Opinion

Shoenberg v. Commissioner

  • 30 B.T.A. 659
  • 1934 BTA LEXIS 1287
Court
United States Board of Tax Appeals
Filed
May 8, 1934
Status
Published
Author
Goodrich
On the bench
Fossan, Smith, Trammell, Leech, Goodrich
Cited by
13 cases

The opinion

Goodrich,

dissenting: Doubtless, for purposes of revenue production, the result reached in this case by the majority is highly desirable, but in law it is erroneous. These transactions are not “ a mere ritualistic compliance with legal forms ” nor “ purported sales ”, but are completed sales between separate legal entities, consummated through thé usual business channels by an outside agency — cash paid and delivery made. To here disregard the separate existence of this individual and the corporation is to construe as a lack of bona tides — equivalent to a finding of fraud or deceit — the unconcealed intention of deliberately incurring a loss to be used to reduce income and thus avoid taxes — a course which the Supreme Court has declared to be neither morally nor legally wrong, if accomplished by steps which the law allows. It is evident that this petitioner informed himself as to the means the law permitted him to use, and by those means garnered a loss. That loss should be deducted from his income.

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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