Lavo Co. of America v. Department of Taxation
Lavo Co. of America v. Department of Taxation
Opinion of the Court
The sole issue on this appeal is whether there is substantial credible evidence to support the finding of the board of tax appeals that a promissory note given to the appellant Lavo Company by the Rose Manor Realty
Lavo and Rose Manor are both Wisconsin corporations with the same officers, directors, and stockholders. Lavo keeps its books and reports its income on an accrual basis; Rose Manor on a cash basis. On August 13, 1941, Lavo sold to Rose Manor a parking lot on a land contract for $57,000. The contract and a promissory note given therewith provided for a down payment of $2,000, the balance of $55,000 to be paid at the rate of $2,500 each March and September 1st and interest on the unpaid balance at 4¼ per cent. Louis Rosenberg, the president and owner of all, except two, of the shares of stock of both companies, handled the transaction exclusively, representing both companies.
The corporate minutes of both companies showed the terms of the contract and note, including the provision for 4¼ per cent interest. Three instalment principal payments were made. Lavo’s tax returns for 1942 showed interest income of $2,381.77, which equals the amount of interest due on the two principal instalment payments of March 1st and September 1st of 1942. Rose Manor in its 1942 returns deducted interest of $2,631.77, or $250 more than the interest reported by Lavo for that year. There is no direct testimony that Rose Manor paid this interest to Lavo. In each of the years 1943 to 1947 inclusive, the unpaid balance of the promissory note was $47,500, and it was stipulated that during these years Rose Manor did not pay interest to Lavo. Lavo likewise did not accrue any interest for these years. The additional assessment, as modified on the abatement hearing, resulted from the inclusion of interest on the promissory note in Lavo’s tax returns.
At the hearing before the board of tax appeals, Louis Rosenberg testified by deposition that he had no intention any interest would be paid and the rate of interest was put
Appellant contends the interest on the note did not accrue so as to require Lavo to report it as taxable income because Lavo never received the interest and no interest was intended to be paid. Whether Lavo actually received this interest is immaterial if it had a right to receive interest because Lavo was on an accrual basis. Spring City Foundry Co. v. Commissioner (1934), 292 U. S. 182, 54 Sup. Ct. 644, 78 L. Ed. 1200; Commissioner v. Edwards Drilling Co. (5th Cir. 1938), 95 Fed. (2d) 719. This rule has been adopted by the Wisconsin board of tax appeals in B. H. Stahr Co. v. Department of Taxation (1947), 3 WBTA 256. Accruability of income is determined by the right to receive the income. “When the right to receive an amount becomes fixed, the right accrues” and the taxpayer on an accrual basis must report it whether he actually receives it or not in that year. Johnson v. Commissioner (1956), 233 Fed. (2d) 952; Spring City Foundry Co. v. Commissioner, supra.
The appellant further contends that when there is no intention that interest be paid, the right to receive interest does not become fixed notwithstanding the promissory note provided for interest payments. In the cases relied upon by the appellant, it was found as a fact there was no intention to pay interest, and hence no liability to pay existed. Combs Lumber Co. v. Commissioner (1940), 41 B. T. A. 339; Society Brand Clothes, Inc., v. Commissioner (1952), 18 T. C. 304. But these cases do not determine there was no intention to pay interest under the facts of the instant case or there was no accrual of income.
Here the question is factual. Was there an intention by both companies that interest should be paid? While.the in
It may be courts are not rigidly bound by written instruments in tax cases, and parol evidence may be introduced to conform them to the original intention. The difficulty here is with the ex parte proof of the claimed intention. This is not a case of two persons dealing at arm’s length testifying
By the Court. — Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Lavo Company of America v. Department of Taxation
- Status
- Published