Opinion

Continental Nat'l Bank & Trust Co. v. Commissioner

  • 20 B.T.A. 829
  • 1930 BTA LEXIS 2019
Court
United States Board of Tax Appeals
Filed
Sep 16, 1930
Status
Published
Author
Sternitagen
On the bench
Matthews, Sternitagen
Cited by
2 cases
Authority
More cited than 10.6%

The opinion

SteRNitagen,

dissenting in part: It does not appear in evidence whether the corporation between July 1,1922, and July 15, 1922, had earnings sufficient to support the dividend of July 15, 1922, and the Board assumes that the earnings of the last six months accrued ratably over such six months. I see no legal authority for this. It may in fact have been that the corporation earned enough of these profits before July 15 to absorb the loss of the first six months and to pay this dividend and, if so, the petitioner would have been subject to surtax. Under Mason v. Routzahn, 275 U. S. 175 , and section 201 (e), petitioner had the right to show the actual earnings for the period up to July 15 or that the corporation’s books did not show the amount of such earnings or profits. It failed to show either, and since the burden of proof was upon it, it should fail on this issue. The Board ought not to favor him with a mathematical assumption of fact and thus in effect reverse the burden of proof.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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