Robert Dollar Co. v. Commissioner

18 T.C. 444, 1952 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 180
United States Tax Court·Decided May 29, 1952·No. Docket Nos. 24939, 25000·Published·Cited by 6 cases

Opinion

OPINION.

Van Fossan, Judge:

It is the petitioner’s contention that no loss is to be recognized on the surrender of the 20,000 shares of old stock in the reorganization in 1939 and that the basis for the new stock includes the cost of the debt and the old stock in measuring the loss on the sale of the new stock in 1941. In support of this argument it is urged that no gain or loss is to be recognized to Admiral in 1939 if the old stock in American was exchanged in pursuance of a plan of reorganization solely for stock or securities in the reorganized corporation. The petitioner relies upon section 112 (b) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.1

The petitioner points out that no gain or loss is to be recognized because the 20,000 shares of old common stock were exchanged solely for the new stock in America. To qualify under section 112 (b) (3), the shares of stock exchanged must be in a corporation a party to the reorganization. A reorganization is defined in section 112 (g) (1) (E), I. R. C.,2 to include “a recapitalization.” The latter term requires a “reshuffling of a capital structure within the framework of an existing corporation.” Helvering v. Southwest Consolidated Corporation, 315 U. S. 194. American was recapitalized if there existed in the reorganization the required continuity of interest by reason of Admiral’s surrender of its old stock for its new proprietary interest. Although Admiral owned all of the preferred stock and approximately 42 per cent of the new common stock, including the shares held by the Dollar family or corporations controlled by them, after the reorganization, instead of all of the stock as before, a reorganization may require a downward adjustment of the rights of participants. Hoagland Corporation, 42 B. T. A. 13, affd. 121 F. 2d 962; Miller v. Commissioner, 84 F. 2d 415; Seiberling Rubber Co. v. Commissioner, 169 F. 2d 595.

Since the recapitalization consisted of the surrender of old securities and stock of the corporation, together with claims against it for the new shares of stock of the same company, the surrender of the old stock and receipt of the new was in pursuance of the plan of reorganization. The fact that petitioner also surrendered claims against American as additional consideration would not preclude the application of section 112 (b) (3) if stock was also given in exchange. United Gas Improvement Co., 47 B. T. A. 715, affd. (C. A. 3) 142 F. 2d 216, certiorari denied 323 U. S. 739. Only stock was received in the reorganization so that if the old shares of stock were part of the consideration the exchange was solely for stock or securities.

The focal point of controversy in the first issue is whether the surrender of the old stock was part of the exchange or whether it was surrendered without receipt of value. It is respondent’s contention that section 112 (b) (3) cannot apply because the old stock was surrendered for nothing and there could be no exchange since the creditors’ claims do not qualify as securities. This argument is based upon the fact that all of the shares of new stock were issued for a specific dollar amount of debt claims against the corporation. It is also pointed out that the Referee-Special Master stated in his report that the old shares were surrendered by Admiral for nothing. It is respondent’s position that Admiral received its proprietary interest in the recapitalized corporation solely for the surrender of its claims against American.

The petitioner maintains that the old stock represented a valuable equity and that the District Court recognized this equity in the reorganization. The corporate balance sheets as of the date the reorganization petition was filed and as of the date the trustee had possession of the assets showed that the stock still possessed a book value of more than $600,000. It is claimed that the actual value of the stock was greater in October 1939 when the plan was confirmed because the market value of ships had increased following the beginning of World War II. The District Court stated in approving and confirming the plan of reorganization that the plan was to be submitted to the stockholder, that the stockholder was one of the classes for the purposes of the plan, that the appointment of new officers and directors was compatible with the interest of the stockholder, and that the stockholder had accepted the plan. Section 175 of the Bankruptcy Act, 11U. S. C. 575, requires the transmission of the approved plan to a stockholder affected by the plan. By the provisions of section 107,11U. S. C. 507, stockholders are “affected” by a plan if their interest is adversely affected thereby. The judge is required by section 197,11 U. S. C. 597, to divide creditors and stockholders into classes according to the nature of their claims and stock. Section 221, 11 U. S. C. 621, specifies that the judge shall confirm a plan if satisfied that the appointment of persons to be directors and officers is compatible with the interest of stockholders. Section 179,11 U. S. O. 579, declares that the judge shall fix a hearing for the consideration of the confirmation of a plan after the plan has been accepted in writing by the stockholders holding a majority of the stock, if the debtor has not been found to be insolvent. The District Court in the present instance did not need the acceptance of Admiral as a stockholder if American had been insolvent. The announcement of such acceptance might imply the fact that American was not insolvent. The other references to stockholders do not imply such a conclusion because they appear to be procedural requisites of a Chapter X reorganization.

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Robert Dollar Co. v. Commissioner, 18 T.C. 444, 1952 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 180 (tax 1952).

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Robert Dollar Co. v. Commissioner
18 T.C. 444 (U.S. Tax Court, 1952)