Tax Law Commons^™

Foundations And The Patman Committee Report, John E. Riecker

Michigan Law Review

It is the purpose of this article to evaluate the major points of the first, and main, installment of Congressman Patman's Report in the light of existing Internal Revenue Code provisions, Treasury regulations, and the more significant federal court decisions and Internal Revenue Service rulings. While the Report itself is more inclusive, space limitations dictate that this article be confined to section 501(c)(3) organizations-chiefly foundations, tax-exempt funds, and charitable trusts. Although the writer will strive to be objective, it is difficult to avoid some of the political gloss in which the Report is cast and impossible to discuss the ramifications …

Corporations- Allocation Of Subsidiary's Tax Benefit From Consolidated Return, Thomas B. Ridgley

Michigan Law Review

Defendant parent corporation received from its subsidiary 3,556,992 dollars in tax benefits which had accrued to the subsidiary from filing a consolidated income tax return. By agreement between parent and subsidiary, the profit-making corporation was to pay the losing corporation the savings created by the consolidated return. The working relationship of the two assured the subsidiary profits and the parent losses. Consequently, nearly all tax benefit inevitably flowed to the parent. Plaintiffs, the subsidiary's minority stockholders, sought a refunding of benefits allocated to defendant, claiming that the agreement was unfair and alleging that the defendant, as the subsidiary's majority shareholder, …

Taxation-Federal Tax Liens-Section 6321 Of The Internal Revenue Code As Basis For Injunction Binding Assets Of Foreign Branch Of American Bank, Gerald J. Laba

Michigan Law Review

The Commissioner of Internal Revenue issued jeopardy assessments against the taxpayer, Omar, S.A., a Uruguayan corporation. To avoid payment, Omar began to liquidate its American-held assets by transferring receipts out of the country. Pursuant to its statutory right, under section 6321 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, to impose a lien upon all property of a delinquent taxpayer, the United States brought suit against Omar and various New York banks in the domestic and foreign branches of which Omar's funds were deposited. The district court granted a preliminary injunction restraining certain of the banks from transferring any property whether …

Administrative Law-Rate-Making-Authority Of Fpc To Limit Rate Of Return On Tax Reserves Resulting From Liberalized Depreciation, Harry T. Edwards

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, a natural gas pipeline company, filed a petition for review of a Federal Power Commission ruling in a rate proceeding under section 4(e) of the Natural Gas Act. Plaintiff argued that Congress did not intend tax deferrals arising from liberalized depreciation to be shared by producers and consumers and that, consequently, accumulated tax reserves should be included in the company's rate base at an ordinary rate of return. The FPC ruled that the petitioner could include its tax reserves in the rate base, but that the rate of return on the reserves would be limited to one and one-half …

The Realization Requirement And Tax Avoidance, E. George Rudolph

Michigan Law Review

Consider, for a moment, the plight of G. E. Hall. During 1947 Hall incurred a gambling debt to the Las Vegas Club variously estimated at between 145,000 and 478,000 dollars. The debt came into the sole ownership of one Binion, a partner in the club, and was eventually settled by Hall transferring to Binion an undivided one-half interest in certain cattle located in Arizona and Montana. Thereafter, Hall and Binion engaged in the ranching business as partners. At this point the Internal Revenue Service came forward with a claim that Hall, in the course of this disastrous chain of events, …

Federal Procedure-Jurisdiction Of District Court To Grant Declaratory Judgement To Nontaxpayer Whose Property Has Been Seized By District Director Of Internal Revenue, Philip B. Bass

Michigan Law Review

Personal property of plaintiff, a delinquent taxpayer, was seized and sold by defendant district director of internal revenue. Defendant contended that the seized property actually belonged to plaintiff's corporation, which also was delinquent in its taxes; he planned to apply the proceeds of the sale of the property against the corporation's tax liability. Plaintiff sued in federal district court for a declaratory judgment that the property belonged to him, not the corporation, and that the proceeds should be applied against his own tax liability. Plaintiff and defendant were citizens of the same state. Plaintiff sought to base federal jurisdiction either …

Federal Estate Tax-Determination Of Marital Deduction In Community Property State When Surviving Spouse Elects To Take Under Decedent's Will, Jon E. Denney

Michigan Law Review

Decedent, a Texas resident, provided that if his wife elected to take under his will she would receive one-third of the total community property and one-third of his separate estate. The remaining two-thirds of decedent's total estate was devised in trust for the benefit of his children. The widow elected to take under the will, thereby allowing her interest in the community property to pass as provided in the will. The executors claimed a marital deduction for the one-third separate property passing to the widow. Since she received less under the will than the value of her relinquished community property, …

