United States v. Hecla Mining Company, a Corporation

302 F.2d 204
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
DecidedJune 11, 1962
Docket17064_1
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 302 F.2d 204 (United States v. Hecla Mining Company, a Corporation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Hecla Mining Company, a Corporation, 302 F.2d 204 (9th Cir. 1962).

Opinion

JAMESON, District Judge.

Appellee taxpayer seeks recovery of interest in the amount of $34,118.38 assessed and paid with respect to corporate income tax deficiencies for the years 1942 to 1945 inclusive. The question presented is whether interest on income tax deficiencies and interest on an excess profits tax overassessment should be computed separately, as appellant contends, or the amounts of the deficiencies and overassessment offset against each other and the interest computed on the resulting net amount, as appellee contends, and as the district court held.

The facts are undisputed. On February 19, 1946, taxpayer filed a claim for refund of 1942 excess profits taxes, and on July 28, 1949, filed an amended claim, based upon a carry-back to 1942 of unused excess profits credits for the taxable years 1943 and 1944. The revenue agent, who audited taxpayer’s income and excess profits tax returns for the years 1942 to *206 1945 inclusive, filed his report on July 18, 1949, finding deficiencies in income taxes for each of the four years and large unused excess profits credits for the years 1943 and 1944.

Following negotiations, the Internal Revenue Service and taxpayer on December 12, 1952, agreed upon the amounts of the income and excess profits tax liabilities as follows:

Year Income Tax Deficiencies Excess Profits Tax Overpayment Net Amount Owing
1942 $122,498.66 ($276,362.86) ($153,864.20)
1943 16,930.00 16,930.00
1944 89,166.02 89,166.02
1945 109,550.36 109,550.36
$338,145.04 ($276,362.86) $ 61,782.18
Post War Credit Reduction 27,636.29
$ 89,418.37

Interest on income and excess profits tax deficiencies were assessed against appellee as follows:

Year Deficiency Per Books Interest Assessed Delinquency Interest Total Interest
1942 IT $122,498.66 $ 25,085.33 1 $ 271.42
1942 EPT 57.460.01 3,447.60 1 37.30
1943 IT 16,930.00 8,971.74 97.07
1944 IT 89.166.02 41,901.92 454.38
1945 IT 109,550.36 44,908.14 485.90
$124,314.73 $1,346.07 $125,660.80

Interest on the overassessment of excess profits tax was computed by the Commissioner as follows: *207 The interest of $51,745.03 was computed pursuant to Section 3771(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, 26 U.S. C.A. § 3771(e) ; 3 the interest on the income tax deficiencies for 1943, 1944 and 1945, pursuant to section 292(a); 4 and the interest on the 1942 income tax deficiency pursuant to section 292(c). 5

*206 Interest From To Amount Interest
Overassessment $276,362.86
Post War Credit-Reduction 27,636.29 7/28/49 12/31/45 None
Remainder 248,726.57
Interest on 245,278.97 7/28/49 1/14/53 $50,967.62
Interest on 3,447.60 7/28/49 5/ 1/53 777.41 2
Total $51,745.03

*207 On June 25, 1953, taxpayer received a check from the United States for $51,-745.03. On July 7, 1953, taxpayer paid the United States the sum of $89,418.37, representing the net amount of the principal owing, and on July 29, 1953, paid $125,660.80 interest. Of this amount, $34,118.38 is in dispute, computed as follows:

Interest paid by taxpayer on deficiencies $125,660.80
Interest paid to taxpayer on overassessment 51,745.03
$ 73,915.77
Interest on $89,418.39 39,797.39
Amount in dispute $ 34,118.38

Appellee has conceded its liability for interest upon the deficiency in excess profits taxes arising from standard issue adjustments for 1942 from the due date of the 1942 return (March 15, 1943) to the due date of the 1943 return (March 15, 1944), when the unused excess profits credit for the taxable year 1943 arose. Appellant has not sought to collect interest upon the 1942 excess profits tax deficiency based on standard issue adjustments for any period after March 15, 1944. The trial court held that the Commissioner erroneously failed to permit offset of the overassessment of excess profits tax against the income tax deficiencies for 1943, 1944 and 1945 as of the due dates thereof. Had he done so, the amount of interest would have been reduced by $34,118.38. Judgment was entered for that amount.

The question of whether the offset was properly permitted in the computation of interest depends primarily upon when the excess profits tax overassessment for 1942 came into existence and was available for use as an offset. The trial court found that the offsetting overpayments arose on the dates the returns were filed reporting unused excess profits credits to *208 be carried back to 1942 “to produce the overpayment in excess profits tax for that year”. Appellee accordingly contends that this resulted in a “credit” with the Government, which was available when the income tax deficiencies came into being.

Appellant contends that the excess profits tax overassessment did not come into existence retroactively to the dates of the returns, and that in permitting the offset in the computation of interest, the trial court (a) failed to give effect to the specific provision of section 3771(e) (Footnote 3), prohibiting the allowance of interest, on excess profits tax overassessments attributable to unused excess profits credit carry-backs, for any period prior to the filing of the claim asserting the carry-back, and (b) failed to give effect to the provisions of sectipn 292(a) and 292(c) with respect to the allowance of interest on income tax deficiencies under the circumstances of this case.

Under Section 3770(a) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, 26 U.S.C.A. § 3770(a) (3), the date of allowance of a refund or credit is the date the Commissioner signs the schedule of overassessment. The schedule of overassessment of the 1942 excess profits tax in this case was signed May 1, 1953, although the credit for the assessment was made available as of January 14, 1953, the 30th day after the filing of the assessment.

Section 3771 deals with “Interest on overpayments”.

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302 F.2d 204, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-hecla-mining-company-a-corporation-ca9-1962.