United States Steel Corp. v. United States

305 F. Supp. 508, 24 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5056, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13359
CourtDistrict Court, S.D. New York
DecidedJuly 1, 1969
DocketNo. 65 Civ. 3043
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 305 F. Supp. 508 (United States Steel Corp. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, S.D. New York primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States Steel Corp. v. United States, 305 F. Supp. 508, 24 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5056, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13359 (S.D.N.Y. 1969).

Opinion

OPINION

MOTION NO. 3.

LEVET, District Judge.

The United States of America, the above-entitled defendant, has moved under Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure for summary judgment with respect to the claim of the plaintiff for refund of 1950 excess profits tax payments set forth in paragraphs 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the complaint, dealing with cost-price relationships.

The relevant claims alleged in the complaint are as follows:

“Denial of Application of § 442
“9. Plaintiff duly filed with its consolidated Federal income and excess profits tax return for 1950 a claim that, in determining its excess profits credit, its consolidated ‘average base period net income’ should be determined in accordance with § 442 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939.
“10. In determining the Federal income tax for 1950 which Plaintiff has paid, Plaintiff’s aforesaid claim for the application of § 442 has been denied.
[511]*511“11. For 1950, Plaintiff’s consolidated ‘average base period net income’ should have been calculated by reference to § 442 because, within the meaning of § 442(a), during the base period years 1947 and 1948, Plaintiff’s business was depressed because of temporary economic circumstances unusual in the ease of the Plaintiff. Such temporary economic circumstances were abnormal cost-price relationships, resulting in the depression of Plaintiff’s business and earnings.
“12. Plaintiff’s consolidated ‘average base period net income’ for 1950 should be computed in accordance with § 442.”

The complaint is an action under Section 1846(a) (1) of Title 28 United States Code to recover federal income tax for the year 1950 and assessed interest on additional payments of such tax, which plaintiff claims were erroneously and illegally assessed and collected.

RELEVANT STATUTE

The relevant statute from the Internal Revenue Code of 1939 is as follows:

“ § 442. Average base period net income — abnormalities during base period
“(a) In general. If a taxpayer which commenced business on or before the first day of its base period establishes that, for any taxable year within, or beginning or ending within, its base period:
******
“(2) the business of the taxpayer was depressed because of temporary economic circumstances unusual in the case of such taxpayer, [emphasis added]
the taxpayer’s average base period net income [shall be] * * * determined under this section * *

THE CLAIM OF THE UNITED STATES

The United States contends that the occurrences put forth by the United States Steel Corporation as abnormalities during the base period years of 1947 and 1948 do not qualify as “temporary economic circumstances unusual in the case of such taxpayer” within the meaning of 26 U.S.C. Excess Profits Taxes, § 442(a) (2). More specifically, the defendant’s contention is as follows: Plaintiff has failed to establish that the factors which prompted management to forego additional price increases during 1947 and 1948 consisted of more than (1) valid exercise of governmental regulatory authority, and (2) reasonably-expected competitive pressures.

THE CONTENTION OF THE PLAINTIFF

The plaintiff, on the other hand, contends that the occurrences cited qualify as abnormalities justifying general relief within the meaning of the statute.

ISSUE

The issue before the court on this motion for summary judgment involves the excess profits tax provided for by the Internal Revenue Code of 1939 and may be stated as follows:

“Do the alleged factors which prompted plaintiff’s management to forego price increases beyond those actually made during 1947 and 1948 constitute ‘temporary economic circumstances unusual in the case of such taxpayer’ within the meaning of 26 U.S.C. Excess Profits Taxes, § 442(a) (2) ?”

FACTS

The following facts are derived from the Joint Rule 9(g) Statement submitted by the parties May 2, 1969:

1. Price controls on all steel products were put into effect by the United States government for the period from April 16, 1941 to November 13, 1946. (§§ 6, 7, Joint Rule 9(g) Statement) In 1947 and 1948, plaintiff raised its prices, as follows, in an effort to improve its profit margin (§ 12):

(1) On August 1, 1947, approximately $5 per ton across the product mix (§ 26);

[512]*512(2) On January 1, 1948 and February 13, 1948, approximately $3.80 per ton on tinplate, semi-finished tubular products and structural, and other items (§ 27);

(3) On July 21, 1948, an average of $9.34 per ton on steel products. (§31)

On May 1, 1948, plaintiff reduced its prices from $1 to $5 per ton on a variety of steel products. (§ 29)

2. After November 13, 1946 and until at least the end of 1948, the cost of the goods and services purchased by plaintiff and of labor employed by plaintiff rose rapidly and tended to cancel out the effect of plaintiff’s price increases. (§ 40)

3. Commencing in the latter half of 1947 and extending through 1948, the officers of plaintiff were aware of governmental pressures, including the possibility of the reimposition of price controls.

4. On July 15, 1947, President Truman requested coal and steel companies to forego price rises. (§ 25) Other factors which prompted plaintiff’s management to refrain from further price increases included (1) political pressures; (2) general public opinion; (3) the opinion of commercial interests throughout the country; (4) wage settlements recently made or pending; (5) price increases already made during 1947 and 1948 on steel and other products; (6) the financial impact of such increases on customers; (7) the pressures on customers to hold down their own prices; and (8) anxiety regarding inflation. (§44)

5. In 1947 and 1948 plaintiff concluded that it could not as a realistic and practical matter increase prices more quickly or to higher levels than it actually did. (§ 41)

The plaintiff paid to the District Director of Lower Manhattan, New York City, additional federal income taxes for 1950 with interest. The time for assessment against plaintiff of additional federal income tax for 1950 was extended to June 30, 1966. Plaintiff filed a claim on June 29, 1965 for refund of federal income tax paid for 1950 and interest thereon, in such amount as may be legally refundable, with interest.

The claim was rejected on August 24, 1965. (Plaintiff’s complaint, paragraphs 4-7; defendant’s answer, admissions relating to said paragraphs) The claim for general relief from excess profits tax payments for 1950 because of abnormal cost-price relationships constituted part of the claim filed June 29, 1965.

THE PROPRIETY OF SUMMARY JUDGMENT

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305 F. Supp. 508, 24 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5056, 1969 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13359, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-steel-corp-v-united-states-nysd-1969.