax under section 291(a), supra, for said years; (3) whether the statute of limitations has expired for assessment and collection of the deficiencies due from petitioner for said years; and (4) whether certain deductions for salary and payroll expenses allowed in the statutory notice as allocable from Cooper Agency in implementation of section 45 for the years 1950 and 1951 are to be disallowed (as claimed by respondent in an amended answer) to the extent that deductions for such items are duplications of items allowed by this Court to the taxpayer in the case of Cooper Agency, 33 T.C. 709.

FINDINGS OF FACT.

Perpetual Building and Loan Association of Columbia (hereinafter sometimes referred to as Perpetual) was chartered as a corporation under the laws of the State of South Carolina on May 30, 1914. The charter stated that the general purpose of the corporation and the nature of business it proposed to do was—

that of a Building and Doan Association, lending its funds to its members and others on the security of real estate and personal property, and in investing in any other business that may be deemed for the benefit of its stockholders, and otherwise conducting its business according to the customs and usages of Building and Loan Associations.

At all times during the period from January 1, 1944, until March 25, 1945, the following individuals served as officers of Perpetual:

John Hughes Cooper, president.
J. S. Cooper, vice president.
Charles F. Cooper, secretary and treasurer.

John Hughes Cooper died March 25, 1945. In June 1945, Charles F. Cooper became president of Perpetual. At all times thereafter, here pertinent, the following individuals served as officers and directors of Perpetual:

Charles F. Cooper, president.
Frank B. Cooper, vice president.
James D. Cooper, treasurer.
Rosa M. Romanstine, secretary.

Said individuals were elected to the stated offices each year without opposition at meetings which were mainly attended only by the officers themselves. Charles was the dominant figure in carrying on Perpetual’s business activities.

Perpetual’s offices were with or adjacent to those of Biltmore Homes, Inc., Cooper Agency, and Mutual Savings and Loan Company.

Charles, James, and Frank Cooper were brothers. Virginia Cooper was Charles’ wife. John Hughes Cooper was the uncle of Charles, James, and Frank. William P. Cooper and Daisy Cooper were their father and mother. J. S. Cooper was their cousin.

On or about June 13, 1946, Perpetual (by its president, Charles F. Cooper) filed Form 1027 with the Treasury Department, which is the questionnaire for building and loan associations claiming exemptions under section 101 (4) of the Code of 1939.

On June 13, 1946, Perpetual filed a “United States Annual Keturn of Organization Exempt from Income Tax Under Section 101 of the Internal Revenue Code, or Under Corresponding Provisions of Prior Revenue Acts,” (Form 990) for the year 1945 with the collector of internal revenue for the district of South Carolina. On said form, Perpetual stated that its assets and liabilities at December 31,1945, were as follows:

Assets
Cash on hand and in banks_ $54,441.82
Mortgage and share loans to members_ 44,140.87
Total assets - 98,582.69
Liabilities
Payments on shares _ 98,267.49
Reserves - 315.20
Total liabilities _ 98,582.69

On October 21, 1946, respondent issued a ruling to Perpetual stating that it was the respondent’s opinion, based upon the evidence presented, that Perpetual was exempt from Federal income tax under the provisions of section 101(4) of the Code of 1939.

Thereafter, for each of the years 1946 to 1951, inclusive, Perpetual filed Forms 990 with the collector of internal revenue for the district of South Carolina.

Perpetual did not file any corporation income tax returns, Form 1120 or 1121, for any of the years 1945 to 1951, inclusive.

On December 30, 1944, Perpetual amended its bylaws to provide that the bylaws could be altered or amended by a vote of a majority of the directors at any regular or special meeting of the board of directors. Prior thereto, the bylaws could be changed only by a vote of the majority of the whole number of shareholders represented at a regular meeting, or at a special meeting, called for that purpose. Perpetual also provided that all resolutions of its directors, passed at any meeting, concerning matters provided in the bylaws would supersede the provisions of any bylaws that were inconsistent therewith and that the resolutions would automatically constitute amendments to the bylaws.

During the years 1945 to 1951, inclusive, Perpetual was authorized to issue Fully Paid shares, Optional-Payment shares, Installment Loan shares, Prepaid Loan shares, and Prepaid Installment shares. Prepaid Installment shares could either be Investment or Capital Prepaid Installment shares.

The description of Fully Paid shares, Optional-Payment shares, Installment Loan shares, Prepaid Loan shares, and Prepaid Installment shares as shown in Perpetual’s passbook is as follows:

(a) Fully Paid Shares, which shall be those shares on which the full par value has been paid; and on which all dividends, as and when declared, shall be payable in cash, or equivalent, to the member.
(b) Optional-Payment Shares, which shall be those shares on which an initial payment has been made and subsequent payments are thereafter made at the option of the member in any amount at any time desired; and on which share accounts all dividends, as and when declared, shall be credited to the share account of the member, or payable in cash, or equivalent, at the option of the member. When payments on Optional-Payment Shares, together with dividends credited thereto, equal the full par value thereof, the same may be exchanged by the member for certificates representing Fully-Paid Shares without cost.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
34 T.C. 694, 1960 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perpetual-bldg-loan-asso-v-commissioner-tax-1960.