Motel v. Comm'r of Internal Revenue

• Decision Date: 25 March 1971
• Docket Number: Docket No. 4771-69.
• Citation: 55 T.C. 1101
• Parties: SILVER QUEEN MOTEL, PETITIONER v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, RESPONDENT
• Court: U.S. Tax Court

55 T.C. 1101

SILVER QUEEN MOTEL, PETITIONER

v.COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, RESPONDENT

Docket No. 4771-69.

United States Tax Court

Filed March 25, 1971.

John R. Kline, for the petitioner.

Joe K. Gordon, for the respondent.

The taxpayer first elected the double-declining-balance method of computing depreciation for certain motel properties but now concedes that such method was not available to it and seeks to adopt the 150-percent declining-balance method instead. The Commissioner determined that since the taxpayer had failed to initially adopt an acceptable method of computing depreciation, it was restricted to the use of the straight-line method. Held, as the taxpayer had not previously regularly used the double declining-balance method, its adoption of the 150-percent declining-balance method was not a change of depreciation method and, hence, did not require the Commissioner's consent.

FORRESTER, Judge:

The Commissioner has determined deficiencies in petitioner's income tax of $5,579.30 and $3,876.35 for the taxable years ending in 1966 and 1967, respectively. As petitioner has now conceded that it may not employ the double declining-balance method to compute depreciation for certain of its properties, the only issue remaining for our decision is whether petitioner may now compute depreciation by using the 150-percent declining-balance method in lieu of the straight-line method.

FINDINGS OF FACT

All of the facts have been stipulated and are so found.

Petitioner filed its Federal corporate income tax returns for 1966 and 1967 with the district director of internal revenue in Reno, Nev. At the time of the filing of the petition herein, petitioner's principal office was in Carson City, Nev., and its principal place of business was in Tonapah, Nev.

Between December 31, 1963, and December 27, 1965, Lola Johnson (hereinafter) referred to as Lola) wither constructed or acquired new properties which were used in operating a motel business. Lola depreciated these properties on the declining-balance method using twice the rate which would have been used had the annual allowance been computed using the applicable straight-line rate (which method is hereinafter referred to as the declining-balance method).

Pursuant to the laws of Nevada, Lola incorporated petitioner on December 27, 1965. Upon petitioner's incorporation, Lola caused the motel properties to be transferred to petitioner in exchange for all of petitioner's stock. During 1966 and 1967, petitioner continued the operation of the motel business and on its returns continued to depreciate the motel properties under the double declining-balance method.

OPINION

Section 167(a) allows as a depreciation deduction a reasonable allowance for the exhaustion, wear, and tear (including a reasonable allowance for obsolescence) of property used in the trade or business or held for the production of income.¹ In the case of certain depreciable property which qualifies under section 167(c), the Code's statutory scheme expressly allows a taxpayer to use the double declining-balance method of computing depreciation as described in section 167(b)(2). Petitioner now concedes that its depreciable motel properties do not qualify under section 167(c) because the original use of the motel properties did not commence with it. See Rev. Rul. 56-256, 1956-1 C.B. 129. Therefore, in lieu of the double declining-balance method, petitioner seeks to compute depreciation under the less accelerated (but acceptable) declining-balance method using a rate of 150 percent of the applicable straight-line rate (which method is hereinafter referred to as the 150-percent declining-balance method). Respondent, on the other hand, argues that having erroneously originally elected the double declining-balance method, petitioner is now restricted to using the straight-line method.²

In initially computing depreciation by using the double declining-balance method, petitioner tried to take advantage of one of the liberalized accelerated depreciation rates allowed by the remedial provisions of section 167(b). Now that petitioner acknowledges that it may not use the double declining-balance method as provided in section 167(b)(2), respondent would deny petitioner's request to fall back upon the 150-percent declining-balance method and would relegate it to the straight-line method. Thus if respondent's contention were to prevail, a taxpayer attempting initially to elect the accelerated depreciation methods of section 167(b) would be put to an ‘all or nothing’ decision the dampening effect of which upon the taxpayer's choice would significantly detract from the liberalizing influence which was obviously intended by the enactment of sections 167(b) and 167(c).

Bearing this in mind, we now examine respondent's contentions.

