Sperapani v. Commissioner

42 T.C. 308, 1964 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 109
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 30, 1964
DocketDocket No. 334-62
StatusPublished
Cited by82 cases

This text of 42 T.C. 308 (Sperapani 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
Sperapani v. Commissioner, 42 T.C. 308, 1964 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 109 (tax 1964).

Opinions

OPINION

Kern, Judge:

The issues presented for our decision are: (1) Whether petitioner filed a valid election to have his sole proprietorship taxed as a domestic corporation pursuant to section 1361;2 (2) whether the proprietorship hereinafter referred to as Columbia met the qualifications of section 1361 enabling it to be taxed as a domestic corporation and in particular the requirement of section 1361(b) (4) that the enterprise be one “in which capital is a material income producing factor”; (3) if Columbia is entitled to be taxed as a domestic corporation, whether its income includes one-half of the earnings of Associates No. 2 or whether such earnings are taxable to petitioner; and (4) if Columbia is not entitled to be taxed as a domestic corporation and consequently it is not liable for any taxes and petitioner’s income tax liability is increased, whether petitioner’s tax liabilities for the years in issue may be reduced by the amounts of taxes paid by or on behalf of Columbia for such years.

Petitioner contends that he duly elected and was qualified to elect to have his proprietorship taxed as a domestic corporation under section 1361. Petitioner also contends that Columbia properly included in its taxable income as a domestic corporation in each of the years in issue one-half of the earnings of Associates No. 2. Consequently, petitioner argues that his own only taxable income during each of the years in issue with respect to income from his reporting business is $50,000 received as salary from Colmnbia, which he reported on his income tax returns. Petitioner’s position with respect to the fourth and last of the above-stated issues is that if respondent correctly determined Columbia is not a taxable entity, then it follows that the amounts paid to respondent for the years in issue by or on behalf of Columbia must have been paid by or on behalf of petitioner and accordingly petitioner should be given credit for such payments.

Eespondent’s position is that Columbia failed to make a valid election to be taxed, as a domestic corporation under section 1361 in the manner prescribed in the Commissioner’s regulations, and that Columbia failed to meet the qualifications prescribed in section 1361(b) to entitle it to make such election. Consequently, respondent has determined in his notice of deficiency and here contends that all income earned by petitioner from his reporting business conducted in the name of Columbia or jointly with Sullivan in the name of Associates No. 2 is includable in petitioner’s gross income. Respondent argues alternatively that if we find that Columbia is entitled to report its income as a domestic corporation, then the income earned on business conducted by Columbia alone is taxable to it, but that one-half of the income earned by Associates No. 2 is not includable in Columbia’s taxable income and should be included in petitioner’s individual income. Respondent’s position with respect to the fourth and last of the above-stated issues is that petitioner is entitled to no credit for any taxes paid by or on behalf of Columbia for the reason that any refund due on Columbia’s account cannot be applied to petitioner’s account.

During each of the years in issue Columbia deducted on its returns, and petitioner included in his taxable income salary in the amount of $50,000 paid to petitioner. Pursuant to his first determination that all of the income of Columbia and one-half of the income of Associates No. 2 are includable in petitioner’s gross income, respondent in effect decreased petitioner’s taxable income in the amount of $50,000 in each of the years in issue.

The parties have agreed by stipulation that if Columbia is taxable as a domestic corporation but its income does not include one-half of the earnings of Associates No. 2 that there is includable in petitioner’s income for each of the years in issue salary from Columbia in the amount of $25,000, rather than $50,000 as reported in the income tax returns filed by petitioner. If we determine that Columbia is taxable as a domestic corporation and its income includes one-half of the earnings of Associates No. 2, then the salary payable to petitioner from Columbia in each of the years in issue is $50,000 as reported in petitioner’s returns and as alleged by respondent in Iris answer to the petition.

Section 1361(a) permits a sole proprietor of a business enterprise, subject to the qualifications in section 1361(b), to elect, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary or his delegate, to have the sole proprietorship taxed as a corporation.

On March 3, 1958, when petitioner filed the purported election for Columbia, the manner of making the election under section 1361 was prescribed in temporary regulations promulgated as T.D. 6124, approved and filed February 24, 1955. See T.D. 6124, 1955-1 C.B. 719.3 The regulations provide that the election shall be made by filing a statement that the proprietor elects under section 1361(a) to have the enterprise treated as a corporation, and by filing the return as prescribed. Paragraph 2 describes the statement of election which must be filed during the first 60 days after the close of the first taxable year of the proprietor. It requires that the statement shall give sufficient information to establish that the enterprise meets the qualifications of section 1361 (b), which are that during the period on or after the first day of the taxable year to which the election applies, and on or before the date of election (1) the enterprise is owned by an individual or by a partnership consisting of not more than 50 individual members; (2) no proprietor or partner having more than a 10-percent interest in profits or capital of such enterprise is a proprietor or a partner having more than a 10-percent interest in profits or capital of any other unincorporated business enterprise taxable as a domestic corporation; (3) no proprietor or partner of such enterprise is a nonresident alien or a foreign partnership; and (4) the enterprise is one in which capital is a material income-producing factor, or 50 percent or more of the gross income of such enterprise consists of gains, profits, or income derived from trading as a principal or from buying and selling real property, stock, securities, or commodities for the account of others. The statement must be signed by the electing proprietor or partners and must also contain an agreement to notify the district director with whom the statement is filed if the interest of the electing proprietor or partners becomes 80 percent or less, or if the enterprise becomes a corporation. Finally, if a statement of election is timely filed, the election must be perfected by filing for such enterprise an income tax return on Form 1120 containing a statement that the return was filed in compliance with the regulations under section 1361.4

The statement of election filed by petitioner stated that petitioner’s “unincorporated enterprise complies and qualifies with regulations prescribed under Section 1361,” but did not contain information to establish that the enterprise met the qualifications of section 1361(b), nor did it contain an agreement to notify the district director if petitioner’s proprietorship interest in Columbia became 80 percent or less or if Columbia became a corporation. The statement of election filed by petitioner was timely filed with the district director and it was signed by petitioner.

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Bluebook (online)
42 T.C. 308, 1964 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 109, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sperapani-v-commissioner-tax-1964.