Poole v. Commissioner

46 T.C. 392, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 87
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJune 20, 1966
DocketDocket Nos. 2664-64, 2665-64
StatusPublished
Cited by21 cases

This text of 46 T.C. 392 (Poole 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
Poole v. Commissioner, 46 T.C. 392, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 87 (tax 1966).

Opinion

Simpson, Judge:

The issnes to 'be resolved in docket No. 2664-64 are: (1) Whether section 1235(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 19541 applied to an indirect transfer of a patent made by a holder to a related person in 1956; (2) whether such an indirect transfer occurred in this case; and (3) whether a patent holder may obtain capital gains treatment for payments described in section 1235 (a) if a transfer of a patent is made to a related person. The issue in docket No. 2665-64 is whether an increase in royalty payments made to the petitioner’s majority shareholder was made for adequate consideration and is deductible by the corporation.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts were stipulated, and those facts are so found.

The petitioners in docket No. 2664-64, Myron C. Poole (whom we shall refer to as Poole) and Marjory S. Poole, are husband and wife. During the taxable years 1959, 1960, and 1961, they resided in Alexandria, Ind., and filed their joint income tax returns with the district director of internal revenue at Indianapolis, Ind.

In their returns for these years, the Pooles reported royalty payments from Revolvex Corp. as long-term capital gains. The respondent determined that such payments were reportable as ordinary income. As a result of this adjustment, the respondent determined a deficiency in income tax of $480.13 for 1959, $5,059.78 for 1960, and $91 for 1961. The notice of such determination was mailed to the petitioners on March 23, 1964. The royalty payments attributable to the patents assigned after 1958, the Pooles concede, are ordinary income as a result of the 1958 amendments to section 1235.

The petitioner in docket No. 2665-64, Revolvex Corp., filed corporate income tax returns for 1960 and 1962 with the district director at Indianapolis, Ind. Revolvex deducted royalty payments to Poole of $19,854.65 in 1960 and $4,350 in 1962. The respondent disallowed these deductions to the extent of $9,812.70 for 1960 and $1,912 for 1962. This action by the respondent, and the consequent adjustments in net operating losses, resulted in a determination of an income tax deficiency of $2,353.87 for 1960 and $573.43 for 1962. Notice of this deficiency was mailed to Revolvex on March 23,1964.

At all times material to this case, Poole was the president of Ventoura Corp. and owned over 80 percent in value of its outstanding stock in joint tenancy with his wife. This company was engaged in the manufacture and sale of mobile homes.

Poole is an inventor and the holder of many Government patents, including a patent for the reversible window for mobile homes. This window was invented in 1950, and a patent on it was applied for in 1955. The reversible window projected outward from the trailer home and added a feeling of spaciousness much like a bay window. When the home was traveling, the window could be removed and turned around so that it projected into the interior of the trailer. This ability to reverse the projection of the window enabled the trailer home to conform to the restrictions on its width during travel on the highways. In order to reverse the window, two or three men were required.

In 1950, Poole also invented a revolvable window for mobile homes. It was similar in size and shape to the reversible window, but was so constructed that it could revolve on an axis at the top and bottom of the window. When the owner wished to move his home, he could simply revolve the window so that it projected into, rather than outward from, the coach. A patent application covering the revolvable window was filed September 21,1955. One of the important features protected by the patent was the seal for the window which was weathertight, yet flexible enough to withstand the pressures of traveling.

Later, Poole invented a third type of window for mobile homes— the hinged bay window. This window was much larger than the reversible or revolvable windows. It differed from the revolvable window in that the revolvable window could not be attached to the floor of the coach. The revolvable window included a frame which supported the window and housed the mechanism which allowed the window to revolve. As a result, the window itself did not reach to the floor of the trailer, but only to the top of the window frame which was 2y2 inches above the floor. The hinged bay window, by contrast, was hinged to the floor of the coach so that it tilted inward and rested on the floor during transit. Because of the hinging mechanism, it was possible for the window itself to reach to the floor of the coach. Its outward projection created a cavity into which the owner could set furniture level with the floor of the mobile home. Poole began work on the hinged bay window in 1958 or 1959. He applied for a patent covering the hinged bay window and a sealing mechanism, similar to the mechanism patented with the revolvable window, on September 14,1959.

In August of 1955, Poole exhibited the revolvable and reversible windows at a mobile home show. As a result of this exhibition, Ventoura received several orders. Other manufacturers approached Poole requesting a license to manufacture such windows. Poole, upon consultation with his patent attorneys, decided to form a separate corporation to handle the licensing transactions. He testified that his primary purpose in forming a separate company was so that the licensee-manufacturers would not have to do business directly with a competitor such as he or Ventoura.

Eevolvex’s corporate records contain a document entitled “Minutes of Preliminary Meeting of Subscribers” dated January 23, 1956. Among other things, this document names the following persons as subscribers on January 23,1956:

Shares
Myron O. Poole- 5
Stanley A. Raymer-1%
Gilbert W. Carmer-1%
Edgar 0. Webster_ 1
William J. Stettner_ 1

These minutes include a waiver of notice of a meeting of the subscribers, which was signed by such subscribers, and indicates that there was a meeting of such subscribers on January 23, 1956.

Also dated January 23, 1956, is a document labeled “Subscription Agreement and Call of Meeting.” In this document, the subscribers promise to accept and pay for their shares at $100 per share. It is also signed by all of the subscribers.

The Eevolvex articles of incorporation are dated January 23,1956, and are signed by Myron and Marjory Poole and Stanley Eaymer. They state that the corporation shall begin its existence with $500 paid-in capital and $100,000 authorized stock. The articles were executed under oath.

The certificate of incorporation was issued, and Eevolvex’s corporate existence began, on January 25,1956.

The Pooles are not related by blood or marriage to Eaymer, Webster, Stettner, or Carmer. Stanley A. Eaymer was the attorney for Ventoura Corp. Gilbert W. Carmer was the production man at Ventoura.

Edgar C. Webster was also an employee of Ventoura from approximately November 1955 through September 1962.

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Poole v. Commissioner
46 T.C. 392 (U.S. Tax Court, 1966)

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Bluebook (online)
46 T.C. 392, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 87, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/poole-v-commissioner-tax-1966.