Respondent relies in particular upon section 1.167(b)-1(a), Income Tax Reg., which provides in part that:

The straight line method may be used in determining a reasonable allowance for depreciation for any property which is subject to depreciation under section 167 and it shall be used in all cases where the taxpayer has not adopted a different acceptable method with respect to such property.

He urges that the emphasized language represents the ‘basis for requiring a taxpayer to elect an accelerated method of depreciation in the first return he files claiming depreciation.’ We cannot agree. Neither this regulation nor section 167(a) requires respondent's requested harsh result.

The regulation in this case is unlike those promulgated under the broad rule-making powers specifically granted to the Commissioner (through the Secretary of the Treasury) under other sections of the Code. See, e.g., secs. 167(d), 453. Thus, in interpreting section 1.167(b)-1(a), Income Tax Regs., we must keep in mind that the regulation provides only collateral clarification of the statute; the regulation cannot direct a procedure which effectively modifies the substantive rule of section 167(a). Cf. Koshland v. Helvering, 298 U.S. 441 (1936). Since respondent does not question that the 150-percent declining-balance method would have produced a ‘reasonable allowance’ for depreciation had petitioner selected that method initially, it would seem that that method would yield no less ‘reasonable’ an allowance now that petitioner seeks to substitute it for the unacceptable double declining-balance method. Cf. Holder Driv-Ur-Self, Inc., 43 T.C. 202 (1964). In addition, the regulation lacks specificity as it states neither how nor when a taxpayer must adopt an acceptable method of computing depreciation. Viewed in this light, the language of the regulation is not so ‘imperative’ as respondent claims but is more in the nature of a directory rule intended as a stopgap in the regulatory scheme. See Georgie S. Cary, 41 T.C. 214 (1963). For example, in those situations where the taxpayer fails to make an affirmative selection of any acceptable method of computing depreciation and then, after challenge, refuses or forgets to adopt an acceptable method, the Commissioner (in order to administer properly the collection of the revenues) would be justified in choosing the straight-line method for him.

To be sure, Congress has given to the Commissioner full regulatory powers in the accounting area, see, e.g., sections 167(e), 446-472, and it cannot be gainsaid that methods of computing depreciation are accounting methods. See sec. 1.446-1(a)(1), Income Tax Regs. Respondent asserts the applicability of section 446(e) which provides that:³

a taxpayer who changes the method of accounting on the basis of which he regularly computes his income in keeping his books shall, before computing his taxable income under the new method, secure the consent of the Secretary or his delegate.

In initially establishing a method of computing depreciation for a newly acquired item, a taxpayer may select any method which results in a reasonable allowance for depreciation, and he must thereafter consistently apply that method to the item. Sec. 1.167(b)-0(c), Income Tax Regs. Thus, the choice of an acceptable method is the taxpayer's, but a change to another acceptable method requires the Commissioner's consent.

However, the notion of changes in accounting method necessarily implies that a new accounting method is being substituted for a previously regularly used accounting method. Section 446(e) takes express notice of that implication of regular prior use.⁴ Consequently, in order to come within the language of section 446(e), petitioner's attempt to now adopt the 150-percent declining-balance method would have to constitute an attempt to change an accounting method which it has been using ‘regularly.’ Here, petitioner has not ‘regularly’ computed the depreciation deduction for the motel properties under the double declining-balance method because the Commissioner had denied it that choice in the first instance, i.e., for the very first year of petitioner's existence and perforce for the first year of its attempted use of the unacceptable method. Since it has never had the opportunity to use ‘regularly’ a method of computing depreciation for the motel properties, petitioner cannot be considered to be changing its method of accounting for depreciation and, therefore, section 446(e) does not apply.

The situation here differs materially from those cases where the taxpayer has, of his own volition, adopted an acceptable method of computing depreciation and has sought thereafter to change from the acceptable method originally used to another acceptable method which he finds more favorable. See Clinton H. Mitchell, 42 T.C. 953, 968 (1964); M. Pauline Casey, 38 T.C. 357, 385 (1962); cf. J. E. Riley Investment Co. v. Commissioner, 311 U.S. 55 (1940); Pacific National Co. v. Welch, 304 U.S. 191 (1938); Estate of George Stamos, 55 T.C. 468 (1970), and cases cited. Similarly, the present case differs from those cases where the taxpayer has chosen...