Olds & Whipple v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue

• Decision Date: 04 February 1935
• Docket Number: No. 20.,20.
• Citation: 75 F.2d 272
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit
• Parties: OLDS & WHIPPLE, Inc., v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE.

75 F.2d 272 (1935)

OLDS & WHIPPLE, Inc., v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE.

No. 20.

Circuit Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

February 4, 1935.

Benedict M. Holden, of Hartford, Conn., for petitioner.

Frank J. Wideman, Asst. Atty. Gen., and Sewall Key and Joseph M. Jones, Sp. Assts. to Atty. Gen., for respondent.

Before MANTON, AUGUSTUS N. HAND, and CHASE, Circuit Judges.

MANTON, Circuit Judge.

The petitioner seeks a review of deficiencies in income taxes declared by the respondent for the years 1927, 1928, and 1929, pursuant to sections 1002, 1003 of the Revenue Act of 1926, c. 27, 44 Stat. 110 (26 US CA §§ 1225, 1226), and section 1001 (a), as amended by section 1101 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1932, c. 209, 47 Stat. 169, 286 (26 USCA § 1224). The petitioner is a Connecticut corporation, incorporated in 1921 succeeding to the partnership of Frank H. Whipple and Alfred A. Olds, which dealt in farm supplies and fertilizers. Common stock of the corporation consisted of 9,000 shares, of which Frank H. Whipple owned 4,500 shares and Alfred A. Olds 4,400 shares; 100 shares being owned by a son of the latter. Alfred A. Olds died September 16, 1925, and his 4,400 shares were held by his estate on July 26, 1926. W. S. Pinney & Co., a Connecticut corporation, was engaged in the business of operating a farm for the growing, packing, and selling of shade-grown tobacco. It was incorporated January 27, 1920. Prior to its incorporation, it was a joint venture; Whipple and Olds each owning a quarter interest thereof, and W. S. Pinney a half interest. When incorporated, there was an indebtedness to Whipple & Olds (then a partnership) of $110,500, and a personal indebtedness of W. S. Pinney of $29,000. The capital stock of Pinney & Co. consisted of $110,500 preferred nonvoting stock, and 12 shares of common stock of the par value of $100 a share. Olds and Whipple, as partners, accepted $110,500 in preferred stock in exchange for their account receivable, canceling that account. The common stock was divided, 3 shares each, among Frank H. Whipple, Alfred A. Olds, W. S. Pinney, and F. B. Pease; the latter being the son-in-law of Olds. When Olds & Whipple was incorporated, the partners transferred to the new corporation, in exchange for its stock, the preferred stock of the Pinney Company, but kept the common stock. In December, 1922, the capital stock of the Pinney Company was increased to $295,700, consisting of $160,000 first preferred stock and $110,500 second preferred stock and $25,500 common stock. A later indebtedness to Olds & Whipple, Inc., of $100,000 was canceled in exchange for $100,000 of first preferred stock. The increase in common stock was issued to the common stockholders as a stock dividend, and each of the common stockholders then owned 63 shares of the common stock. July 29, 1926, W. S. Pinney transferred his 63 shares of common stock to Olds & Whipple, Inc., and between February, 1926, and July, 1926, Pease assigned his 63 shares to Olds & Whipple, Inc. On July 29, 1926, the ownership of the outstanding shares of common stock of the Pinney Company was divided as follows: Olds & Whipple, Inc., 126 shares; estate of Alfred A. Olds, 63 shares; and Frank H. Whipple, 63 shares. On December 20, 1926, Frank H. Whipple transferred his 63 shares to Olds & Whipple, Inc. On December 20, 1926, the estate of Alfred A. Olds distributed its 63 shares of the common stock of the Pinney Company among the next of kin; the shares so distributed being transferred to Olds & Whipple, Inc., by the respective distributees on December 30, 1926.

The Pinney Company's operation in 1925 resulted in a loss of $238,009. On December 31, 1925, there was a deficit of $212,524.73. During the year 1926 the liabilities were in excess of its assets. In 1926 it had an operating deficit of $151,772.46. It operated unsuccessfully during the year, and in the spring of 1926 liquidation was discussed, but not acted upon because it was thought it would affect the good will and credit of Olds & Whipple, Inc. In 1927, the Pinney Company continued its operations in the warehouse business, but did not plant a crop. It increased its investment — land, by over $2,000; buildings, by over $16,000; and machinery, by over $5,000. It also increased its investment in buildings and machinery during the early part of 1928. In 1927 it leased its land to another company and made an operating profit of $33,120.87; in 1928, an operating profit of $6,048.32; and $6,243.22 in 1929. In the latter part of 1928 it was decided to dissolve the company by statutory action, and, after a vote of the board of directors, dissolution was consummated in 1929.

Olds & Whipple, Inc., and Pinney Company filed separate income tax returns for 1925. Olds & Whipple, Inc., filed a consolidated income tax return on behalf of both corporations, claiming affiliation for the year 1926. In this latter return it claimed affiliation during 1925 and 1926, and a net operating loss due to such affiliation of $170,384.93. In the 1926 return, it also claimed a right to offset against 1926 operating income profit of $119,802 the Pinney Company's operating loss of $151,772.46. The respondent denied the affiliation. He determined that the stock of the Pinney Company became worthless in 1926 and to the extent of the income of Olds & Whipple, Inc., for 1926, amounting to $119,802, allowed the loss of the investment in such stock to be deducted. There was no tax for 1926. A consolidated return in 1927, filed by Olds & Whipple, Inc., was based on the affiliation with the Pinney Company. In it Olds & Whipple, Inc., claimed as an offset against consolidated income a net operating loss shown in the return of 1926 amounting to $170,384.93. The return showed a net loss for 1927 of $14,491.68. Affiliation was allowed, and the balance of the stock loss of $210,500 was applied against the income, amounting to $122,772.38. The respondent allowed the operating loss of the Pinney Company for 1926 to be applied against its 1927 income to the full amount thereof.

In the consolidated return for 1928, Olds & Whipple, Inc., claimed affiliation with the right to deduct the full amount of the loss of its investment in the preferred stock of the Pinney Company of $210,500. Respondent allowed the affiliation for 1928 and allowed the carrying forward of the nonabsorbed net loss of the Pinney Company during the year 1926, and applied this amount against that company's income for 1928. He disallowed the stock loss claimed because he held it to be worthless in 1926, in which year he did allow a loss. In the consolidated return for 1929, Olds & Whipple, Inc., claimed affiliation for the taxable year and the right to carry forward a net loss of $100,372.15 which in part represented the nonabsorbed balance of stock loss claimed in 1928. This was disallowed.

It thus appears that in 1926, Frank H. Whipple and the estate of Olds, together, owned 97.77 per cent. of the voting stock of Olds & Whipple, Inc. They also owned 50 per cent. of the voting stock of W. S. Pinney Company; the remaining 50 per cent. being owned by Olds & Whipple, Inc.

Section 240 (d) of the Revenue Act of 1926, c. 27, 44 Stat. 9, 46 (26 USCA § 993 (d), provides that "two or more domestic corporations shall be deemed to be affiliated (1) if one corporation owns at least 95 per...