DocketNumber: Docket No. 5824-67
Judges: Bruce
Filed Date: 11/24/1970
Status: Precedential
Modified Date: 11/14/2024
*28
Petitioner owned 812 of 1,353 shares of Highland Co., a road construction corporation, having a total basis of $ 62,440. In 1965, pursuant to a plan of complete liquidation, the corporation sold its tangible assets and distributed $ 44,000, pro rata, to its stockholders. Its remaining assets, consisting of cash, "street warrants" and accounts receivable had an aggregate face value of $ 47,149.85. Its net worth,
*335 Respondent determined a deficiency in the income tax of the petitioner for 1965 in the amount of $ 1,954.33. *31 The only issue presented is whether petitioner is entitled to a capital loss deduction in 1965 on 812 shares of stock which she owned in the Highland Co.
FINDINGS OF FACT
Most of the facts have been stipulated and the stipulation, together with the exhibits attached thereto, is incorporated herein by this reference.
*336 Petitioner Ethel M. Schmidt resided at 2147 Tyler Lane, Louisville, Ky., at the time the petition herein was filed. She filed an individual Federal income tax return for the calendar year 1965 with the district director of internal revenue at Louisville, Ky.
The Highland Co. was organized in 1949, under the laws of Kentucky, to engage in the construction business as a contractor or subcontractor. During the year 1965, the petitioner owned 812 of the total 1,353 shares of common stock of the Highland Co. issued and outstanding, 658 of which had been distributed to her by the administrator of her deceased husband's estate in 1951, and 154 shares had been purchased by her from a sister of her husband in 1950. Petitioner's husband died in 1949, and the 658 shares had a basis of $ 49,350, or $ 75 per share. The 154 shares obtained from her husband's sister had *32 a basis of $ 13,090, or $ 85 per share. Petitioner's total tax basis in the 812 shares was $ 62,440.
On January 4, 1965, the stockholders of the Highland Co. unanimously adopted a resolution providing for the dissolution and liquidation of the assets of the Highland Co. A statement of intent to dissolve was prepared and filed (presumably with the secretary of state for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, though not definitely shown) in January 1965. All of the outstanding shares of the company were delivered by the stockholders to the secretary-treasurer of the company in 1965. The stock had not been formally canceled, however, nor had the company been finally and completely dissolved in 1965 or at the date of the trial herein.
By the end of the year 1965, the Highland Co. had substantially liquidated its assets, including all of its machinery and equipment, inventories, and other tangible personal property. The remaining assets of the Highland Co. on December 31, 1965, consisted of cash in the amount of $ 2,551.68 and "street warrants" *33 debts). Outstanding liabilities were $ 4,281.10. A portion of these assets had been placed in the hands of an attorney for collection as they became delinquent. None of the remaining assets were of a type normally subject to appreciation in value.
Petitioner was the owner of the land and buildings at 644 Baxter Avenue on which the Highland Co. had conducted its business operations. She sold this property and relinquished possession to the purchaser on April 15, 1965. Petitioner realized a long-term capital gain in the amount of $ 24,059.50 upon the sale of the Baxter Avenue property.
*337 By the end of the calendar year 1965, the Highland Co. had neither the assets (equipment), the employees, nor the place of operations with and from which to conduct its usual*34 business in the construction industry.
The proceeds of the liquidation received by the Highland Co. during 1965 were applied in part to the payment of debts, and distributions aggregating $ 44,000 were made, pro rata, to the stockholders. The petitioner received $ 26,406.51 in liquidating dividends from the Highland Co. in 1965. The net worth,
On her income tax return for the year 1965, petitioner claimed a long-term capital loss on her Highland Co. stock in the amount of $ 10,440.36, which was applied as an offset in part against the long-term capital gain ($ 24,059.50) realized by her upon the sale of the Baxter Avenue property. The amount of the long-term capital loss claimed on her Highland Co. stock represented the difference between her unrecovered basis ($ 36,033.49) and her proportionate interest ($ 25,593.13) in the remaining unliquidated assets of the corporation as of December 31, 1965, the computation of which took the street warrants at face value and the accounts receivable at book value, without consideration of any expenses incident to collection or of attorney's fees for the liquidation.
*35 OPINION
The ultimate issue to be determined herein is whether petitioner is entitled to a capital loss deduction in 1965 on the shares of stock which she owned in the Highland Co.