Taxation-Federal Tax Liens--Priority Of Senior Federal Lien Over Local Tax Lien In Mortgage Foreclosure, Samuel J. Mckim Iii

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, a first mortgagee, instituted a foreclosure proceeding joining the mortgagors, a second mortgagee, several judgment creditors, and the United States Government. The Government's lien had been recorded subsequently to the first mortgage but had attached prior to the accrual of various local real estate taxes. Plaintiff's motion for summary judgment, that the premises be sold free of the United States lien but subject to all local real property taxes, was granted. After reversal on appeal, the court again granted summary judgment and effected the same distribution, this time by directing that all local real property taxes be paid as …

Taxation-Federal Estate Tax-Tax Consequences Of A Gift In Contemplation Of Death By A Joint Tenant Or A Tenant By The Entirety, Fredric L. Smith S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

This comment will examine the foregoing problem in light of several recent cases which have cast doubt on the presently conceived relationship between section 2035 and section 2040.

Taxation-Federal Estate Tax-Application Of Section 2039 To Benefits Paid To Survivor Under A Deferred Compensation Plan, T. K. Carroll

Michigan Law Review

Upon decedent's death, his former employer made certain payments to the surviving widow under two voluntarily established benefit plans which were unfunded and non-qualified. The first of these arrangements, the death benefit plan, provided for three months' salary to be paid to an employee's widow, if the employee died before becoming eligible for retirement. The second, the deferred compensation plan, provided payment of a certain stated maximum to an employee's widow in sixty equal monthly installments. This was not a retirement program, however, since the employee himself would receive these payments if, and only if, he were ever to become …

Taxation-Federal Income Taxation-The Three-Party Sale And Lease-Back, Lawrence R. Velvel S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The so-called sale and lease-back device has long been the subject of judicial and governmental scrutiny. The Internal Revenue Service has recently decided to begin a more active campaign of enforcement against a certain three-party variation of the sale and lease-back device. The structure of this variation can be best understood by considering the following hypothetical situation.

Taxation-Accounting Methods--Forfeiture Of Privilege Of Electing Installment Basis, Daniel R. Elliott Jr.

Michigan Law Review

During 1953, petitioner sold her farm and agreed to receive payment in yearly installments. Her 1953 income tax return, in which she elected to report the sale on the installment basis, was not filed until 1957. Respondent, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, assessed a deficiency and included the entire gain from the transaction in petitioner's 1953 return. On the basis of previous Tax Court decisions, he contended that petitioner was not entitled to use the installment method because of her failure to file a timely return. Petitioner argued that neither the statute nor the regulations required a timely return as …

Taxation--Federal Income Tax--Treatment Of Nondistributable Capital Gains Of Domestic Trust With Foreign Beneficiaries, William C. Brashares

Michigan Law Review

Taxpayer, trustee of a domestic inter vivos trust, sued for a refund of United States income taxes paid on nondistributable capital gains of the trust. Trustee claimed that since all the beneficiaries of the trust were United Kingdom residents, this income was tax-exempt under the United States-United Kingdom tax convention provision that a United Kingdom resident "shall be exempt from United States tax on gains from the sale or exchange of capital assets." On appeal by the United States from a district court judgment for the trustee, held, reversed. Although distributable gains are allowed the exemption, long term capital …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax-Divocrce Property Settlement As A Taxable Event, Martin B. Dickinson Jr., S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Respondent taxpayer transferred stock to his former wife pursuant to a voluntary property settlement agreement incorporated in their divorce decree. As consideration for the securities conveyed, his wife released her rights to alimony, dower, and intestate succession under Delaware law. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue assessed as taxable gain the difference between the taxpayer's basis for the stock and its market value at the time of the transfer, but the Court of Claims ruled that the taxpayer realized no taxable gain from the transfer. On certiorari, held, reversed. The exchange was a taxable event in which the taxpayer received …

Embezzled Funds As Taxable Income: A Study In Judicial Footwork, Jerome B. Libin, George R. Haydon Jr.

Michigan Law Review

The James case might not be worthy of extensive comment if its only significance rested on the decision that embezzled funds constitute taxable income in the year of misappropriation. But close analysis of the five separate opinions that were written indicates that James may have considerable significance beyond its precise holding.

Conflict Of Laws-Full Faith And Credit-Extraterritorial Enforcement Of State Revenue Law, Edwin A. Howe Jr.

