United States v. Dean

945 F. Supp. 2d 1110, 2013 WL 2255254
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedMay 7, 2013
DocketCase Nos. SACV 11-01977 JVS(JPRx), SACV 12-00472 JVS (JPRx)
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 945 F. Supp. 2d 1110 (United States v. Dean) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Dean, 945 F. Supp. 2d 1110, 2013 WL 2255254 (C.D. Cal. 2013).

Opinion

RULING ON CROSS-MOTIONS FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT

JAMES V. SELNA, District Judge.

Plaintiff United States of America (“the Government”) moves for summary judgment against Defendants Timothy J. Dean, Michelle X. Dean, and John K. O’Brien (collectively, “Defendants”) pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 56. Defendants cross-move for summary judgment. Both motions are opposed.

For the following reasons, the Court DENIES the Government’s motion and GRANTS Defendants’ motion.

I. Facts

The facts provided herein are uncontroverted, unless otherwise noted. The parties do not dispute any material fact.

A. Houdini, Inc.

Defendant Timothy J. Dean (“Dean”) began selling gift baskets in 1984. (Pl.’s Statement of Uncontroverted Facts & Conclusions of Law (“Pl.’s SUF”) ¶ 1.)1 [1112]*1112Defendant John O’Brien (“O’Brien”) was the first person that Dean brought on to assist him. (Id. ¶ 3.) In 1989, Dean and O’Brien incorporated their business as Houdini, Inc. (“Houdini”). (Id. ¶4.) In 1998, Houdini was changed from a C corporation to an S corporation. (Id. ¶¶ 5-7.) During 2005 and 2006, Dean owned 75 percent of the stock in Houdini and O’Brien owned 25 percent of the stock in Houdini. (Id. ¶¶ 9-10.)

Houdini describes its business as the design, assembly, and sale of gift baskets and gift towers through both wholesale and retail channels.2 (Id. ¶ 12.) A “gift tower” is a set of decorative boxes into which different food items are placed. (Id. ¶ 14.) Houdini has two facilities in Fullerton, California and one facility in Buena Park, California. (Id. ¶ 26.) Houdini maintains about 300. employees. (Id. ¶ 28.) In addition, Houdini hires about 4,000 temporary workers during the peak season of August through December. (Id. ¶29.) During the, holiday season,, Houdini .can complete up to 80,000 baskets in a day. (Id. ¶ 31.) More than 90 percent of Houdini’s sales occur during the holiday season. (Defs.’ Statement of Uncontroverted Facts & Conclusions of Law (“Defs.’ SUF”) ¶¶ 4-5.)

B. The Production Process

Houdini’s production process is essentially the same today as it was in 2005 and 2006. (Id. ¶ 7.) Designing a Houdini gift basket involves, among other things, selecting the basket and the items to be placed inside,3 as well as the “void fill” that holds everything together.4 (Pl.’s SUF ¶¶ 32-33.) Houdini orders its baskets from suppliers in China. (Id. ¶ 34.) When it orders baskets, Houdini reviews samples and then provides the manufacturer with exact specifications for them. (Id. ¶ 35.) Houdini also purchases containers from suppliers in the United States. (Id. ¶ 36.) The void fill in a Houdini gift basket is a cardboard form or Styrofoam base that is placed inside- the basket; the other items are in turn placed inside. (Id. ¶ 37.) Houdini generally designs the cardboard forms, indicating where the cuts and folds should be made; it then hires another company to make the cardboard forms. (Id. ¶ 38.) On occasion, Houdini purchases baskets with the void fill already included. (Id. ¶39.) Houdini purchases the items that are placed inside the baskets from other companies. (Id. ¶ 43.) Houdini likes to use as many name-brand products in its baskets as possible. (Id. ¶ 44.)

Individual food items in Houdini’s gift baskets are either purchased in individual[1113]*1113ly wrapped packages or in bulk. (Id. ¶ 47.) For food items purchased in bulk, Houdini contracts with a co-packer to package the food items into small, sealed packages.5 (Id. ¶ 48.) For bulk orders, the food items are shipped directly from the manufacturer to the co-packer, although it is Houdini that actually purchases the food items. (Id. ¶49.) Houdini’s Packaging Department takes food items that are in small, food-safe containers and places them in other packaging, such as a small, colorful box.6 (Id. ¶¶ 50-51.) Houdini is not a “food-safe” facility, which means that it does not handle unwrapped food items; Houdini uses only food, items that are already in a sealed container. (Id. ¶ 52.)

Houdini’s assembly line consists of workers who place the individual food items into baskets in accordance with detailed work instructions prepared by Houdini. (Id. ¶ 64; Defs.’ SUF ¶ 10.) In preparing a finished gift basket, employees at several different stations on the line put different items into the basket.7 (PL’s SUF ¶ 66.) After the items have been placed inside the basket, a plastic wrapping is heated to shrink around the basket. (Id. ¶ 67.) Once the plastic wrapping is completed, a bow is placed on the basket, if called for in the design of the basket. (Id. ¶ 71.) For a gift tower, the food-safe packages are placed directly into decorative boxes. (Id. ¶ 73.) The boxes in the gift tower are then connected either through cardboard tabs or through sticky-dot adhesives. (Id. ¶ 74.) For wholesale customers, Houdini sells the gift baskets and gift towers on pallets that are placed directly on the sales floor. (Id. ¶ 76.)

C. Federal Income Tax Returns for Taxable Year 2005

Houdini. filed a federal income tax return for an S corporation (Form 1120S) for taxable year 2005 in September 2006. (Id. ¶ 77.) It did not claim any deduction under I.R.C. § 199 on the original tax return. (Id. ¶ 79.) It filed an amended tax return for 2005 in September 2009. (Id. ¶ 80.) In the amended tax return, Houdini claimed a deduction under I.R.C. § 199 in the amount of $275,982. (Id. ¶ 81.)

The Deans filed a federal income tax return for taxable year 2005 in October 2006. (Id. ¶ 78.) They did not claim any deduction under I.R.C. § 199 on the original tax return. (Id. ¶ 79.) They filed an amended tax return for 2005 in October 2009. (Id. ¶82.) In the amended tax return, the Deans claimed a deduction under I.R.C. § 199 in the amount of $206,987, a 75 percent share of the deduction under I.R.C. § 199 claimed by Houdini on its Form 1120S for 2005. (Id. ¶ 83.) Based on the deduction under I.R.C. § 199, the Deans claimed a tax refund- of $74,618 was due to them for 2005. (Id. ¶ 84.) On December 28, 2009, the IRS issued a tax refund check to the Deans in the amount of $94,364.39, which consisted of the amount claimed on the amended tax return plus interest. (Id. ¶85.) The Deans deposited the check from the IRS on January 22, 2010, and the funds were paid,by the U.S. Treasury on January 26, 2010. (Id. ¶ 86.)

[1114]*1114D. Federal Income Tax Returns for Taxable Year 2006

Houdini filed a federal income tax return for an S corporation for taxable year 2006 in September 2007. (Id. ¶ 87.) It did not claim any deduction under I.R.C. § 199 on the original tax return. (Id. ¶ 89.) It filed an amended tax return for 2006 in September 2010. (Id.

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