It was abundantly clear at the end of 1965, that had all the remaining assets of the company been liquidated and the amounts thereof distributed to its stockholders in 1965, petitioner would have sustained a loss on her stock in the Highland Co. Since she had realized a substantial capital gain on the sale of the Baxter Avenue property, it is to her advantage, taxwise, to have the potential loss on her Highland Co. stock recognized in 1965 and offset against her capital gain.
Respondent disallowed the deduction claimed by petitioner on her tax return for 1965 as a loss resulting from the liquidation of the Highland Co. on the ground that "it has not been established that any loss was sustained within the taxable year."
Petitioner alleged in her petition that the loss claimed for the year 1965 with respect to her shares of stock in the Highland Co. "was identifiable and determinable with reasonable certainty as a December 31, 1965."
At the trial, neither of the parties mentioned the statutes deemed applicable*36 by them. On the basis of the pleadings and the facts presented, *338 it might reasonably be assumed that petitioner was claiming a loss deduction on the shares of stock which she owned in the Highland Co. in 1965, on the ground that at the end of 1965 it was apparent that the most she could possibly receive from the liquidation of the Highland Co., in addition to the cash distribution, was $ 25,593.13, representing the maximum value of her interest in the remaining assets of the corporation, and accordingly that her loss was "identifiable and determinable with reasonable certainty as at December 31, 1965," and therefore deductible under
*37 Initially petitioner argues that she should be allowed the loss claimed on her Highland Co. stock in 1965 for the reason that: "It is the general policy of the code and of sound principles of accounting to offset income by the expenses incurred in producing it, and to offset gains by any losses which may have been incurred in connection with the same transaction." Pointing out that the property sold in April 1965 on which the large gain was realized, was the same property previously used by the Highland Co. in its construction business, petitioner argues: "Since this gain was made in the sale of property in the process of liquidating the business conducted by the Highland Company, that gain should be reducible by all the losses which were sustained in connection with the liquidation of that business." The obvious answer to this argument is that the Baxter Avenue property was owned by petitioner individually. She was not required to sell it because of the liquidation of the Highland Co., but could have leased it to another tenant had she chosen to do so. The sale of the Baxter Avenue property and the liquidation of the Highland Co. were entirely separate transactions.
Petitioner's*38 next contention appears to be that "the transaction," shown by the facts presented, constituted a redemption of all the stock owned by her in the Highland Co., within the meaning of
*339
(a) General Rule. -- If a corporation redeems its stock (within the meaning of
(b) Redemptions Treated as Exchanges. -- * * * * (3) Termination of shareholder's interest. -- Subsection (a) shall apply if the redemption is in complete redemption of all of the stock of the corporation owned by the shareholder.
(b) Redemption of Stock. -- For purposes of this part, stock shall be treated as redeemed by a corporation if the corporation acquires its stock from a shareholder in exchange for property, whether or not the stock so acquired*39 is cancelled, retired, or held as treasury stock.
Petitioner argues that "the Highland Company acquired all of the stock owned by the petitioner and in exchange therefor it paid the petitioner $ 26,406.51 in cash plus petitioner's proportionate value of the remaining assets." This statement is not supported by the evidence. The word "acquires" as used in
Although the certificates for all of the outstanding stock of the corporation were delivered to the secretary-treasurer of the company in 1965, the Highland Co. did not thereby
In addition to the above, it does not appear that either paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of subsection (b) of
We hold that the transaction*41 disclosed by the evidence did not constitute a redemption within the meaning of
Petitioner's contention that she is entitled to a capital loss deduction on her Highland Co. stock in 1965, under the provisions of
(a) General Rule. -- (1) Complete liquidations. -- Amounts distributed in complete liquidation of a corporation shall be treated as in full payment in exchange for the stock.
As a general rule, losses resulting from a complete liquidation will be recognized only after the corporation has made its final distribution.
In
when it appears, as here, that it is reasonably certain that the stockholders will receive a further liquidating dividend, a loss may not be allowed under the taxing act until there is a distribution of such dividend in property or money.
The reason for this rule was explained by the court as follows:
Until this is done the stock has a value to its owner, and the mere fact that because the corporation is in process of liquidation its value has declined in a particular taxable year to a figure which is less than cost does not entitle the stockholder to elect in which year he will take his loss. It often happens, as here, that the liquidation of a corporation extends over a period of years and a decision that a loss may be taken upon the basis of a valuation of the unliquidated assets and an estimate of the remaining liabilities and expenses would enable the taxing authorities to place the loss in a taxable year in which the taxpayer might have a very small income and would enable the taxpayer to select a taxable year in which to take the loss in which he might have a large income and thereby obtain a greater benefit from the loss.
