1955 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26">*26
25 T.C. 477">*477 The Commissioner determined deficiencies in income tax for the following fiscal years ending on May 31:
1943 | $ 2,008.52 |
1944 | 1,781.23 |
1945 | 1,535.90 |
The sole issue is whether or not the adjusted excess profits net income credit allowed under section 26 (e) of the
OPINION.
All the facts have been stipulated and are herein incorporated by this reference.
Petitioner is a corporation organized under the laws of the State of Massachusetts with its principal office at Marlboro, Massachusetts. The income tax returns, excess profits tax returns, and declared value excess-profits tax returns for the years involved were filed with the collector of internal revenue for the district of Massachusetts at Boston, Massachusetts. Claims for relief under
The credit allowed for income tax purposes under section 26 (e), in an amount equal to the adjusted excess profits net income, is determined with the use of the constructive average base period net income allowed the petitioner under
The only question is the interpretation of section 26 (e). The portion of that section that is here applicable allows a corporation credit for income tax purposes in "an amount equal to its adjusted excess-profits net income (as defined in section 710 (b))." Turning to section 710 (b), we find the term "adjusted excess profits net income" means the excess profits net income (as defined in section 711) less the excess profits credit and other items which do not concern us here. The excess profits credit is allowed by section 712, which defines the credit as the amount computed under section 713 or section 714, whichever is applicable. Section 713 bases the excess profits credit on taxpayer's average base period net income, 1955 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26">*29 while under section 714, the credit is based on invested capital. Here, petitioner computed its excess profits credit for the years involved under section 714.
Where, as here, relief is granted under
Petitioner, having obtained partial relief under
We believe that the respondent's interpretation of section 26 (e) is correct. Congress, in enacting section 26 (e), sought to prevent the same portions of a corporation's income from being subjected to 25 T.C. 477">*479 both the income tax and the excess profits tax. It was intended that this double burden be prevented through the device of a credit against net income. Such intent on the part of Congress is clearly evidenced in the following House Committee Report on the Revenue Bill of 1942:
Under the present law, the excess-profits tax is computed before the normal tax and surtax, being allowed as a deduction in determining the bases to which those taxes apply. Thus, the portion of the adjusted excess-profits net income not taken by the excess-profits tax is subjected to the normal1955 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26">*31 tax and surtax.
The bill changes this method of determining the tax base by dividing the net income into two portions, one of which is subject to excess-profits tax alone, and the other of which is subject only to normal tax and surtax. Instead of deducting the excess-profits tax itself in determining the normal tax and surtax bases, the bill deducts, through the form of a credit against net income, the adjusted excess-profits net income, the base upon which the excess-profits tax is computed. [Ways and Means Committee Report, H. Rept. No. 2333, 77th
No violence is done to the Congressional intent if the credit under section 26 (e) is made to depend upon the constructive average base period net income determined under
The argument advanced by petitioner leads to an exemption of a portion of its income from any income tax. It files an excess profits tax return and bases the1955 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26">*32 tax upon its actual adjusted excess profits net income. Thereafter, upon obtaining relief under
A further indication of the Congressional intent that a decrease in excess profits taxes through the relief provisions1955 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26">*33 of
This compilation shall contain the name and address of each taxpayer to which relief has been allowed, the business in which the taxpayer is engaged, the amount of the excess profits credit of the taxpayer before such allowance, the increase in such excess profits credit claimed and the increase in such credit allowed,
There have been no cases on this exact issue. Petitioner calls our attention to
While the issue before us is one of first impression, we have recently considered a problem that we believe is analogous. In
By reducing its excess profits tax, by electing to take advantage of the option granted by Congress under Section 736 (a), it was able, as Congress intended, 25 T.C. 477">*481 to reduce its excess profits tax income and its excess profits tax thereon, but we read nothing in the statute that would justify an implication1955 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 26">*36 that Congress intended at the same time to exempt from income taxes that portion of income eliminated from excess profits tax liability. Indeed, the whole purport of the legislation is to the contrary, the intent having been at all times that the net income for income tax purposes should be decreased only by the amount of the excess profits tax income in order to avoid double taxation of the same amount. It would be a violent and unjustified construction to conclude that petitioner could reduce its excess profits tax under the option granted by Congress and at the same time deduct from its taxable net income an excess profits tax income credit nowhere in existence, calculated upon the installment basis. * * * To permit this would ignore the essential fact that when petitioner elected to report its adjusted excess profits net income on the accrual basis under Section 736 (a) it thereby automatically established the credit which it might deduct from its taxable net income for income tax purposes.
It is true that both these cases arose under excess profits tax relief sections other than
We hold, therefore, that where a constructive average base period net income is determined under the excess profits tax relief provisions of