Rand v. Commissioner

35 T.C. 956, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 202
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 20, 1961
DocketDocket No. 76230
StatusPublished
Cited by27 cases

This text of 35 T.C. 956 (Rand 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
Rand v. Commissioner, 35 T.C. 956, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 202 (tax 1961).

Opinion

OPINION.

Arundell, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency in income tax for the taxable year ended December 31, 1953, in the amount of $3,002.74.

^ CO The only error assigned is “The Commissioner erred in disallowing deduction of $8,890.50 as ‘fees’ paid by petitioner Bert B. Rand to . A. Carraway.”

The facts were all stipulated and are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioners are husband and wife and during the year 1953 were residents of the District of Columbia. They filed a joint Federal income tax return for 1953 with the district director of internal revenue at Baltimore, Maryland. Petitioner Myra F. Band is involved herein solely by reason of having joined in the filing of the aforementioned return. Petitioner Bert B. Band will hereinafter be referred to as the petitioner.

During the years 1952 and 1953 and thereafter, petitioner was engaged in the private practice of law in the city of Washington, D.C. During those years he was also engaged in the performance of services as a corporate official, as noted hereinafter.

Seaboard Machinery Corporation was incorporated in 1951 under the laws of the State of Delaware. Its principal place of business was at Panama City, Florida. On November 12,1953, Seaboard Machinery Corporation was merged into Seaboard Maritime Corporation, a newly organized Florida corporation. Seaboard Machinery Corporation and its successor by merger, Seaboard Maritime Corporation, will hereinafter be referred to as the corporation.

Throughout the year 1953, petitioner owned not less than one-third of the outstanding capital stock of the corporation. The corporation was also indebted to him in an amount in excess of $60,000 on account of advances made to it by petitioner.

Prior to December 22, 1952, the corporation was engaged in the business of fabricating steel. On December 22,1952, the corporation’s plant was destroyed by fire.

Subsequent to December 22, 1952, the corporation’s primary business activities were the liquidation of certain of its assets, the licensing of patents held by it, and the conduct of litigation which arose from the destruction of its plant and its inability to fulfill certain of its contractual commitments. At the present time, the corporation is engaged in the business of licensing patents and performing engineering services related thereto.

Throughout the year 1952 and until February 19, 1953, petitioner was president of the corporation and S. A. Carraway was vice president. On February 19, 1953, Carraway became president and petitioner became general counsel.

Prior to September 29, 1952, the salary authorized by the corporation’s board of directors to be paid to its president was $36,000 per annum. Subsequent to September 29, 1952, and throughout the year 1953 the salary authorized to be paid by the corporation to its president was $30,000 per annum.

During the year 1952, throughout which petitioner was president of the corporation and Carraway, vice president, petitioner received $24,769.19 and Carraway received $13,374.18 from the corporation as compensation for their services.

During the year 1953, petitioner, who was president until February 19,1953, and general counsel thereafter, received $8,307.65 from the corporation as compensation for his services.

During the year 1953, Carraway, who was vice president until February 19, 1953, and president thereafter, received $6,843.86 from the corporation as compensation for his services.

As president of the corporation, Carraway assumed responsibilities which were considerably more burdensome than those which had been his as vice president. He worked longer and harder than he had as vice president and was required to travel considerably more.

During the calendar year 1953, Carraway was paid $8,890.50 by petitioner. This payment was intended as additional compensation to Carraway for his services as president of the corporation.

The last four paragraphs of the stipulation of facts are as follows:

14.By letter dated May 14, 1956, petitioner submitted to tbe District Director of Internal Revenue affidavits executed by himself and Carraway relative to the aforementioned payment. True copies of these documents are attached hereto as joint exhibits, as noted:
,!oint Exhibit
Petitioner’s letter dated May 14,1956_2-B
Petitioner’s affidavit dated May 14, 1956_3-0
Carraway’s affidavit dated May 14, 1956_4r-D
15. The amount of $8,890.50 was included as an expense item in a separate schedule entitled “Schedule of Income and Expenses Other Than From Partnership,” which was attached to Schedule C of the joint federal income tax return filed by petitioner and his wife for the year 1953.
16. During the years 1952, and 1953, Hans A. Nathan, petitioner’s law partner and predecessor as general counsel of the corporation, received the amounts of $11,407.70 and $1,615.39, respectively, as salary for services performed as an officer of the corporation.
17. During the years 1954 through 1958, inclusive, petitioner’s law firm received legal fees in the following amounts from DeLong Corporation on behalf of B. B. DeLong, indemnitor for the corporation:
Amount
1954- $19,000.00
1955- 12, 000. 00
1956_ 10,250. 00
1957- 12, 000. 00
1958- 12, 000. 00

Petitioner has requested that we find as ultimate facts that the payment by petitioner to Carraway in 1953 of $8,890.50 represented “fees for services to Taxpayer” (“Taxpayer” being the petitioner herein); that such “fees” were reasonable in amount, bore a reasonable and proximate relation to petitioner’s business as a necessary, appropriate, and helpful expense; and that such “fees” did not constitute an investment in a new enterprise and did not result in the acquisition of any capital assets.

It is true that in the agreement between petitioner and Carraway, dated December 23, 1953, referred to in the affidavits (Jt. Exs. 3-C, 4-D), it was stated that whereas during the years 1949 through 1953 petitioner and Carraway “have been involved in various business matters of divers nature”; that as a result thereof petitioner had “advanced” to Carraway substantial sums of money, some of which advances the parties regarded as business loans and others of which were the subject of a dispute, petitioner maintaining them to be business loans, and Carraway maintaining “that these advances, originally regarded as business loans by mutual agreement, are to become fee payments for the extensive services performed by CaRRAwat for Band during 1953, including but not limited to negotiations with E. A. Killoren and L. B.

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Bluebook (online)
35 T.C. 956, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 202, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rand-v-commissioner-tax-1961.