Power Electric Co. v. Secretary of the Treasury
Power Electric Co. v. Secretary of the Treasury
Opinion of the Court
Between the years 1950 and 1954 plaintiff introduced in Puerto Rico Westinghouse electric lamps under an agency contract with said entity, to be sold in the island by subagents. Westinghouse sent the merchandise to plaintiff on consignment under invoices which fixed a list price, which was the price at which the lamps should be finally sold to the consumer. Plaintiff was bound to remit monthly to Westinghouse the amount of the lamps sales during the preceding month, at the price already fixed by Westinghouse, less 45 percent, equivalent to the commission or plaintiff’s profit. This 45 percent was never considered by the Secretary of the Treasury for the purposes of levying excises.
The conflict arose because the excises were paid by plaintiff during the term 1950-1954 deducting from the list price the 45 percent of its compensation plus 5 percent of the balance. Plaintiff’s right to receive in addition to 45 percent that 5 percent of the difference was stated in § 7 (c) of the agency contract between it and Westinghouse. That section provided that if the agent [plaintiff] shall forward (i) all statements, reports and inventories, as required in the contract, and (ii) remit, not later than the 15th day of each month the amount due, as provided in § 6 for all lamps sold by it and all agents served by it during the preceding calendar month, whether or not collection therefor shall have been made, it would be entitled to a sum equal to 5 percent of the amount remitted, which 5 percent was allowed as a special compensation for such prompt reporting and remittance.
Section 6 of the contract mentioned in the former clause provided that the agent shall pay to Westinghouse not later
In accordance with § 4 of the same contract, plaintiff was bound to keep account books and records of all transactions thereunder and to render Westinghouse inventory reports on the second day of each month of all the merchandise consigned and in the agent’s custody at the end of the preceding calendar month, as well as such other reports that might be required. Plaintiff was also bound to send not later than the 15th day of each month a report covering the sales of lamps during the preceding month, and such other reports as it might be required to make.
Section 16 of the Internal Revenue Law of 1925, applicable in this case, levied on electrical apparatus, an excise of 15 percent on the selling price in Puerto Rico. Selling price according to § 4 of the Act was the cost in Puerto Rico plus 20 percent over that cost. The cost in Puerto Rico according to § 4 was the cost of the articles in the point of origin plus 10 percent on this cost estimated for freight and other transportation expenses. Point of origin according to § 2 of the Act was the first place from which a contractual relation of purchase and sale was established with the importer in Puerto Rico in relation to the merchandise subject to excises, whether such relationship is established directly or through his agents or representatives, and according to § 6, this cost at the point of origin was the one that prevailed at the time of remittance of the merchandise to the consignee.
Under the agency contract on consignment involved in this case, the Secretary of the Treasury considered as cost at the point of origin the difference of the list price of West
The appellant maintains, not without reason, that this subdivision (c) is not the applicable law, and argues that if the trial court believed that Part B of § 4 was not applicable either, it should have sustained the petition. We agree that the grounds on which the trial court based its decision were not correct, but we believe the decision itself was.
If not in minute details, the additional 5 percent discount pursuant to § 7(c) of the contract is substantially contained within the prohibition in the provision previously copied. It should be noticed that under § § 4 and 6 of the contract, plaintiff was bound to render its reports and make its remittances on the date specified of the collection of the sales of the preceding month without being entitled to any additional discount. The additional discount was granted only in those cases when it would remit to Westinghouse on the 15th day of each month the amount of all the sales, ivhether or not plaintiff had already collected said amount. Evidently, this was a discount to induce prompt payment, even of collections it had not received.
Plaintiff maintains that it was not a Westinghouse client. The word “client” used in said provision of the Act
Although on other grounds, the judgment dismissing petition for the reimbursement of excises will be affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.