Certain exceptions to*43 the general rule have been recognized by the courts where the stock is shown to have been worthless prior to complete liquidation, such as, for example, where the corporation's liabilities exceeded its assets,
The
In the present case, the Highland Co. was in the process of liquidation but had not been finally and completely liquidated or dissolved as of the end of 1965. It still retained substantial assets, no final liquidating distribution in cash or property had been made as of the end of 1965, and the amount that would eventually be distributed was indefinite and uncertain. The petitioner does not come within any of the recognizable exceptions to the general rule discussed above. We hold that petitioner is not entitled to a capital loss deduction on her Highland Co. stock in 1965, under the provisions of
*46 The fact that petitioner is claiming only the minimum loss which she would sustain on her Highland Co. stock even if the maximum *342 (face) value of the assets retained by the corporation were realized and distributed, does not justify a different conclusion. The fact remains that the precise amount of the loss which petitioner would sustain on her Highland Co. stock was indefinite and uncertain at the end of 1965, and she is not entitled thus to split her anticipated losses.
Alternatively, petitioner contends she is entitled to claim a portion of her loss in 1965 by reason of the partial liquidation of the Highland Co. in that year, under the provisions of
*47
(a) General Rule. -- * * * * (2) Partial liquidations. -- Amounts distributed in partial liquidation of a corporation (as defined in
(a) In General. -- For purpose of this subchapter, a distribution shall be treated as in partial liquidation of a corporation if -- (1) the distribution is one of a series of distributions in redemption of all of the stock of the corporation pursuant to a plan; or (2) the distribution is not essentially equivalent to a dividend, is in redemption of a part of the stock of the corporation pursuant to a plan, and occurs within the taxable year in which the plan is adopted or within the succeeding taxable year, including (but not limited to) a distribution which meets the requirements of subsection (b).
We agree with petitioner that the distribution which the Highland Co. made, pro rata, to its stockholders in 1965 (of which petitioner received $ 26,406.51) was a distribution in partial liquidation of the corporation, *48 pursuant to a plan of complete liquidation within the meaning of
Petitioner cites
Based upon these rulings petitioner argues that 50.78 percent of the total value of the Highland Co. was liquidated by the $ 44,000 distribution in 1965 and consequently 50.78 percent of her stock was redeemed by the distribution *49 to her of $ 26,406.51; that the basis of 50.78 percent of her stock was $ 31,707.03 and that her capital loss was $ 5,300.52, of which 50 percent is deductible under section 1202.
*344 The present case does not involve a contraction of corporate business pursuant to a plan of partial liquidation. Here the plan adopted provides for the
The facts of the present case are clearly within the ambit of
The liquidating distributions described above fall within the ambit of
Where a shareholder holds a
Similarly, where a shareholder owns
Any losses resulting from a complete liquidation will be recognized only after *345 the corporation has made its final distribution.
The foregoing principles dealing with complete liquidations pursuant to
[Emphasis supplied.]
Since it was reasonably certain at the end of 1965 that petitioner would receive a further liquidating dividend, she is not entitled to a loss deduction on her Highland Co. stock for the taxable year 1965.
We further agree with respondent's contention, on opening brief, that petitioner is not entitled to a capital loss deduction on her Highland Co. stock for the taxable year 1965 under the provisions of
Petitioner's stock was clearly not "worthless,"
For the reasons hereinabove discussed, we hold that petitioner is *56 not entitled to a capital loss deduction for the taxable year 1965 on the stock which she owned in the Highland Co.
1. Presumably interest bearing bonds issued by the City of Louisville payable over a number of years out of assessments levied against the owners of properties abutting particular street improvements. See
2. All statutory references herein are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, unless otherwise indicated.↩
3. See Bittker & Eustice, Federal Income Taxation of Corporations and Stockholders, secs. 7.61, 7.63, and 7.81 (2d ed. 1966); 1 Mertens, Law of Federal Income Taxation, sec. 9.70, p. 182 (1969 rev.). Compare
Gowen v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue ( 1933 )
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Industrial Rayon Corp. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenues ( 1938 )
Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Winthrop ( 1938 )
Letts v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue ( 1936 )
Lucas v. American Code Co. ( 1930 )
turner-construction-company-v-united-states-of-america-edmund-a-prentis ( 1966 )