Roberts v. Commissioner

71 T.C. 311, 1978 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 20
United States Tax Court·Decided November 30, 1978·No. Docket No. 1338-77·Published·Cited by 20 cases

Opinion

Sterrett, Judge:

Respondent, on January 11, 1977, issued a statutory notice in which he determined the following deficiencies in petitioners’ Federal income tax:

Taxable year Amount
1971 .... $117,006.19
1972 .... 216,843.00
1973 .... 10,319.03

The sole issue for our determination is whether petitioners properly elected to report the gain resulting from the sale of certain stock on the installment basis under section 453, I.R.C. 1954.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts, together with the exhibits attached thereto, are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioners Clair E. Roberts and Betty B. Roberts, husband and wife, resided in Eugene, Ore., at all times material herein. Their cash basis returns for their calendar years 1971,1972, and 1973 were filed with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Ogden, Utah, as was their amended return for their taxable year 1973. Petitioners are the parents of three children, Sandra Lea Roberts, Jack R. Roberts, and Rohn M. Roberts, whose ages in June of 1971 were 21,18, and 16, respectively. Betty B. Roberts is a party to this action only because she joined in the filing of these returns and, accordingly, Clair E. Roberts will hereinafter be referred to as petitioner.

Petitioner began his association with Sambo’s Restaurants in September of 1961. After a training period, petitioner and three other individuals, including his brother, L.J., who was one of the cofounders, another cofounder, and a cofounder’s son, split off from the parent company and formed a separate corporation, Sambo’s Northwest, Inc. His initial and only cash contribution was $200. In May of 1969, the various Sambo’s corporations were consolidated under one head, Sambo’s Restaurants, Inc. (hereinafter Sambo’s). As a result of this reorganization, petitioner received a substantial number of shares in the new corporation. This stock was registered under the securities laws and, during the years 1971 to 1973, was traded on the American and Pacific Coast Stock Exchanges. The stock is now traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Under date of June 2,1971, petitioners, as trustors, and Ralph M. Roberts and Edward E. Rubey, as trustees (hereinafter trustees), entered into an irrevocable written “Declaration of Trust.” On that date, petitioners transferred to such trustees the cash sum of $2,500. The petitioners reserved no power to appoint successor trustees and the trust prohibits the petitioners from becoming successor trustees. The petitioners reserved no right to revoke, terminate, alter, or amend the trust in any manner, and petitioners retained no power to direct the trust’s investments. The trust is to continue until 1991 at which time the remaining assets will be distributed equally among the three children.

Trustee Ralph M. Roberts is petitioner’s eldest brother. He resides in Sun City, Ariz. Trustee Edward E. Rubey is a certified public accountant who, at all times material herein, has been the accountant for petitioner. Edward E. Rubey’s offices are in Eugene, Ore.

On June 2, 1971, petitioner sold 5,000 shares of the common stock of Sambo’s to the trustees for $182,292.30. Such price was the net selling price of the stock on that day on the American and the Pacific Coast Stock Exchanges.1 In payment for the 5,000 shares, the trustees executed and delivered to petitioner their promissory note in the amount of $180,000, together with the promise stated therein to pay the additional sum of $2,292.30 on or before September 2, 1971. The latter amount was paid on or about August 18,1971. On the same day, the trustees sold the 5,000 shares on the open market through Shearson, Hammill & Co.', a securities firm having an office in Sun City, Ariz. The ultimate purchasers were unknown to either petitioners or the trustees. The trustees received the net proceeds of $182,292.30 from the securities dealer.

On December 8,1971, petitioner sold an additional 5,000 shares of the common stock of Sambo’s to the trustees for $193,635.44, which amount was the net selling price of the stock on December 8 and December 10,1971, on the American and the Pacific Coast Stock Exchanges. In payment, the trustees executed and delivered to petitioner their promissory note in the amount of $192,000, together with the promise stated therein to pay the additional sum of $1,635.44 on or before April 1,1972. The latter amount was paid by the trustees on or about March 30,1972. On December 8 and December 10, 1971, the trustees sold the 5,000 shares on the open market through Shearson, Hammill & Co., the ultimate purchasers being unknown to petitioners or the trustees. The trustees received the net proceeds of $193,635.44 from the securities dealer.

In filing their Federal income tax return for the year 1971, petitioners made a timely election to report these sales on the installment method pursuant to the provisions of section 453. Respondent agrees that, if petitioners’ other contentions are correct, less than 30 percent of the respective selling prices was received by petitioners in the taxable year 1971. Also reported on petitioners’ 1971 return was the sale by petitioner during 1971 of an additional 11,000 shares of the common stock of Sambo’s on the open market at a net sales price of $313,043.05 with a cost basis of $77, resulting in a long-term capital gain of $312,966.05. Petitioners paid the full capital gains tax on this sale with their 1971 return.

On September 27, 1972, petitioner sold an additional 5,921 shares of the common stock of Sambo’s to the trustees for $214,331.84, which was the net selling price of the stock on September 27 and October 5,1972, on the American and Pacific Coast Stock Exchanges. In payment for the 5,921 shares, the trustees executed and delivered to petitioner their promissory note in the amount of $212,000, together with the promise stated therein to pay the additional sum of $2,331.84 on or before January 10,1973. The latter amount was paid by the trustees on or about January 10,1973. On September 27 and October 5,1972, the trustees sold the 5,921 shares on the open market through Shearson, Hammill & Co., with the ultimate purchasers being unknown to petitioners or the trustees. The trustees received the net proceeds of $214,331.84 from the securities dealer.

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