Pierce v. Commissioner

61 T.C. No. 47, 61 T.C. 424, 1974 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 173
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJanuary 3, 1974
DocketDocket Nos. 1933-69, 3460-69, 5660-69
StatusPublished
Cited by51 cases

This text of 61 T.C. No. 47 (Pierce 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
Pierce v. Commissioner, 61 T.C. No. 47, 61 T.C. 424, 1974 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 173 (tax 1974).

Opinion

Hall, Judge:

In these cases respondent determined (a) deficiencies in petitioners’ income taxes and (b) liabilities owed by petitioner James K. Pierce as transferee of California Business Service <& Audit Co., as follows:

Jambs K. and Madeline F. Pierce, docket Nos. 5660-69 and 3460-69
Year Deficiency Overassessment
1962_ $84, 665. 53
1963_ 45, 619. 64
1964_ 98, 928. 28
1965_ 36, 378. 80
1966_^_ $18, 255. 42
1967___ 54,406.46
Total__319,998.71 18,255.42
James K. Pierce, Transferee, docket No. 1933-69
Year Transferor's deficiency Sec. 6668(a) penalty
1962_ $37, 398. 28 $1, 869. 91
1963_ 2, 340. 08
1964_ 109,819. 85 5,490. 99
Total_ W 149, 558. 21 [1] 7, 360. 90

The issue in docket if os. 5660-69 and 3460-69 is whether certain withdrawals made by petitioner James K. Pierce from California Business Service & Audit Co. were bona fide loans or constructive dividends. The issue in docket No. 1933-69 is whether petitioner is liable as a transferee for the income tax deficiencies and penalties assessed against California Business Service <& Audit Co., the transferor.

PINDIUGS OP PACT

Petitioners, husband and wife, resided in Covina, Calif., when they filed their petitions herein. They filed joint Federal income tax returns for the years in issue in docket Nos. 5660-69 and 3460-69 with the district director of internal revenue at Los Angeles, Calif. Madeline F. Pierce is a party to this proceeding solely because she filed joint returns with her husband, and hereinafter “petitioner” refers only to James K. Pierce.

The alleged transferor, California Business Service & Audit Co. (hereinafter “Company”), was incorporated in California on September 5,1946. Its business consisted of performing bookkeeping services for its customers. When petitioners filed their petitions herein, Company’s principal place of business was Pomona, Calif. Company maintained its books and records on a calendar year. It filed its corporate income tax returns for the years 1962, 1963, and 1964 with the district director of internal revenue at Los Angeles.

Petitioner was one of the founders of Company and was its dominant figure. Petitioner and Wilton B. Kail each owned 50 percent of Company’s issued and outstanding stock. Petitioner was Company’s executive vice president and chairman of the board of directors, and Kail was its president and a director.

Between 1962 and 1967, Company paid petitioner the following salary, which was reasonable compensation for the services he performed:

Tear Amount
1962 _$61, 973.05
1963 _ 39, 500. 00
1964 _ 37,745. 80
1965_ 92,469. 00
Year Amount
1966_$57.191.00
1967_ 48,000.00
Total_ 336,878.85

Company made numerous advances directly to and on behalf of petitioner in addition to his salary. These loans were recorded on Company’s books as “accounts receivable-officers J.K.P.” In some years all loans were recorded in the one account, while in other years Company maintained two accounts in petitioner’s name, one to record direct loans to petitioner and the other to record payments made on his behalf.

Direct loans to petitioner were made routinely by Company whenever petitioner instructed either his secretary or Company’s vice president, Joseph P. Margala, to cause a check to be issued to him and deposited in his personal cheeking account. These direct loans were for petitioner’s personal use.

Payments made on behalf of petitioner were made by Company whenever petitioner requested that Company issue its check directly to the person to whom petitioner owed money, in discharge of petitioner’s personal obligations. Some such payments (as alimony paid petitioner’s former wife) were made on a regular basis, while other such payments were made to pay for specific items purchased by petitioner.

Whenever advances were made to petitioner, he promised to repay the sums advanced.

The following schedule reflects the annual net increase in petitioner’s loan account for the years listed:

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This schedule does not take into account three transfers petitioner made to Company in payment of debts. These three transfers, two stocks transfers and the transfer of a residence, are described 'below.

Sometime prior to 1962, Company expanded its bookkeeping services to many States other than California, forming non-California corporations under the name of Bookkeepers Business Service Co., Inc. Petitioner and Kail owned in equal proportion more than 80 percent of the stock of each such non-California corporation. Offices (or franchises) to carry on a bookkeeping service were established in various cities in the States where Bookkeepers Business Service Co., Inc., corporations had been incorporated. Some of these offices (or franchises) were owned and operated by investors; some were owned by investors and operated by the non-California corporations; some were both owned and operated by the non-California corporations. Petitioner owned the office in Elmhurst, Ill. With the exception of the persons who manned such offices, the non-California corporations had no employees. Other than such offices, the non-California corporations maintained no offices of their own; in all cases, their headquarters were maintained at the main office of Company where the books and records of the non-California corporations were kept and maintained by Company’s employees.

Petitioner owned stock in non-California corporations operating in Florida, Indiana, and Illinois, among other States.

On December 31,1962, petitioner signed a non-interest-bearing note payable to Company within 2 years for $82,842.32. This sum represented the aggregate amount Company had loaned petitioner during 1962. As security for this note, petitioner pledged his 47 shares of stock in the Florida corporation.

On May 20, 1964, petitioner entered into an agreement with Company which recites that petitioner agrees to convey his 22½ shares of stock in the Indiana corporation to Company in full payment of Company’s loans made to petitioner during 1962 and 1963 in the aggregate amount of $130,000.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
61 T.C. No. 47, 61 T.C. 424, 1974 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 173, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pierce-v-commissioner-tax-1974.