Commonwealth v. Dilworth, Porter & Co.
Commonwealth v. Dilworth, Porter & Co.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
By agreement of the parties this case was tried as if before the court on appeal from the settlement made by the accounting officers of the Commonwealth. There is no assignment of error raising the question of the regularity of the appeal, and since both parties desire the question involved to be determined upon its merits, we have concluded to treat the record as if there was no question about the regularity of the proceeding. Defendant company is a limited partnership engaged exclusively in the manufacture of steel tie plates and spikes. No question is raised as to the character of its business and the Commonwealth concedes that it is exempt from state taxation upon so much of its property and assets as “is invested in and actually and exclusively employed in carrying on manufacturing within the State.” Indeed, no other position would be tenable because it is so written in the law. The Act of June 8, Í893, P. L. 354, which act was amendatory to former legislation on the subject, requires corporations, joint stock associations and limited partnerships to pay an annual tax at the rate of five mills upon each dollar of the actual value of their whole capital stock of all kinds, to the treasurer of the Commonwealth within thirty days from the date of settlement, but this act following the policy adopted by the legislature for several years prior to its enactment, exempted manufacturing companies from the payment of state taxes. It is true that the exemption only applies to capital and assets exclusively employed in the manufacturing business, but it is necessary to establish the facts to show that the portion of the capital upon which the right to levy a tax is asserted, is not exclusively employed in manufacture. When a corporation is created, or a part
Judgment reversed in each of the cases and is here entered for appellant.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Commonwealth v. Dilworth, Porter & Co., Ltd.
- Cited By
- 6 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Taxation — Limited partnership — Manufacturing companies— Property exclusively engaged in manufacturing — Act of June 2, 1898, P. L. 85k. In the trial of an action of assumpsit to recover taxes alleged to be due by defendant limited partnership to the Commonwealth, upon balances shown on annual reports made to the auditor general as being capital not exclusively engaged in-manufacturing, it appeared that the defendant was organized for the purpose of carrying on a manufacturing business; that the members of the limited partnership owned a controlling interest in a corporation engaged in a grocery business; that the balances in question had been deposited with the grocery company, and that the cash so deposited could be drawn out at any time by check. It was averred, and admitted on the record, that the working capital of the defendant, including such deposits, was no larger than was necessary and proper and regarded as prudent to keep on hand for the business of the defendant limited partnership. Held, that judgment should have been entered for the defendant.