Michigan Law Review

As the operator of a parking lot within plaintiffs city limits, defendant was subject to a ten percent city tax on his gross receipts. He failed to report the whole of his receipts on his monthly tax returns, and plaintiff, the City of Philadelphia, duly notified him of a five thousand dollar deficiency. Defendant had a statutory right to petition for administrative review of the assessment within sixty days, failing which the liability would become fixed and no longer subject to review or appeal. Rather than appealing, defendant removed himself and his assets to New York, thus preventing plaintiff from …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax-Enjoining Collection, D. Michael Kratchman S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Taxpayer sued to enjoin collection of federal insurance contributions and unemployment taxes with respect to certain fishermen who worked on boats operated by the corporate taxpayer. The Government contended that under the Internal Revenue Code an injunction could not be sustained on a showing of non-liability. The district court issued the injunction on the grounds that the tax was illegal because no employer-employee relationship in fact existed and that collection of the tax would ruin the corporation financially. The court of appeals affirmed, holding that a taxpayer may enjoin the collection of a federal tax when he shows its illegality …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax- Taxpayer's Dividend To Shareholders Allowable As Amortizable Bond Premium Deduction, H. C. Snyder Jr., S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

In an effort to make an amount distributed to its shareholders tax deductible, taxpayer bought utility bonds which were selling at a large premium and which were callable on thirty days' notice. Taxpayer borrowed an amount equal to the lowest call price, mortgaged the bonds to secure the loan, and paid cash equal to the difference, i.e., the premium in this case. After holding the bonds for thirty days, taxpayer declared a dividend of the bonds and distributed them to its shareholders subject to the indebtedness. The shareholders sold the bonds, paid off the loan from the proceeds, and …

Federal Income Taxation-Accounting Methods-Accounting For Prepayments And Estimated Future Expenses, Jerome M. Salle S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

"It is the essence of any system of taxation that it should produce revenue ascertainable, and payable to the government, at regular intervals." In order to obtain regular periodic revenues from the federal income tax, Congress requires all taxpayers to determine their taxable income annually.

Income may be defined as "value added" as a result of a given economic activity. Logically, the most opportune time to measure income occurs whenever that activity has ended, for at that time the continuous growth or contraction in the attributable value will likewise have ended and the income or loss from the activity will …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax-Worthless Debt Of Corporation Deductible Only As A Nonbusiness Bad Debt By Creditor-Partnership, Larry W. Waggoner

Michigan Law Review

A partnership formed for the purpose of holding and renting real estate and "such other business and enterprises" as might be agreed upon by the partners loaned 120,000 dollars to a corporation which manufactured liquid hair spray for women. This was the only loan the partnership had made. The controlling shareholder in the debtor-corporation was another corporation of which every shareholder was either a parent or grandparent of the partners. The debtor-corporation was to repay the loan in monthly installments of 3,000 dollars plus interest at the rate of twelve percent on the unpaid balance. When the debt became worthless, …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax-Liquidation Distributions Entitled To Both Capital Gains Treatment And Foreign Tax Credit, Lloyd C. Fell

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, Associated, is an American corporation whose wholly-owned subsidiary, Automatic, owned all the stock of Filcrest, a Canadian corporation. In 1954 all the assets of Filcrest were distributed to Automatic pursuant to a plan of complete liquidation, accomplished in accordance with Canadian law. In its 1954 consolidated return, plaintiff treated the gain realized on the Filcrest liquidation as a capital gain, and also claimed a foreign tax credit for any Canadian income, war or excess profits taxes which Filcrest had paid over the years to Canada on that part of the liquidation distribution which represented Filcrest's accumulated earnings and profits. …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax-Transfers Of Mineral Rights In Soil Deposits As Lease Or Sale, Philip Sotiroff

Michigan Law Review

Petitioner executed a written agreement with a contractor in 1954 whereby the contractor acquired the right to enter petitioner's land and extract sand and gravel for a fixed amount per cubic yard. This agreement was terminated in 1955 when the excavations had reached the desired level of street access. Petitioner had entered into a previous oral agreement in 1949 with a different party for the sale of the gravel on the same land down to the same elevation, but that party had not fully exploited the agreement. Petitioner claimed that the agreements were sales of sand and gravel in place …

Taxation-Federal Income Taxation-Examination Of Certain Problems Under Section 335, Roger B. Harris S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Stock and securities of controlled corporations may be distributed to shareholders, tax free, in cases of corporate separations which qualify under section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. A corporate separation is effected by the transfer of part of a corporation's assets to a subsidiary, the stock of which is distributed to the parent's stockholders. Such distributions are generally classified into three categories: spin-off, split-off, and split-up. A spin-off occurs when corporation A forms corporation B to which A transfers certain assets, receiving in exchange, the stock of corporation B. A then distributes the stock of …

Taxation-Federal Estate Tax-The Construction Of Section 2036, William S. Bach S .Ed.

