Pennsylvania Co. for Insurances On Lives and Granting Annuities v. United States
Pennsylvania Co. for Insurances On Lives and Granting Annuities v. United States
Opinion of the Court
This is a suit to recover $7,911.30 with interest on varying amounts from August 26, 1939 together with reasonable costs and disbursements representing income and capital stock tax returns paid the Collector of Internal Revenue by reason of a ruling of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue that the trust herein created should be classified as an association for federal tax purposes.
I feel the pertinent facts of the case at bar are essentially the same as those in the case of Pennsylvania Company for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities, Trustee under Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated April 2, 1930 with Independence Shares Corporation v. United States, D.C., 48 F.Supp. 969, handed down at the same time, with some additional changes, which do not make for such a sufficient distinction, as to make the difference taxwise.
The trustee here, the Pennsylvania Company for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities, on December 5, 1930 received from the depositor the first unit of 15,000 Deposited Bank Shares, Series A, and along with the unit of Deposited Stock, which it had purchased with its own funds, $33,000 in cash for a surplus fund and $594 representing dividends pair or declared on the deposited stock from September 1, 1930. Against this deposit the trustee authenticated and delivered to the depositor, Trust Share Certificates for one unit of 15,000 trust shares. At the time of the creation of the first unit of trust shares the unit of deposited stock was composed of a certain number of shares of stock in eighteen New York banks and trust companies. From time to time after the creation of this first unit, additional units were issued, on which occasions the depositor deposited with the trustee as required by Section 4 of Article 1 of the Trust Agreement, a unit of deposited stock as then constituted, likewise purchased with its own funds, an amount in cash equal to all dividends paid or declared on said stock, and an amount in cash equal to the proportional value of the Surplus Fund attributable to one unit. At the time of the issuance of each unit of trust shares the stock certificates for the deposited stock were transferred into the name of the trustee, and from time to time it received all cash dividends upon the deposited stock, which it credited to an Income Account, from which semiannual cash dividends were paid each year. The trustee received all stock dividends, rights and like distributions on the deposited stock which it was required to sell under Section 9 of the Trust Agreement and credited the proceeds of these sales to the Surplus Fund; in the event of. mergers or consolidations of any of the banks or trust companies the trustee was required to make the necessary exchange of stocks and any resulting fractional shares per unit were required to be sold and the proceeds credited to the Surplus Fund. The Trust Share Certificates were in registered form and were transferable by the registered holders on a registry book or record kept at the office of the trustee. At any one time the composition of all units of deposited stock was required by Section 11 of the Trust Agreement to be alike, and the only changes in the composition of said units was the right which the depositor had under Section 20 of the Trust Agreement, under certain circumstances therein specified, to eliminate all of
It seems to me as I have indicated that the factual elements comprising the Trust Agreement fit into the same frame work as that of Pennsylvania Company for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities, Trustee under Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated April 2, 1930 with Independence Shares Corporation v. United States, in that, with but certain differences, which will be adverted to later, the powers and duties of the depositor, the trustee and the beneficiaries of the trust certificate shareholders are in accordance with the simple strict trust. The facts do not disclose any element of profit or gain, or that which I feel is the controlling rule in Morrissey v. Commissioner, 296 U.S. 344, 56 S.Ct. 289, 80 L.Ed. 263, that in order to be classified as a corporation for taxation purposes, there must be an engagement of capital in the transaction of business for profit. That case as I construe it can include what the investment broker refers to as a fixed investment trust if it had nothing to do, except collect income from certain shares of stock and distribute it to beneficiaries. As I have, indicated there are several factual differences between the instant case and that of Pennsylvania Company for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities, Trustee under Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated April 2, 1930 with Independence Shares Corporation v. United States, but they are more ornate, than essential, in that they do not change the character of the transaction, but are merely attractive side-lights. I have particular reference to the creation of the Surplus Fund and the payment of trust share certificate dividends, or its equivalent in cash, which features are not to be found in the Pennsylvania Company for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities, Trustee under Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated April 2, 1930 with Independence Shares Corporation case.
The powers and duties here of the depositor, trustee and shareholders are, as I have indicated, essentially the same as in Pennsylvania Company for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities, Trustee under Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated April 2, 1930 with Independence Shares Corporation v. United States, and it is the character of these powers which is determinative of their classification for taxation purposes, and accordingly I feel this type of trust falls within the rule of Pennsylvania Company for Insurances on Lives and Granting Annuities, Trustee under Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated April 2, 1930 with Independence Shares Corporation (Independence Trust Shares) v. United States of America and Commissioner v. Chase National Bank, 2 Cir., 122 F.2d 540, and therefore this trust does not fall within the statute upon which the Commissioner relies.
Accordingly, judgment is entered in favor of the plaintiff taxpayer.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PENNSYLVANIA CO. FOR INSURANCES ON LIVES AND GRANTING ANNUITIES v. UNITED STATES
- Status
- Published