Seiners Asso. v. Commissioner

58 T.C. 949, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 60
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 20, 1972
DocketDocket No. 3212-71
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 58 T.C. 949 (Seiners Asso. 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
Seiners Asso. v. Commissioner, 58 T.C. 949, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 60 (tax 1972).

Opinion

Fat, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in the Federal income taxes of petitioner as follows:

Taxable year ended Deficiency
Nov. 30, 1965_ $527.00
Nov. 30, 1966_ 1,360.86
Nov. 30, 1967_3, 721.10

The issue for decision is whether petitioner is entitled to deduct as patronage dividends under section 1382(b)(1) or 1382(b)(2)1 amounts of money and scrip distributed to its members with respect to the years ended November 30, 1966, and November 30, 1967.2

FINDINGS OF FACT

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

Petitioner Seiners Association (hereinafter referred to as Seiners or petitioner) is a nonexempt cooperative organized under the laws of the State of Washington. At the time of filing the petition herein petitioner had its principal office in Seattle, Wash. Petitioner filed its Federal income tax returns (Form 1120) for the taxable years ended November 30, 1965, 1966, and 1967, with the district director of internal revenue, Tacoma, Wash.

The name “Seiners Association” was adopted effective December 1, 1965. Prior to that date petitioner was known as Purse Seine Vessel Owners Marketing Association. No capital stock in petitioner has been issued or authorized. A member of petitioner is issued a membership certificate which entitles each member to one vote.

The general policy of petitioner was to sell fishing gear, marine fuel, and insurance primarily to its members. At the end of each fiscal year petitioner determined the total amount of all “member rebates” on the basis of the purchases that the members had made during that fiscal year. Petitioner took the position that it could then declare, but not actually pay in cash, the full amount of this member rebate figure as a patronage dividend and deduct such amount from its taxable income as provided for in section 1382. Petitioner was intent on creating a capital fund and provided for this by retaining a portion of the declared patronage dividend and distributing to the member his “rebate” in the form of 20-percent cash and a revolving fund certificate representative of the retained 80 percent. Petitioner assumed that the members would then declare the entire distribution in their income tax as a patronage dividend.

To effectuate this general policy, the bylaws of Seiners provide in pertinent part:

ARTICLE VI
Association Revolving Capital
Section 1. — Revolving Capital Funds Created. There is hereby created a fund to be designated and carried on the books of the association as the “Revolving Capital Fund,” by which term it is herein referred to. In the event that in addition to marketing the fishery products of its members this association shall render other services to its members, such as the supplying of gear, tackle, stores, equipment and supplies used on fishing boats or furnishing dock or berthing space or the financing of fishing boats and equipment or if this association shall engage in any other activities in pursuance of the other purposes of the association referred to in Article II, Section 1 of these By-Laws, then the Board of Directors, in its absolute discretion, may create more than one Revolving Capital Fund, provided that one such fund, and no more than one, shall be created and maintained with respect to all marketing of fishery products by the association and one or more such funds may be created and maintained with respect to other activities or operations of the association.
Section 2. — Deductions for Revolving Capital. From any money otherwise payable to each member, from time to time, there shall be deducted, withheld and retained by the association (in addition to other association charges and withholdings) such amounts as the Board of Directors, from time to time, shall fix and designate, and such amounts shall be placed in said Revolving Capital Fund or Funds.
Section 3. — Allocation and Notification. The amounts so retained and placed in said revolving capital fund or funds shall be allocated and credited on the boohs of the association on a proportionate or value basis to the credit of the respective members from whom retained, according to the respective amounts to which each member would have been entitled if current distribution had been made in cash in lieu of retention by the association. As soon after the conclusion of each calendar or fiscal year of the association as conveniently may be done, the Board shall cause to be mailed or delivered to each member a statement showing the amount or proportionate part of the total amount retained from such member and placed in such revolving capital fund or funds to the credit of such member. Such notification shall be in the form and shall contain such information as the Board shall prescribe. The association may, but shall not be required to, issue certificates of revolving capital interest to the members showing their respective interests in the revolving capital fund or funds, and any such certificates, if and when issued, shall be in such form and shall contain such information and shall be issued and accepted under such terms and conditions as may be determined, from time to time, by the Board of Directors. *******
Section 6. — Revolution of Fund. At the end of each calendar or fiscal year, or at such other time as the Board of Directors may elect, the Board shall determine what part, if any, of the moneys in said revolving capital fund or funds (including those retained for the revolving capital fund or funds during sueh calendar or fiscal year) are not then needed and will not be required for use by the association. * * * No person in interest shall have or possess any vested right or interest in any revolving capital ■fund of the association, or any part thereof, unless and until payment or distribution thereof is ordered by action of the Board of Directors.
*******
Section 9. — Dissolution. In the event of the dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the association, all the indebtedness represented by said revolving fund credits or certificates of revolving capital interest shall be deemed due, but shall not be paid in any part until ail other indebtedness of the association has been paid, or its payment adequately provided for. Thereafter, said revolving fund credits or certificates of revolving capital interest shall be paid (to the extent of available funds) without regard to the time or year retained or to the classification of funds, or to the priorities applicable in the case of revolution of the fund or funds.
[Emphasis added.]
Article VI, section 11, of petitioner’s bylaws was adopted on January 16,1965. Notice of Adoption of By-Law Provision with respect thereto was mailed to each member of petitioner within a month or two after its adoption. Such notice was made available to both old and new members.

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Related

Stevenson Co-Ply, Inc. v. Commissioner
76 T.C. 637 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
Seiners Asso. v. Commissioner
58 T.C. 949 (U.S. Tax Court, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 T.C. 949, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 60, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/seiners-asso-v-commissioner-tax-1972.