1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*54
1. In a prior proceeding between the same parties involving the year 1935, the issue submitted to the Board of Tax Appeals, and on review of the Board's decision to the Circuit Court of Appeals, was whether interest received on certain municipal bonds was exempt from tax. Included in the net amount stated as the amount in controversy was an amount designated "Bonus on overpayments and penalties" which was not otherwise explained but which in fact represented premiums received on the redemption of bonds prior to maturity and penalties received on default in payment at the time of maturity. Aside from the inclusion of the amount of such premiums and penalties in the said net amount in controversy, no question or issue was raised as to their exemption from tax and no consideration was given thereto nor mention made thereof by the Circuit Court of Appeals in its decision.
2.
2 T.C. 789">*790 OPINION.
The respondent determined a deficiency of $ 4,056.44 in the petitioner's income tax for 1939. The issues presented are the correctness of the respondent's action (1) in disallowing a deduction of $ 2,127.94 taken for charitable contributions; (2) in including in taxable income $ 136.02 representing the sum received by the petitioner as bonuses or premiums upon the redemption, prior to the date of maturity, of certain municipal bonds owned by her; and (3) in including in taxable income $ 971.02 received by petitioner on certain municipal bonds owned by her and representing sums designated penalties for the debtor's default in the payment of installments of principal or interest at maturity. The respondent concedes error as to issue No. (1). As an alternative issue 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*56 to be considered in event it is held that the amount involved in issue No. (2) constituted taxable income, the petitioner alleges that the said amount is capital gain and not ordinary income, as was determined by respondent.
The proceeding was submitted upon the pleadings, a stipulation of facts, and certain documentary evidence and there is no controversy as to the facts.
The petitioner is a resident of San Marino, California, and filed her income tax return for 1939 with the collector for the sixth district of California.
During 1939 the petitioner was the owner of certain bonds issued by the City of Los Angeles and the County of Los Angeles in the State of California. The bonds were issued under acts of the legislature of that state as follows: Improvement Act approved February 27, 1893. Improvement Act approved April 7, 1911. Improvement Act approved June 16, 1913, and Improvement Act approved June 3, 1921. The bonds were issued in payment for public improvements.
2 T.C. 789">*791 The amount of each particular bond represented the unpaid portion of a special assessment made against a specified parcel of land and, with accrued interest, constituted a first lien on the land. The bonds1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*57 were for a specified term of years, with aliquot portions of principal to be retired each year. They bore interest at the rate of 7 percent per annum, payable semiannually. While the bonds provided for the payment of interest and aliquot portions of principal by the treasurer of the city or county, as the case might be, said payments were not to be liabilities of the city or county or officers thereof, but were to be paid exclusively from funds collected for such purpose by the city or county from the owners of the parcels of land specified in the respective bonds. The bonds provided that in event default should be made in the annual payment upon the principal or in any payment of interest by the owner of said parcel of land or by anyone in his behalf, the holder of the bond would be entitled to declare the whole unpaid amount to be due and payable and to have the parcel of land advertised and sold forthwith. In addition, the bonds issued under the improvement acts approved April 7, 1911, and June 3, 1921, provided that in case of such default, there should be immediately added to such defaulted amount 5 percent of the amount thereof and on the first day of each month following1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*58 the default there should be added a further penalty of one percent of such defaulted amount; that the city or county, as the case might be, should be entitled to one-half the penalty first imposed, namely, 2 1/2 percent, and the other 2 1/2 percent and all subsequent penalties should be paid to the holder of the bond along with and as a part of such defaulted payment. The bonds issued under the improvement acts approved April 7, 1911, and June 3, 1921, provided that they might be redeemed by the owner of the parcel of land specified therein, or by any person interested in the land, at any time before maturity and before commencement of proceedings for sale, by payment to the city or county treasurer, as the case might be, for the holder of the bond of the amount then unpaid on the principal sum thereof, with interest thereon calculated up to the date of the next maturing interest coupon, and all penalties accrued and unpaid, together with interest for six months at the rate specified in the bond.
