Secretary, Dept. of Rev. v. Calcasieu Ref. Co.

809 So. 2d 1023, 2001 WL 1149999
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedSeptember 28, 2001
Docket2000 CA 1735
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 809 So. 2d 1023 (Secretary, Dept. of Rev. v. Calcasieu Ref. Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Secretary, Dept. of Rev. v. Calcasieu Ref. Co., 809 So. 2d 1023, 2001 WL 1149999 (La. Ct. App. 2001).

Opinion

809 So.2d 1023 (2001)

SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, State of Louisiana
v.
CALCASIEU REFINING COMPANY.

No. 2000 CA 1735.

Court of Appeal of Louisiana, First Circuit.

September 28, 2001.

*1024 Otha "Curtis" Nelson, Jr., Baton Rouge, Counsel for Appellant Secretary of the Dept. of Revenue, State of LA.

Robert S. Angelico, Cheryl M. Kornick, New Orleans, Counsel for Appellee Calcasieu Refining Co.

Before: FOIL, PETTIGREW, and KLINE[1], JJ.

WILLIAM F. KLINE, Judge Pro Tem.

This appeal arises following a district court judgment in favor of an out-of-state corporate taxpayer classifying certain credits received from a supplier as interest income rather than discounts on purchase *1025 price. For the reasons which follow, we affirm.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The defendant, Calcasieu Refining Company ("Calcasieu"), is a corporation domiciled in Texas, which operates an oil refinery in Lake Charles, Louisiana. As part of its usual business practice, Calcasieu purchases large quantities of crude oil from its suppliers. At the time an order is placed, Calcasieu is required by a supplier either to furnish to the supplier a letter of credit or to make a cash deposit against the purchase price of the oil. The amount of a cash deposit for Calcasieu is an amount equaling the purchase price less Calcasieu's established credit line of one to two million dollars. Generally, in these transactions, payment under the purchase agreement is not owed until sixty days after the order is placed. In order to compensate Calcasieu for interest it would otherwise have earned on its cash, lost while the funds are on deposit with the supplier, the supplier credits Calcasieu with interest on the deposit.[2]

On its 1990, 1991 and 1992 state and federal tax returns, Calcasieu originally classified these credits as reductions on the cost of the purchased goods; however, the state returns were later amended to classify the credits as interest income.[3] The Louisiana Department of Revenue and Taxation ("Department") objected to the reclassification and denied Calcasieu's request for refund of overpayments.

Thereafter, Calcasieu filed a petition with the Board of Tax Appeals ("Board") entitled "Petition for Refund or Credit of Overpayments and Alternatively to Recover Money Erroneously Paid into the Treasury of the State of Louisiana," and which sought to recover over $90,000.00 in alleged overpayments. Following a hearing held on July 7, 1999, the Board issued a judgment finding as a matter of fact and law that the amounts of cash deposits made with suppliers reported by Calcasieu in the calendar years 1990, 1991, and 1992, "as reductions to the cost of goods sold" were properly classified as interest income and thus properly allocated to the State of Texas pursuant to La. R.S. 47:287.92 and 47:287.93(A)(4). The Department was further ordered to refund to Calcasieu overpayments of Louisiana corporation income tax, with interest, in the amounts of: $57,846.00 for 1990, $21,072.00 for 1991, and $27,049.68 for 1992.

The Department filed a petition with the district court for review of the Board's decision, on September 21, 1999. The district court rendered judgment upholding the Board's decision. Thereafter, the Department filed this suspensive appeal, urging the following assignments of error:

(1) LSA-R.S. 47:1412 mandates that the Board of Tax Appeals apply the rules of evidence followed in the district courts of Louisiana; in direct contravention to the rules of evidence, the Board of Tax Appeals erroneously allowed inadmissible hearsay testimony to be offered into evidence concerning the suppliers' viewpoint and perspective as to the classification of the discounts. (B.T.A. Tr. 23-38).
(2) LSA-R.S. 47:1412 mandates that the Board of Tax Appeals apply the rules of *1026 evidence followed in the district courts of Louisiana; in direct contravention to the rules of evidence, the Board of Tax Appeals erroneously allowed inadmissible written hearsay statements made by suppliers to be admitted into evidence. (B.T.A. Tr. 23-38).
(3) Contrary to proper statutory interpretation and applicable case law, the Board of Tax Appeals erred when it determined that the discounts relating to the cash payments made with suppliers were interest income pursuant to LSA-R.S. 47:287.92. Appendix Exhibit A-1.
(4) Contrary to proper statutory interpretation, the Board of Tax Appeals erred when it determined that the discounts relating to the cash payments made with the suppliers were interest income, which should be allocated to the State of Texas pursuant to LSA-R.S. 47:287.93(A)(4). Appendix Exhibit A-1.
(5) Contrary to proper statutory interpretation, the Nineteenth Judicial District Court erred when it determined that the discounts were interest income without any legal authority to support this legal conclusion. Appendix Exhibit A-3.
(6) In direct contravention with Louisiana jurisprudence addressing the meaning of credits as used in the tax statutory provisions, the Nineteenth Judicial District Court erred when it determined that the advanced cash payments were credits as contemplated by LSA-R.S. 47:287.93(A)(4). Appendix Exhibit A-1.

DISCUSSION

At the hearing before the Board, the parties entered into the following stipulations of fact regarding the 1990 to 1992 time period:

1. Calcasieu Refining Company['s] ("Calcasieu") corporate headquarters is located in Houston, Texas.
2. Calcasieu's parent corporation, Transworld Oil USA, Inc. is located in Houston, Texas.
3. Calcasieu's physical refinery is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
4. Calcasieu's Louisiana operations involve the manufacturing or refining of crude oil, the Louisiana refinery does not produce crude oil.
5. Calcasieu's 1990 U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return shows a deduction of $508,476 for Louisiana income tax expense.
6. Calcasieu and the Department of Revenue ("Department") admit that on its 1990 Louisiana Corporation Income tax return, Calcasieu incorrectly added back to the Federal Net Income the amount of $688,982 as a Louisiana income tax expense.
7. Calcasieu and the Department admit that the audit adjustment made on the Department's audit report for tax period 1990 in the amount of $694,484 was incorrect and that the $694,484 Louisiana income tax represents Louisiana income taxes properly expensed in 1989.
8. The crude oil purchases at issue in this matter involve the purchase of crude oil for delivery at a future date.
9. The suppliers of crude oil at issue in this case required that Calcasieu either obtain: 1) a letter of credit from a bank, or 2) pay an amount for the delivery of the crude oil in advance of actual shipment.
10. The advancement of the cash to the suppliers does not represent the full amount charged for the crude oil purchased.
11. The price of crude oil sold by the suppliers is determined by a posted price.
12. The suppliers do not issue checks to Calcasieu as representation of interest, *1027 which has accrued on the initial cash payments to the supplier.

Mr. Thomas B.

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

Related

Clark v. State
30 So. 3d 812 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2009)
International Paper, Inc. v. Bridges
954 So. 2d 321 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2007)
Orillion v. Crawford
964 So. 2d 950 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2006)
Chamberlain Ex Rel. Wilmer J. v. Kennedy
868 So. 2d 753 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2003)
Marathon Pipe Line Co. v. Crawford
808 So. 2d 873 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
809 So. 2d 1023, 2001 WL 1149999, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/secretary-dept-of-rev-v-calcasieu-ref-co-lactapp-2001.