R. M. Smith, Inc. v. Commissioner

69 T.C. 317, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 17
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 29, 1977
DocketDocket No. 478-74
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 69 T.C. 317 (R. M. Smith, 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
R. M. Smith, Inc. v. Commissioner, 69 T.C. 317, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 17 (tax 1977).

Opinion

SUPPLEMENTAL OPINION

Drennen, Judge:

The opinion in this case (T.C. Memo. 1977-23) was filed on January 31,1977. In accordance with Rule 155, Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure, respondent filed Respondent’s Computation for Entry of Decision on April 6, 1977, and petitioner filed Petitioner’s Computation of Tax Pursuant to Decision on April 26, 1977. Because the parties differed in their computations, a hearing was held on May 4, 1977, pursuant to Rule 155(b).

Subsequent to that hearing, with the leave of the Court, petitioner filed Petitioner’s Memorandum Brief Supporting Rule 155 Computation on May 10, 1977, and respondent filed his Memorandum Brief for Respondent on August 9, 1977. In this memorandum brief, respondent reconsidered the positions he advanced in his previous statements to the Court and made several modifications. In this August 9, 1977, filing, respondent discussed his new positions and revised his computation of tax.1

In an order dated August 11,1977, each party was given until September 12, 1977, to file a response to the opposing party’s memorandum brief. Petitioner filed its response on September 7, 1977, in a document entitled Reply Brief of Petitioner Under Rule 155 Computation. Respondent filed his response on September 12,1977, in a document entitled Reply Memorandum Brief for Respondent.

Petitioner acquired all the stock of Gilmour Co. as of January 31, 1970. On March 31, 1970, it liquidated Gilmour Co. Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner’s own tax liability and in petitioner’s liability as a transferee of Gilmour Co.

The basic disagreement between the parties involves the manner in which to compute petitioner’s basis in the former Gilmour Co. assets. To make this computation, it is necessary to make some refinements to petitioner’s adjusted basis in the Gilmour stock and then to allocate the adjusted basis, so refined, among the acquired assets.2 This procedure is dictated by section 334(b)(2),3 which provides, inter alia, that—

the basis of the property in the hands of the distributee shall be the adjusted basis of the stock with respect to which the distribution was made. For purposes of the preceding sentence, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary, proper adjustment in the adjusted basis of any stock shall be made for any distribution made to the distributee with respect to such stock before the adoption of the plan of liquidation, for any money received, for any liabilities assumed or subject to which the property was received, and for other items.

The parties are not in agreement, first, as to the manner in which to make the refinements to adjusted basis. In this regard, sec. 1.334-l(c)(4)(v), Income Tax Regs., is significant. That section provides:

(v) The adjusted basis of the subsidiary’s stock held by the parent with respect to which the distributions in liquidation are made (reduced as in subdivision (i) of this subparagraph)—
(a) Shall be increased— (1) By the amount of any unsecured liabilities assumed by the parent, and
(2) By the portion of the subsidiary’s earnings and profits (less the amount of any distributions therefrom) of the period beginning on the date of purchase and ending upon the date of the last distribution in liquidation attributable to the stock of the subsidiary held by the parent.
(6) Shall be decreased:
(1) By the amount of any cash and its equivalent received, and
(2) By the portion of the subsidiary’s deficit in earnings and profits of the period beginning on the date of purchase and ending upon the date of the last distribution in liquidation attributable to the stock of the subsidiary held by the parent.

The parties are also not in agreement as to the manner in which petitioner’s adjusted basis in the Gilmour stock (as refined) is to be allocated among the acquired Gilmour assets. In this regard, sec. 1.334-l(c)(4)(viii), Income Tax Regs., provides in pertinent part:

the amount of the adjusted basis of the stock * * * shall be allocated as basis among the various assets received (except cash and its equivalent) both tangible and intangible (whether or not depreciable or amortizable). Ordinarily, such allocation shall be made in proportion to the net fair market values of such assets on the date received * * *

The specific points which remain in contention between the parties are discussed in the sections which follow.

