Sol C. Siegel Productions, Inc. v. Commissioner

46 T.C. 15, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 6, 1966
DocketDocket No. 3565-63
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 46 T.C. 15 (Sol C. Siegel Productions, Inc. 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
Sol C. Siegel Productions, Inc. v. Commissioner, 46 T.C. 15, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119 (tax 1966).

Opinion

The Commissioner determined deficiencies in petitioner’s income tax in the amounts of $156,329.93 and $166,906.57 for the fiscal years ending May 31,1958 and 1961, respectively. The parties have agreed upon all items in dispute except one, namely, whether petitioner, a cash basis taxpayer, is chargeable, during its fiscal year ended May 31, 1961, with having realized $300,000 income, the right to which it had distributed to its shareholders during that year prior to collection, and which in fact was not paid to them until later years when due.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The stipulation of facts filed by the parties together with the exhibits attached thereto, are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner was a California corporation, organized under the laws of that State on June 7, 1954, for the purpose of engaging in the production of motion-picture photoplays. Its president, chief executive officer, controlling stockholder, and head of motion-picture production, was Sol C. Siegel. Petitioner’s principal place of business was located in the county of Los Angeles, State of California. Petitioner computed and reported its income upon the basis of a fiscal year ending May 31, using the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting. It filed its Federal income tax returns for the fiscal years involved with the district director of internal revenue at Los Angeles, Calif.

On or about April 13, 1955, petitioner entered into an agreement with Loew’s, Inc. (hereinafter called Loew’s), whose name has since been changed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. That agreement was reduced to writing on or about June 17, 1955, in the form of two interdependent agreements, one referred to as the Production Distribution Agreement and the other as the Loan and Security Agreement. For convenience, the entire agreement between petitioner and Loew’s is sometimes called the Loew’s Agreement.

The Production Distribution Agreement provided that petitioner would produce four motion-picture photoplays and that Loew’s would have the exclusive right to distribute these photoplays for a term of 21 years. Thereafter, subject to various mutual options, petitioner and Loew’s could independently of each other, exercise such rights as the law afforded tenants in common in a copyright. With respect to the production of each photoplay, Loew’s was to furnish financing for 75 percent of the negative cost and was to acquire title to a 75-percent undivided interest as a tenant in common in the photo-play. Petitioner was to furnish financing for the remaining 25 percent of the negative cost and was to acquire title to a 25-percent undivided interest as a tenant in common in the photoplay. The negative cost of each photoplay consisted of amounts necessarily or reasonably incurred as direct items of its cost of production, together with an overhead charge equal to 30 percent of all direct charges. The overhead charge was to be payable to Loew’s for the use of its facilities and services.

With respect to the distribution of each photoplay, the Production Distribution Agreement provided that Loew’s was to receive as its fee 30 percent of the gross receipts derived from exhibition in domestic territories and in the British Isles, 35 percent of the gross receipts derived from all other foreign exhibition, and 10 percent of the gross receipts derived from outright territorial sales. In addition, Loew’s was to receive an amount equal to its actual distribution expenses.

With respect to the receipt and disbursement of gross receipts derived from the distribution of each photoplay, the Production Distribution Agreement provided that Loew’s was to receive, account for, and disburse all receipts in the following order of priority: First, petitioner’s 25-percent share of the negative cost was to be recouped; second, Loew’s distribution fees and expenses were to be paid; third, Loew’s 75-percent share of the negative cost was to be recouped. Any excess receipts would constitute the net profits from that photo-play. It was contemplated that photoplays would be produced in units of two. If one photoplay in a unit returned a net profit, that net profit was to be applied against the distribution fees and expenses and the negative cost of the second photoplay in the unit until all fees, expenses, and costs incurred in connection with the production and distribution of both photoplays in the unit had been recovered. Thereafter, all receipts less continuing distribution fees and expenses were to be distributed as the net profits of the unit, 75 percent to Loew’s and 25 percent to petitioner.

The Loan and Security Agreement provided, with respect to financing the production of each unit of photoplays, that Loew’s would lend to petitioner without interest the moneys necessary to finance 25 percent of the negative costs. The loan would be evidenced by a promissory note, secured by a first mortgage on petitioner’s entire interest in the unit of photoplays. In the event the gross receipts from the distribution of the photoplays was insufficient to repay the loan, Loew’s agreed to waive any right to a deficiency judgment with respect to the indebtedness and to look only to the collateral for satisfaction.

Under the provisions of the Loew’s Agreement and prior to April 12, 1957, petitioner produced three photoplays, “High Society,” “Man on Fire,” and “Les Girls.” The photoplays “High Society” and “Man on Fire” were produced pursuant to joint venture agreements between Bing Crosby Productions and petitioner, but as between Loew’s and petitioner, they were considered to be produced and financed pursuant to the terms of the Loew’s Agreement. On April 12,1957, the Loew’s Agreement was retroactively amended by an Amendatory Agreement which provided in general that petitioner’s undivided interest in, and share of the profits of, all photoplays that had been, or would be produced under the Loew’s Agreement would be 33% percent instead of 25 percent. Loew’s interest was correspondingly reduced from 75 percent to 66% percent. The Amendatory Agreement further provided that the Loew’s Agreement would be extended to cover an additional four pictures with an option to Loew’s to add two additional photoplays. This agreement also provided for the production of the photoplay “Merry Andrew” in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Loew’s Agreement, as amended, although certain rights in that photoplay were held by Danny Kaye, the star thereof.

On May 7,1958, the provisions of the Loew’s Agreement were again amended by a Supplementary Agreement which was to be effective as of April 12,1957. This Supplementary Agreement provided that, for purposes of the Loew’s Agreement, the photoplays “High Society” and “Man on Fire” would constitute one unit and the photoplays “Les Girls” and “Merry Andrew” would constitute another unit.

On or about September 5, 1957, petitioner entered into a joint venture agreement with HarBel Productions, Inc., with respect to the production, exploitation, and ownership of a motion-picture photo-play known as “The World, the Flesh and the Devil” (originally called “The End of the World”). By agreement between Loew’s and petitioner, “The World, the Flesh and the Devil” was considered, as between Loew’s and petitioner, to be produced and financed under the terms of the Loew’s Agreement.

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

Related

Commercial Sec. Bank v. Commissioner
77 T.C. 145 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
Cole v. Commissioner
64 T.C. 1091 (U.S. Tax Court, 1975)
Estate of Munter v. Commissioner
63 T.C. 663 (U.S. Tax Court, 1975)
Tatum v. Commissioner
46 T.C. 736 (U.S. Tax Court, 1966)
Sol C. Siegel Productions, Inc. v. Commissioner
46 T.C. 15 (U.S. Tax Court, 1966)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
46 T.C. 15, 1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sol-c-siegel-productions-inc-v-commissioner-tax-1966.