Opinion

Ayer v. Commissioner

  • 37 B.T.A. 767
  • 1938 BTA LEXIS 990
Court
United States Board of Tax Appeals
Filed
Apr 26, 1938
Status
Published
Author
Fossánleech
On the bench
Fossán, Black, Leech
Cited by
1 cases
Authority
More cited than 10.7%

Vacated on other grounds by Ayer v. Commissioner, 100 F.2d 850 (1939)

The opinion

V¿N FossáN and Leech,

dissenting: Petitioners contend that their basis for the stock on which the disputed distributions in 1929 were made, is cost, diminished only by distributions from depletion reserves, occurring within the period during which the Revenue Act of 1928 was effective. We agree.

Section 115 (d) of the Revenue Act of 1928 admittedly controls the treatment of these distributions. That section provides clearly that, in computing the taxable gain therefrom “such distribution [s] shall be applied against and reduce the basis of the stock provided in section 113.” (Emphasis supplied.) Section 113 says just as clearly that, here, such basis “shall be the cost” of the stock. Section 111, the provisions of which the majority applies, is not mentioned in section 115 (d). Not only that, but section 111, by its terms, is restricted in its application to sales or other dispositions, neither of which occurred here.

*782 Therefore, there is no sound reason for this Board to disregard the explicit and unambiguous provisions of sections 115 (d) and 113. Koshland v. Helvering, 298 U. S. 441 ; Helvering v. St. Louis Southwestern Railway Co., 84 Fed. (2d) 857; Helvering v. Owens, 95 Fed. (2d) 318. Particularly is this true in view of the history of the treatment such distributions were given in the revenue acts both before and since that of 1921.

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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