In re the Tax Appeal of E-Z Serve, Inc.
In re the Tax Appeal of E-Z Serve, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal from a judgment of the tax appeal court, holding appellant liable as a wholesaler of gasoline. We affirm.
Appellant caused the incorporation of Aloha Petroleum, Ltd. (hereinafter “Aloha”), a Hawaii corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary. Aloha entered into a terminaling agreement with Pacific Resources Terminals, Inc. (hereinafter “PRTI”) with respect to the Terminal Facilities. Under that agreement, PRTI agreed to receive (and store) the gasoline delivered under appellant’s gasoline agreement. Aloha was to pay the terminaling charges therefore, which terminaling charges were to be measured by the gasoline or other fuel redelivered from PRTI’s Terminal Facilities to Aloha or its nominees. Thus, the amount of gasoline delivered by HIRI, as well as the amount of the terminaling charge by PRTI, were measured by the gasoline actually delivered to the subsidiary Aloha in Honolulu.
Appellant does not argue with the findings of fact of the court below but only with the conclusions of law drawn therefrom. Appellant argues that it does no business in Hawaii; that it does not take title to or store the gasoline in question; and that the transfer is one from HIRI to Aloha, as appellant’s nominee, in the Foreign Trade Zone. Appellant also contends that it was improper under the law to assess penalties against it since the authority in favor of its legal position is so clear that it has shown that its failure to file a tax return was due to reasonable cause and not due to neglect under § 231-39(b)(1), HRS.
To begin with, we think it clear that the phrase in the gasoline
We think it also obvious that the substance of the arrangements between the parties, whereby the actual measurement of the gasoline delivered and the terminaling charge was made when the gasoline was delivered from the Terminal Facilities to Aloha, was a “sale”, as defined in § 237-1, HRS, from appellant to Aloha at the point of redelivery.
We therefore hold that appellant was the owner of the gasoline in the Terminal Facilities’ tanks which had been delivered into the pipeline for appellant’s account and held by PRTI under agreement with Aloha, appellant’s nominee, in PRTI’s Terminal Facilities; that, in substance, there was a sale from appellant to Aloha when the Terminal Facilities delivered the gasoline to Aloha; and that, therefore, appellant was doing business in Hawaii and the transaction is taxable.
As to the penalty, that is a matter which turns on a finding of fact which is not clearly erroneous.
Affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- In the Matter of the Tax Appeal of E-Z SERVE, INC., Taxpayer
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published