Wiener v. Commissioner

58 T.C. 81, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 149
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 17, 1972
DocketDocket Nos. 4756-68, 4757-68
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 58 T.C. 81 (Wiener 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
Wiener v. Commissioner, 58 T.C. 81, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 149 (tax 1972).

Opinion

FeatheRSTon, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners’ Federal income taxes for 1964 and 1965 as follows:

Petitioners 1964 1965
Herbert D. Wiener and Shirley M. Wiener_ $40, 824 $19, 853
George M. Wiener and Barbara E. Wiener_ 42, 736 13, 070

Some issues having been stipulated, the sole remaining issue is whether certain outlays of funds by petitioners during 1964 and 1965 constituted costs of raising calves for subsequent inclusion in a dairy herd within the meaning of section 1.162-12, Income Tax Regs.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Herbert I). Wiener (hereinafter referred to as Herbert) and Shirley M. Wiener, husband and wife, and George M. Wiener (hereinafter George) and Barbara E. Wiener, husband and wife, were legal residents of Encino, Calif., at the time they filed their petitions. Both couples filed their respective joint Federal income tax returns for 1964 and 1965 with the district director of internal revenue, Los Angeles, Calif.

Herbert and George (sometimes hereinafter petitioners) are brothers; they have been engaged in the practice of law in California since 1947 and 1944, respectively. In 1949, they, together with George Iv. Bramet (hereinafter Bramet), a childhood friend of George, purchased some cows for the purpose of developing a beef cattle herd. For a fee, these cattle were cared for at the Los Flores Ranch, owned by Edward C. Chilcott (hereinafter Chilcott), Bramet’s employer. Chilcott is also one of George’s clients. The herd was sold at a profit in 1953.

From the time they sold their cattle herd until 1963, petitioners neither owned cattle nor had any other financial interest in the cattle business. However, during this period, George became aware of the financial opportunities offered by the dairy business. In 1963, when Herbert and George were about to realize an unusually large amount of income from a business venture, they began to negotiate with Bramet and Chilcott on the possibility of acquiring a dairy herd. At that time, Chilcott owned the River Ranch Co. (hereinafter River Ranch or the Ranch) which was engaged in extensive dairy operations in California, Oregon, and Arizona. One of River Ranch’s activities involved the raising of Holstein calves to a milking stage, either to be used in its own dairy operations or to be sold to other dairymen for use in their herds. Bramet was controller of River Ranch.

The transaction as contemplated at that time was that Herbert and George jointly would pay $330 per calf to River Ranch. For that sum, River Ranch would purchase a heifer calf and maintain her for approximately 28 months, until she had borne a calf and was ready for dairy use. If the calf were to die or be culled for any reason prior to entering the milking stream of a dairy, the Ranch would either substitute another cow or repay Herbert and George $330. Petitioners did not have a license to ship or market milk, but it was contemplated that River Ranch would lease the mature cows or use its best efforts to lease them to a reliable dairy.

Herbert and George were told that when a cow was placed with a dairy, they could expect to receive $72 per year for her milk production (less a 20-percent commission paid to River Ranch for its services) and an average of about $17.50 per year from the sale of her calves ($28 for a heifer and $7 for a bull calf). Each milch cow was expected to have a calf each year and to produce milk as part of a dairy herd for about 305 days per year. After the. cow had reached the age when she was no longer able to produce milk economically — usually about 3 years — she would be sold at an estimated price of $200. During these discussions, Herbert, George, and Bramet also considered the tax advantages that the transaction would present.

On August 12,1963, petitioners entered into an “Agreement to Raise Dairy Herd” with River Ranch, as follows (references to Wiener therein being to Herbert, George, and their wives) :

1. That River Ranch will purchase, pick up and raise Holstein heifer calves for and on behalf of Wiener. The cost of purchasing such calves will in most instances be somewhat in excess of the established market price for such animals in order that River Ranch may select calves of superior quality from the higher producing dairies. It is the intent of River Ranch that where possible such calves will be selected from artificially inseminated dams, although River Ranch shall exercise its own judgment and discretion in this regard.
2. River Ranch will charge Wiener the sum of Three Hundred Thirty Dollars ($330.00) to completely care for each calf, such charge to include but not be limited to all labor, feed, breeding, veterinary care, supervision and overhead charges including death and sterility costs, until said calf shall mature to the age of approximately twenty-eight (28) months. In the event that there shall be a major change in such costs a mutually agreed adjustment reasonably commensurate to such change will be negotiated in said raising price.
3. River Ranch will make every effort to breed each heifer in order that the freshening date will approximate twenty-eight (28) months of age for each of said heifers.
4. Approximately sixty (60) days before the calving date for each animal, River Ranch will diligently undertake to enter into the necessary arrangements to have said animal milked for Wiener and will execute milking contracts for and on behalf of Wiener; that a copy of such proposed milking contracts which the parties approve is attached hereto, marked Exhibit “A” incorporated herein, and by this reference made a part hereof as though herein set forth at length.
(a) River Ranch will charge Wiener Twenty Percent (20%) of the milking income as and for costs of supervision, breeding, collection, overhead, etc., and will remit the balance to Wiener. Each remittance advice will show: (a) Lease number and (b) period covered by remittance.
(b) In the event an animal is returned by the dairy, River Ranch will in its sole and exclusive discretion elect to enter into a contract with another dairy under the terms and conditions of Exhibit “A” or sell such animal. River Ranch will notify Wiener of its determination and promptly deliver a copy of the new milking contract or the proceeds of the sale.
(e) In the event of the death of an animal River Ranch will whenever possible obtain a “Death Certificate” and forward a copy thereof to Wiener, or alternatively, will notify Wiener of the death and the identification number of the deceased animal.
(d) In the event River Ranch is not successful in obtaining a dairy to execute a milking contract per Exhibit “A” and to discharge its responsibilities pursuant to the terms and provisions thereof for any one or several animals, then said animals shall be sold by River Ranch and the proceeds of such sale promptly forwarded to Wiener.
5.

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Related

Ellis v. Commissioner
1984 T.C. Memo. 50 (U.S. Tax Court, 1984)
Borkowski v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 87 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Duggar v. Commissioner
71 T.C. 147 (U.S. Tax Court, 1978)
Wiener v. Commissioner
494 F.2d 691 (Ninth Circuit, 1974)
Harmston v. Commissioner
61 T.C. No. 24 (U.S. Tax Court, 1973)
McKelvy v. United States
478 F.2d 1217 (Court of Claims, 1973)
Wiener v. Commissioner
58 T.C. 81 (U.S. Tax Court, 1972)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 T.C. 81, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wiener-v-commissioner-tax-1972.