Calculation of the Value of Intangibles

Under the provisions of section 1.334 — l(c)(4)(viii), Income Tax Regs., set forth above, the amount of the parent’s refined adjusted basis in the subsidiary’s stock is allocated among the various assets received upon liquidation, both tangible and intangible. This allocation is ordinarily made in proportion to the net fair market values of the assets.

Thus, before there can be an allocation of petitioner’s refined adjusted basis (in the Gilmour Co. stock it purchased), it is first necessary to ascertain the fair market values of all of the Gilmour Co. assets petitioner acquired.

The fair market values of the tangible assets involved herein either have been stipulated by the parties or have been the subject of findings by the Court. The fair market value of the intangibles is, as stated in our opinion (T.C. Memo. 1977-23), to be calculated pursuant to the residual method of valuation.

In its computation under Rule 155, petitioner arrived at the fair market value of the intangibles by calculating the total amount it paid for the Gilmour Co. Stock ($3,780,550) and by subtracting from that amount the total fair market values of the tangible assets. The amount remaining was, according to petitioner, the fair market value of the intangibles.

In his initial Rule 155 computation, respondent employed a quite different method. However, in his memorandum brief, filed August 9, 1977, respondent’s approach is more closely in line with petitioner’s. The major difference now between the parties’ methods of calculating the value of the intangibles is that respondent increases the $3,780,550 cost figure for the Gilmour Co. stock by adding to it the following amounts:

(1) $159,451.93, reflecting Gilmour Co.’s existing liabilities assumed by petitioner; and

(2) $112,729, reflecting Gilmour Co.’s tax liability under sections 1245 (depreciation recapture) and 47 (investment credit recapture) of the 1954 Code.4

Respondent believes it is proper to increase the $3,780,550 cost figure by these two amounts because petitioner knew of these liabilities and must have assumed that the total fair market value of the assets it acquired equaled at least $4,052,730.93 ($3,780,550 plus $159,451.93 and $112,729).

We agree with respondent.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Deseret Management Corporation v. United States
112 Fed. Cl. 438 (Federal Claims, 2013)
Tele-Communications, Inc. v. Commissioner
104 F.3d 1229 (Tenth Circuit, 1997)
Nestle Holdings v. Commissioner
1995 T.C. Memo. 441 (U.S. Tax Court, 1995)
Meredith Corp. v. Commissioner
102 T.C. No. 15 (U.S. Tax Court, 1994)
Donlon I Dev. Corp. v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 374 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Philip Morris, Inc. v. Commissioner
96 T.C. No. 23 (U.S. Tax Court, 1991)
Tele-Communications, Inc. v. Commissioner
1991 T.C. Memo. 82 (U.S. Tax Court, 1991)
Tele-Communications v. Commissioner
95 T.C. No. 36 (U.S. Tax Court, 1990)
Colorado Nat'l Bankshares, Inc. v. Commissioner
1990 T.C. Memo. 495 (U.S. Tax Court, 1990)
Nestle Holdings, Inc. v. Commissioner
94 T.C. No. 50 (U.S. Tax Court, 1990)
Jostens, Inc. v. Commissioner
1989 T.C. Memo. 656 (U.S. Tax Court, 1989)
UFE, Inc. v. Commissioner
92 T.C. No. 88 (U.S. Tax Court, 1989)
Strong v. Commissioner
91 T.C. No. 39 (U.S. Tax Court, 1988)
Banc One Corp. v. Commissioner
84 T.C. No. 35 (U.S. Tax Court, 1985)
Solitron Devices, Inc. v. Commissioner
80 T.C. No. 1 (U.S. Tax Court, 1983)
Wallach v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 502 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Curtis Noll Corp. v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 363 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Concord Control, Inc. v. Commissioner
78 T.C. No. 49 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Montgomery Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. United States
615 F.2d 1318 (Court of Claims, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
69 T.C. 317, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 17, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/r-m-smith-inc-v-commissioner-tax-1977.