During 1939 the petitioner received $ 136.02 as premiums, computed as above stated, upon certain bonds owned by her and redeemed prior to the date of maturity and received $ 971.07 as penalties1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*59 on bonds owned by her on which defaults in payment of income and principal had been made. In determining the deficiency the respondent included both of said amounts in petitioner's taxable income.
The bonds involved in this proceeding are identical with the bonds involved in
In his determination of the petitioner's tax liability for 1935, which liability was the subject of the proceeding reported at
As set out in a stipulation of facts filed in the instant proceeding, the parties filed in the prior proceeding a stipulation of facts which recited that the $ 18,130.14 represented "interest received on the following bonds issued by the City of Los Angeles, and County of Los Angeles, in the State of California":
From bonds issued under the Improvement Act approved February | ||
27, 1893 (Stats. 1893, p. 33) | $ 679.46 | |
From bonds issued under the Improvement Act approved April 7, | ||
1911 (Stats. 1911, p. 730) | 14,504.61 | |
From bonds issued under Improvement Act approved June 16, 1913 | ||
(Stats. 1913, p. 954) | 125.25 | |
From bonds issued under Improvement Act approved June 3, 1921 | ||
(Stats. 1921, p. 1658) | 4,523.40 | |
Total | [sic] | $ 19,932.72 |
Add: Bonus on overpayments and penalties | 1,486.20 | |
Unallocated interest | 12.76 | |
21,331.68 | ||
Less: Service fees, costs of audits, etc | 3,201.54 | |
Net amount received by petitioner | $ 18,130.14 |
1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*61 The foregoing table was set out in the Board's opinion substantially as above. The stipulation in the former proceeding did not explain the item "Bonus on overpayments and penalties . . . $ 1,486.20," or otherwise indicate that it was not to be regarded as interest. In the stipulation filed in the instant proceeding, we are informed for the first time that the phrase "Bonus on overpayments" referred to 2 T.C. 789">*793 premiums received upon redemption of improvement bonds prior to maturity, and that the word "penalties" referred to amounts collected by reason of default in the payment of principal or interest on improvement bonds. On the issue and facts presented, the Board held that the bonds from which the $ 18,130.14 was received were not obligations of a political subdivision of a state or territory within the purview of
An examination of the opinion of the Circuit Court of Appeals discloses that the question before that court was the correctness of the board's decision "that interest paid her 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*62 [petitioner] during the year 1935 on street improvement bonds issued to obtain street improvements in the city of Los Angeles and in the county of Los Angeles was not 'Tax-Free * * * Interest upon (A) the obligations of a State, * * *, or any political subdivision thereof, * * *' made exempt from the Federal income tax by
In view of the foregoing, it is obvious that neither the Board nor the Circuit Court of Appeals was informed as to the character of the item "Bonus on overpayments and penalties," and that, since the amount of the item was represented to be interest from the improvement bonds, neither of the tribunals was called upon to consider or to decide the character of the item or whether the amount thereof was to be accorded treatment different from that accorded to the balance of the $ 18,130.14 in controversy. No mention whatever was made in the opinion of the Circuit Court of Appeals of "Bonus on overpayments and penalties" or of premiums or of penalties.
In considering1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*63 the question of
But where the second action between the same parties is upon a different claim or demand, the judgment in the prior action operates as an estoppel only as to those matters in issue or points controverted, upon the determination of which the finding or verdict was rendered. In all cases, therefore, where it is sought to apply the estoppel of a judgment rendered upon one cause of action to the matters arising in a suit upon a different cause of action, the inquiry must always be as to the point or question actually litigated and determined in the original action, not what might have been thus litigated and determined. Only upon such matters is the judgment conclusive in another action.
Also see
Under our decision in
Since we hold that the amount of premiums received by petitioner1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54">*65 on the redemption of bonds constituted taxable income, it becomes necessary to consider the petitioner's alternative issue, namely, whether said amount was taxable at capital gain rates instead of as ordinary income as was determined by respondent. On authority of