Sommerfeld Machine Co. v. Commissioner

11 T.C. 86, 1948 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 28, 1948
DocketDocket No. 16040
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 11 T.C. 86 (Sommerfeld Machine Co. 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
Sommerfeld Machine Co. v. Commissioner, 11 T.C. 86, 1948 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119 (tax 1948).

Opinion

OPINION.

Turner, Judge'.

The respondent determined deficiencies in excess profits tax of $34,333.63, $78,922.56, $73,466.43, and $24,614.14 against petitioner for its taxable years ended December 31, 1941, 1942, 1943, and 1944.

The only question now submitted is whether in this proceeding the Court has jurisdiction to consider the applicability of section 721 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Petitioner is a Pennsylvania corporation, with its principal place of business in Braddock, Pennsylvania. It filed the returns for the years involved with the collector of internal revenue for the twenty-third district of Pennsylvania.

One of the errors alleged by petitioner is stated in the petition as follows:

The Respondent erred in determining the Excess Profits Tax Liability of Petitioner for each of the years 1941, 1942 and 1943 in failing to take into consideration that Petitioner had abnormalities in its income in each of said years under Section 721 of the Internal Revenue Code and that in the years 1941, 1942 and 1943 it had net abnormal income of the class described in Section 721 (a) (2) (C) of the Internal Revenue Code of $119,830.19, $192,259.92 and $19,-110.59, respectively. Petitioner avers that its Excess Profits Tax Liability for each of the years 1941, 1942 and 1943 should be computed by taking into consideration such net abnormal income as provided by Section 721 of the Internal Revenue Code.

In his answer, respondent denied that he erred in failing to apply section 721 (a) (2) (C) in making his determination of the deficiencies herein. He also filed a motion to dismiss the proceeding in so far as it relates to the applicability of section 721 of the code for the taxable years 1941,1942, and 1943 for lack of jurisdiction.

The basis of the motion is that petitioner has not filed with the Commissioner of Internal Kevenue a claim for refund of excess profits tax relating to the applicability of section 721 for the taxable years 1941, 1942, and 1943 as provided in section 732 (a) of the code and that the Commissioner has not sent petitioner a notice of disallowance relating to the applicability of the said section for such taxable years, as provided in section 732 (a).

Petitioner’s counsel, in his memorandum in opposition to the motion, states that on June 12,1946, petitioner filed with respondent’s internal revenue agent in charge at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, its claim seeking application of section 721 for the aforesaid taxable years; that the- claim was filed in petitioner’s protest against the excess profits tax deficiencies proposed by the revenue agent against petitioner, and in conference with the revenue agent on such protest, there were submitted to him detailed computations of petitioner’s abnormal net income for the years 1941 to 1943; that in the notice of deficiency the respondent, after setting forth the deficiencies of excess profits tax determined for the years 1941, 1942, and 1943, also stated: “In making this determination of your * * * excess profits tax liability, careful consideration has been given to the reports of examination dated February 6, 1946, and February 6, 1947; to your protest dated June 12, 1946; and to the statements made at the conferences held on September 9, 1946 and May 22, 1947.” Pet tioner’s counsel contends that the notice of deficiency does not show petitioner’s excess profits tax for 1941, 1942, and 1943, as computed under section 721; that in issuing the deficiency notice respondent stated he had given “careful consideration * * * to your protest dated June 12, 1946” and to the statement made at the conferences thereupon, and must thereby have passed upon petitioner’s claim for relief under section 721 and rejected the claim; that under section 729 petitioner had the right to seek relief under section 721 at any stage of its proceeding before the respondent respecting its excess profits tax liability; that there has been a full compliance with the requirements of section 732 (a) by both parties to the proceeding; and that the issue raised and joined by the petition and answer respecting relief under section 721 is properly before the Court for its consideration and decision.

This Court has not acted directly on the issue raised. The answer to our problem depends upon the interpretation given to section 732 (a) as it relates to section 721. Under section 732 (a)1 the taxpayer has a right to have this Court review the Commissioner’s disallowance of a claim for refund relating to the applicability of section 711 (b) (1) (H), (I), (J) or (K), section 721, and section 722, relating to abnormalities.

The Court has rendered several decisions with respect to its jurisdiction in passing on issues relating to taxpayer’s relief under section 722 and it appears to be well settled that for the taxpayer to obtain such relief he must first compute his tax, file his return and pay the tax without the application of section 722, except as provided in section 710 (d) (5), and in order to take advantage of section 732 (a) he must show a rejection of his claim and a receipt of notice of such rejection mailed to him by registered mail by the Commissioner. See Uni-Term, Stevedoring Co., 3 T. C. 917; Pioneer Parachute Co., 4 T. C. 27; Pohatcong Hoisiery Mills, Inc. v. Commissioner, 162 Fed. (2d) 146; American Coast Line Co., 6 T. C. 67; Blum Folding Paper Box Co., 4 T. C. 795; and Ideal Packing Co., 9 T. C. 346.

Section 722 (d) specifically provides that:

The taxpayer shall compute its tax, file its return, and pay the tax shown on its return under this subchapter without the application of this section * * *. The benefits of this section shall not be allowed unless the taxpayer within the period of time prescribed by section 322 * * * makes application therefor * * *

There are no similar requirements in section 711 (b) (1) (H), (I), (J), or (K) or in section 721 for the taxpayer to meet in order to obtain relief provided for in those sections.

We held in E. B. Whiting Co., 10 T. C. 102, that the rejection of a claim for refund is not prerequisite to the jurisdiction of this Court to consider the applicability of section 711 (b) (1) (J) when put in issue by the pleadings. There the proceeding was based upon a determination of deficiencies in excess profits tax for the years 1942 and 1943 and no claim had been made by the petitioner in its return for relief under the provisions of section 711. However, as in the instant case, in a written protest submitted by the petitioner against the findings of a revenue agent, the taxpayer contended that certain losses deducted for base period years were abnormal under section 711 (b) (1) (J). In that case, though the Commissioner attached to the deficiency notice mailed to the taxpayer a statement which, in effect, showed that the Commissioner had considered the taxpayer’s contentions, he disallowed the deductions for the reason that the taxpayer had failed to establish his right within the meaning of section 711 (b) (1) (J).

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23 T.C. 613 (U.S. Tax Court, 1955)
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12 T.C. 810 (U.S. Tax Court, 1949)
Sommerfeld Machine Co. v. Commissioner
11 T.C. 86 (U.S. Tax Court, 1948)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
11 T.C. 86, 1948 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sommerfeld-machine-co-v-commissioner-tax-1948.