Porto Rico Iron Works, Inc. v. Buscaglia

62 P.R. 839
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Porto Rico Iron Works, Inc. v. Buscaglia. Read the opinion of the Court — 62 P.R. Dec. 868
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico·Decided January 25, 1944·No. No. 8710·Published

Opinion

Mr. Acting Chiee Justice Travieso

delivered the opinion of the court.

The complaint filed in this case sets up seven causes of action, and the total sum sought to he recovered is $13,670.97, the amount of the taxes paid under protest by the plaintiff. The defendant interposed a demurrer thereto on the ground of insufficiency, and upon the same being overruled, the district court, at the instance of the defendant, rendered judgment sustaining the complaint in all its parts and adjudging the defendant to pay the total sum claimed, with interest thereon at the rate of 6 per cent from the filing of the complaint, and costs.

From that judgment the present appeal has been taken.

1. In the first cause of action the plaintiff, Porto Rico Iron Works, Inc., claims the return, of $1,842.86 paid under protest as excise taxes on certain articles introduced into Puerto Rico from the United States, on the ground that the same are not subject to the payment of said taxes under the Internal Revenue Law of Puerto Rico. The articles in question are certain semitrailers and parts for a road grader.

As described in the complaint “a ‘road grader’ is a device used in the building of roads which consists'of a scraper {pala) vertically operated by a. piston which forms part of the same, said scraper being pulled by a tractor” and “a ‘semitrailer’ is a platform on pneumatic wheels built so as to be pulled by trucks and lacks a motor or other means of self-propulsion, so designed as not to be capable of being [841]*841converted into a self-propelling vehicle and it can be moved only by tbe use of a -traction force.”

Undoubtedly it does not appear .from the complaint that said devices are self-propelling vehicles.

The excise was levied on the basis of the provisions of subdivisions 7 and 8 of §16 of Act No. 85 of August 20, 1925, as subsequently amended. Said Act is known as the Internal Revenue Law of Puerto Rico. The subdivisions in question, in so far as now pertinent, read as follows (Act No. 158 of May 13, 1941, p. 948):

“7. Self-propelling vehicles and apparatus. — On all automobiles, motorcycles, locomotives, tractors and other similar self-propelling vehicles by whatever name known, including chassis, motors, auto-bodies without motors, tanks, batteries, motors for same and on all parts or accessories for am1- of the articles herein mentioned, excluding pneumatic tires, inner tubes and solid tires, sold, transferred, manufactured, or used in, or introduced into, Puerto Pico, a tax of twelve and one-half (12%) per cent on the selling price in Puerto Rico; Provided, That persons not residing in Puerto Rico who use their own automobiles for personal use only shall be exempt from the payment of the tax prescribed by this Act for such period as they shall us,p a special license of the Commissioner of the Interior. On the expiration of that period or upon acquiring the regular license of the said Commissioner, or before, if the automobile is devoted to purposes other than the above-mentioned, the internal revenue tax shall be paid.
‘ ‘ 8. Other self-propelling vehicles and apparatus. — On every auto-wagon, truck, tractor, and other similar self-propelling vehicles (by whatever name known), including chassis, motors, bodies for trucks, auto-wagons and tractors, without motors, tanks, batteries, motors for same, and on all parts or accesories for any of the articles herein mentioned, excluding pneumatic tires, inner tubes and solid tires, sold, transferred, manufactured, or used in, or introduced into, Puerto Rico, a tax of twelve and one-half (12%) per cent on the selling price in Puerto Rico.”

The lower court in its opinion construing the foregoing provisions of the cited Act, said:

“A mere reading of those subdivisions suffices to show that, as indicated by their headings, they are confined to the imposition' of a [842]*842tax on self-propelling vehicles and apparatus and all parts and accessories for the same. Although they mention ‘autobodies without motors’ and ‘bodies for tractors without motors,’ this refers to bodies for self-propelling vehicles which only lack the motors that, upon being installed therein, serve to complete the vehicles. The self-propelling vehicle is taxed' as are taxed all the parts therefor which may be introduced separately. Thus, on the one hand, the body of the vehicle without motor is mentioned, and immediately thereafter mention is made of the motor itself. In subdivision 8, which is the one that the defendant considers as really applicable, the phrase ‘tractors without motor’ is modified by the word ‘bodies’ and by the preceding phrase ‘other similar self-propelling vehicles.’ The excise is imposed on auto-wagons, trucks, tractors, and other similar self-propelling vehicles . . . including chassis, motors, bodies for trucks, auto-wagons and tractors, without motors, tanks, batteries, motors for same, and on all parts or accessories for any of the articles herein mentioned. ...”
“It should be noted that subdivision 8, which formerly mentioned motor vehicles, launches, etc., was expressly amended in the sense of defining clearly that it refers to self-propelling vehicles, which concept was not expressly set forth in the former wording of said subdivision.
“We think that the first count of the complaint states facts sufficient to justify the. return of the taxes to which it refers.”

We accept as sound and convincing the foregoing conclusion of the lower court. Unquestionably the articles on which the excise was sought to he levied are not the self-propelling vehicles to which subdivisions 7 and 8 of the cited Internal Revenue Law refer, and as they are not comprised in the classification made by the lawmaker; they are not subject to taxation.

The appellant urges that these apparatus are not included as self-propelling vehicles but as autobodies without motors. We do not agree with this contention. An autobody without motor is nothing else than a part of a self-propelling vehicle which only requires the installation of a motor therein in order to be converted into a complete self-propelling vehicle, which is not the case of the apparatus involved in the first cause of action. None of said apparatus could ever be a [843]*843self-propelling vehicle, as it lacks a motor and a place for installing the same therein. It moves only when it is pnlled by a self-propelling vehicle.

The appellee calls to onr attention the fact that the Legislature, by §2 of Act No. 116 of May 12, 1943 (Laws of 1943, p. 334), added a new subdivision 8(a) to §16 of the Internal Revenue Law. Said §2 provides as follows:

“Section 2. — To add a new subdivision under No. 8(a) to Section 16 of Act No. 85, approved August 20, 1925, as subsequently amended, which shall read as follows:
“ ‘8(a) — Vehicles Not Self-Propelling. — On all vehicles not self-propelling, and on all parts or accessories therefor, excepting vehicles expressly manufactured to be drawn by human or animal power, sold, transferred, manufactured, used or consumed in, or brought into Puerto Rico, a tax of twenty (20) per cent on the selling price of such vehicle in Puerto Rico.’ ”

The new law is prospective in character, and as it was enacted subsequent to the occurrence of the facts, the first cause of action is unaffected thereby.

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Porto Rico Iron Works, Inc. v. Buscaglia, 62 P.R. 839 (prsupreme 1944).

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