Yost v. Commissioner

5 T.C. 140, 1945 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 156
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 28, 1945
DocketDocket Nos. 4969, 4970
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 5 T.C. 140 (Yost 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
Yost v. Commissioner, 5 T.C. 140, 1945 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 156 (tax 1945).

Opinion

OPINION.

Mellott, Judge:

Each of these consolidated cases involves deficiencies in income tax for the calendar years 1940 and 1941 in the amounts of $75.44 and $1,071.70. The basic facts have been stipulated and are hereby found. They will be summarized. Additional findings based upon testimony adduced at the trial will be made; but they will be specifically so designated. Inasmuch as the petitioner in Docket No. 4970 is the wife of George W. Yost and filed a separate return of income, identical to that filed by him, and since the questions involved in the two cases are the same, George W. Yost will hereinafter be referred to as the petitioner.

The issue in each case is whether amounts received during the taxable years under agreements theretofore entered into between petitioner and Richard B. and Robert L. Newell were capital gains or ordinary income.

For some time prior to the taxable years petitioner had been engaged in the bus passenger transportation business in suburban Seattle as part owner and general manager of Suburban Transportation System. Richard B. Newell and Robert L. Newell (sometimes herein referred to by first name and sometimes as the Newells) had, for some time prior to January 28, 1935, discussed with petitioner the formation of a new corporation to manufacture bus and truck bodies. Richard had been employed for a number of years as draftsman and chief engineer for Heiser’s, Inc., a manufacturer of bus and truck bodies at Seattle, and Robert had been engaged in the sale throughout the Pacific Northwest of bus and truck bodies manufactured by Wentworth & Irwin of Portland, Oregon.

As a result of the discussion petitioner and the two Newells, on January 28, 1935, organized the Tricoach Corporation (hereinafter called Tricoach), a Washington corporation with its principal office at Seattle. Thereafter and at all times herein mentioned the three owned all of the outstanding stock of the corporation and were its only officers and directors.

Tricoach had an authorized capital of $50,000, composed of 1,000 shares of common stock of the par value of $50 each. Yost subscribed for 150 shares and each of the Newells subscribed for five shares, Yost paying $7,500 and each of the Newells $250. Robert was elected president and sales manager, Eichard vice president and chief engineer, and petitioner secretary, which offices they continued to hold during the entire operation of the company.

The salary of the two Newells was originally fixed at $250 per month; but in addition thereto they and petitioner were each to receive adjusted compensation, at the end of each calendar1 year, equivalent to one-third of the amount of the net profits for the year which should be in excess of an amount necessary to pay 8 percent dividends on the outstanding stock.

The result of the operation of Tricoach for 1985, after the payment of the salaries to the Newells and other expenses, was a deficit of $1,068.18. The deficit was wiped out by the 1936 operations and in December of that year a dividend of $80 per share, “but not to exceed the net profits for the year,” was declared. Petitioner received a dividend of $11,649.64 and each of the Newells received $388.32.

On December 16, 1936, 764 additional shares of stock were issued at par, 348 shares to petitioner and 208 shares to each of the Newells. On December 31, 1936, 924 shares were outstanding, the total paid-in capital being $46,200.

The monthly compensation of the Newells was increased to $300 per month during 1936 and they were paid on such basis for six months of that year. Each therefore received during 1936 $3,300 as salary. The net income of the corporation for that year was substantial and petitioner and each of the Newells received, during the year, “adjusted compensation” of $10,140.95, or a total of $30,422.95.

On December 2,1937, the remaining 76 shares of the 1,000 authorized by the charter of Tricoach were issued at par, 12 to petitioner and 32 to each of the Newells. The profit of Tricoach was substantial for the year 1937. On December 27, 1937, a dividend of $20 per share, “but not to exceed the net profits for the year 1937,” was declared, as a result of which petitioner received $7,968.08 on his 510 shares and each of the Newells received $3,827.81 on his 245 shares. Petitioner and each of the Newells also received, as “adjusted compensation” for that year, $11,927.71, an aggregate of $35,783.13.

The “adjusted compensation” referred to in the preceding paragraphs was in addition to the cash dividends received during 1936 and 1937. Petitioner, on his original investment of $7,500 in Tricoach, therefore, received during the two years the aggregate amount of $41,686.38, $19,001.42 of which was invested by him subsequently in its stock and in making up his portion of the 1935 deficit. At that time he owned 510 of its fully paid-up shares, or 51 percent of its stock.

As of November 1, 1937, petitioner and the Newells formed a partnership under the name of Tricoach Sales Co. (hereinafter referred to as Sales Co.) to carry on the general business activities appertaining to the wholesale and retail distribution oí motor vehicles and trading in commercial paper relating to such transactions. Petitioner contributed $20,000 and each of the Newells $10,000, petitioner having a 50 percent interest and Richard and Robert each a 25 percent interest. Robert was to devote most of his time to the partnership as general manager in charge of sales promotion, for which he was to receive a salary of $200 per month. Richard was to have charge of all matters relating to engineering services and construction, specifications, and purchase contracts and petitioner was to have charge of transactions relating to purchase and sale of commercial paper, borrowing of funds, and similar financial matters. For the two months in 1937 the firm’s net profits were $526, petitioner’s share being $263.

In March 1936 Heiser’s, Inc. (the former employer of Richard) made an assignment for the benefit of creditors and during 1936 all of its machinery and equipment was sold to Pacific Car & Foundry Co. (hereinafter called Pacific). The machinery and equipment was installed in Pacific’s Renton plant and a bus body manufacturing plant was started in competition with Tricoach. The venture resulted in considerable loss to Pacific in each of the years 1936 and 1937.

For several months throughout 1938 Pacific negotiated with the Newells and petitioner for the purpose of accomplishing a merger or consolidation or working out some method to eliminate the competition of Tricoach and to secure the services of the two Newells to manage the production and sales of the motor coach division of Pacific. The arrangement finally worked out contemplated leasing by Tricoach of its machinery and equipment to the Newells for 10 years, together with an option to them to purchase it by December 31, 1938, at its depreciated book value. The Newells were to sublease to Pacific all of the Tricoach machinery and equipment for 7% years from October 1,1938, and it was to be moved, at Pacific’s expense, to its Renton plant.

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Related

Yost v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
157 F.2d 331 (Ninth Circuit, 1946)
Yost v. Commissioner
5 T.C. 140 (U.S. Tax Court, 1945)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
5 T.C. 140, 1945 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 156, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yost-v-commissioner-tax-1945.