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Criminal Law And Procedure - Statutes-Constitutionality Of Criminal Penalties For Unreasonable Deductions Under Federal Income Tax Statute, William H. Shipley

Michigan Law Review

Defendant was indicted for attempting to evade the federal tax on the income of a certain corporation for the years 1933 to 1936. In providing for deductions from gross income, the statute permits a reasonable allowance for salaries or other compensation for personal services. The government charged that the defendant was a party to a fraudulent scheme whereby, under the guise of paying commissions for services, which commissions were · deducted from gross income, the corporation distributed profits to its stockholders. The trial court submitted to the jury the issue whether the deduction represented a reasonable allowance for the services …