Michigan Law Review

This comment will explore two problems: first, an analysis of the legislative history of the present section 2036 in an effort to discover exactly which property relationships Congress intended to reach by this provision; second, an examination of the treatment which several specific arrangements have been given by the courts to determine whether there is any degree of certainty or predictability in the application of section 2036.

Taxation-Federal Estate Tax-Inference Of Retained Life Interest Under Section 2036(A), Donald E. Vacin

Michigan Law Review

In 1936 decedent established an irrevocable trust naming herself and relatives as beneficiaries. The corporate trustees were directed to pay the trust income, in the exercise of their absolute discretion, either to the settlor or to the other beneficiaries. In filing her 1936 federal gift tax return settlor attempted unsuccessfully to exclude the value of a life estate in the trust income, allegedly retained by her. At her death, the value of the trust corpus was not included in her estate tax return. The Commissioner assessed a deficiency contending that decedent-settlor had retained for her life the "possession or enjoyment" …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax-Religious Order Not Exempt From Supplment U Tax As A Church, Alan Rothenberg

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff, a non-profit, membership corporation consists of members of the Christian Brothers Order, and was established to furnish religious and secular education to youth. The Catholic Church considers religious instruction to be the performance of a church function, and property of the Christian Brothers Order is church property according to Roman Catholic canon law. During the taxable years in question plaintiff owned and operated a novitiate, Catholic schools, homes for the Brothers, and a winery and distillery. Plaintiff was assessed and paid $489,800.83 as a Supplement U tax on its unrelated business income realized from the winery and distillery operation. …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax-Strike Insurance Agreements, Robert A. Butler S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

Contracts indemnifying persons or corporations for losses and damage resulting from an interruption of business due to strikes have existed at least since the beginning of this century. The Mutual Security Company of Connecticut, for example, wrote such a policy for the Buffalo Forge on April 9, 1906. In more recent times, strike insurance agreements have been instituted in major industries, and their impact on collective bargaining has been the subject of some controversy. The purpose of this comment is to consider the federal income tax questions which arise from such arrangements. Specifically, attention is directed to the deductibility of …

Bankruptcy-Federal Tax Claims-Accrual Of Post-Petition Interest, Robert Lane

Michigan Law Review

In 1953 taxpayer filed a petition and was discharged in bankruptcy owing federal withholding and social security taxes for 1951. In 1958 taxpayer became entitled to a refund on his 1953-1954 taxes. The Commissioner applied a portion of this ·refund against the balance of the tax for the year 1951, plus accrued interest to 1958. Taxpayer claimed that he was not liable for the interest which had accrued during the period between the date of petition in bankruptcy and the date of refund. When the Commissioner disallowed his claim, the taxpayer brought an action in district court to recover the …

Taxation-Federal Income Tax-Accrual Of State Property Taxes Paid Under Protest, Robert L. Harmon

Michigan Law Review

During the years 1946 to 1950 a local tax upon respondent's real property was assessed at one hundred dollars. Respondent paid the full assessment to avoid interest penalties and seizure and sale of the property under tax liens, but contested the assessment in the state court, denying any liability greater than eighty-five dollars. In each of the preceding years, complying with a private ruling directed to it by the Commissioner, respondent had deducted the full one hundred dollars, and, when in 1951 the tax was fixed by the state court at ninety-five dollars, respondent included the five-dollar refund in its …

Taxation - Federal Income Tax - Capital Gain Treatment Of Amount Received From Sublessee By Lessee-Sublessor For Surrender Of Lease To Lessor, Paul Tractenberg

Michigan Law Review

The lessor and the sublessee of a valuable piece of business property sought to remove the intervening interest of petitioner, the lessee-sublessor. Petitioner agreed to release to the lessor all his right and interest in the leasehold and in consideration therefor petitioner received a sum of money from the sublessee. The Tax Court decided in a deficiency proceeding that the entire amount should be taxed as ordinary income on the ground that it was merely a substitute for future rental payments. On appeal, held, reversed. Since the substance of the transaction was the transfer of the leasehold from the …