Winfield Mfg. Co. v. Renegotiation Board

57 T.C. 439, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 2
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 28, 1971
DocketDocket No. 1058-R
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 57 T.C. 439 (Winfield Mfg. Co. v. Renegotiation Board) 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
Winfield Mfg. Co. v. Renegotiation Board, 57 T.C. 439, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 2 (tax 1971).

Opinion

AtkiNS, Judge:

Respondent, by an unilateral order dated September 12,1968, determined that petitioner’s profits on renegotiable contracts for the production of military trousers for the Defense Supply Agency, totaling $640,014 for its fiscal year ended June 30, 1966, were excessive to the extent of $275,000. In an amendment to its answer made at trial respondent asked this Court to increase the amount of excessive profits from $275,000 to $350,000.

The issue presented for decision is the extent, if any, to which the profits realized by petitioner were excessive in light of the statutory factors for determining excessive profits as set out in the Renegotiation Act of 1951, as amended, 50 U.S.C. App. sec. 1211 et seg.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Alabama, having its principal office in Winfield, Ala. It was incorporated in 1961. It keeps its books on an accrual method of accounting and on the basis of a fiscal year ended June 30. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1966, petitioner performed work on 11 military contracts with the Defense Supply Agency (hereinafter referred to as DSA). Six of these contracts called for the manufacturing of poplin wind-resistant trousers (hereinafter referred to as combat trousers). The other five of these contracts called for the manufacture of cotton sateen trousers (hereinafter referred to as sateen trousers). Petitioner had no other business during its fiscal year 1966.

The terms of petitioner’s 11 contracts with DSA were substantially the same, varying only in the quantities and amounts of money involved. A typical contract required petitioner to manufacture a specified number of pairs of trousers for a “Total Contract Amount,” expressed in terms of dollars. The “Total Contract Amount” was composed of an amount referred to as “Total Amount Alloted to CMT Cost” and an amount referred to as “Total Government Material Value.” The contract provided a “Total Unit Price” for each pair of trousers, composed of a “Cut Make and Trim Price” and a “Government Material Unit Value.” The contract also provided for a percentage discount based upon the “Total Contract Amount” for prompt payment by the Government.

Each contract contained a series of provisions referred to as the “GEP Bailment System.” Under article A of the GFP Bailment System, DSA agreed to make available to the petitioner certain specified material (hereinafter referred to as Government-furnished material or as GFM) for use in the performance of the contract. DSA was to be the sole supplier of such material and only such material obtained from DSA could be used in the performance of the contract. Article A set forth a certain unit price per yard for the GFM. Article A also stated that it was the sole responsibility of the petitioner to determine the quantity of GFM necessary for the performance of the contract. DSA, however, reserved the right to require petitioner to justify its requests for GFM if it thought petitioner was requesting excessive quantities of GFM.

The GFP Bailment System also contained the following provisions:

E. PAYMENT: Upon delivery of end items, $2.19 per unit [the amount specified in the contract as the “Government Material Unit Value” per pair of trousers, which varies in the different contracts] will be deducted from the contract price ,and applied to cover the value of the Government material; and the balance of the contract price, less discounts computed on the basis of the total contract price, shall be paid to the contractor. Prior to final payment’ an adjustment of the Government material account shall be made as follows: if the amounts deducted from the contract price pursuant to this Article to cover the value of the Government material exceed the value of all such material furnished the contractor, the contractor shall receive payment of the excess amount; if the total value of Government material furnished the contractor exceeds the amounts deducted from the contract price pursuant to this Article to cover the value of the Government material, the contractor shall reimburse the Government for the value of such material for which deductions were not taken. Regardless of the lamount of Government material consumed, the unit cost to the Government of each item accepted including Government material shall not exceed the contract unit price for the item. * * *
F. VALUE OF GOVERNMENT MATERIAL FURNISHED CONTRACTOR: To determine the total value of Government material furnished the contractor, the contractor will be charged for the total value of materials furnished at unit prices [per yard] stated in Article “A” above less $2.19 per rejected end item purchased by the contractor pursuant to Clause H. 1. below and will receive credit at the unit price specified in Article “A” above for Government material unconsumed in the performance of the contract and returned by him in an undamaged condition to the Government in the form of full pieces and short pieces.
G. OBLIGATION OF FUNDS: Funds will be obligated on the assumption that the price of each unit includes $2.19 for Government material and the balance, representing other contractors’ costs and profits, is to be paid from obligated funds. If the contraotor uses Government material per unit of a value other than as stated in this (article, the obligation of funds will be adjusted as follows: In the event contractor uses more material the obligation of funds will be reduced and if the contractor uses less material the obligation of funds will be increased. This possibility has been taken into consideration in funding this contract.
H. CONTRACTORINVENTORY:
I. IRREPARABLE REJECTS: The contractor agrees to purchase any or all irreparable rejects when notified in writing by the Contracting OfSeer, or his duly authorized representative, at $2.19 per unit. * * *
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K. RESPONSIBILITY EOR GOVERNMENT MATERIAL: The contractor assumes the risk of and is responsible for any loss or damage to Government material regardless of the cause, from the time the material is delivered to the carrier at the originating location to the time it is redelivered by the contractor to the Government. It shall .be the contractor’s responsibility to obtain such insurance, as he may deem necessary, at his own expense.
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M. PROTECTION OP GOVERNMENT MATERIAL, TITLE, ACCESS: The contractor shall maintain and administer, in accordance with sound industrial practice, a program for the maintenance, protection and preservation of Government material, until disposed of by the contractor in accordance with this contract. Property shall be maintained and used only in those plants approved by the Contracting Officer. Contractor shall arrange and maintain his plant(s) to insure clean and sanitary conditions and insure proper identification and segregation of material for each Government contract. Title to the Government material shall remain in the Government and shall not be affected by the incorporation or attachment thereof to any property not owned by the Government.

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Related

Blue Bell, Inc. v. United States
556 F.2d 1118 (Court of Claims, 1977)
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543 F.2d 97 (Court of Claims, 1976)
Winfield Mfg. Co. v. Renegotiation Board
57 T.C. 439 (U.S. Tax Court, 1971)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 T.C. 439, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/winfield-mfg-co-v-renegotiation-board-tax-1971.