1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 53">*53
1. Petitioner had a net operating loss in 1940. For 1941 petitioner took a deduction for percentage depletion. Since there was no allowable cost depletion, the percentage depletion so taken was in its entirety in excess of any allowable cost depletion.
2.
7 T.C. 994">*995 Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner's income tax liability for the taxable year ended December 31, 1941, in the amount of $ 11,788.69. An issue involving depreciation has been settled by stipulation which will require a recomputation under Rule 50. The remaining questions are (1) whether respondent properly reduced the amount of petitioner's claimed net operating loss deduction and (2) whether respondent properly reduced the amount claimed by petitioner as a deduction for its accrued capital stock tax liability. Petitioner filed its income tax return on an accrual and calendar year basis with the collector of internal revenue for the district of Louisiana, at New Orleans. The case was submitted on oral testimony, exhibits, and stipulations of fact. The facts as stipulated are so found.
FINDINGS OF FACT.
Petitioner was incorporated under the laws of Louisiana, with its principal place of business in Shreveport. Petitioner is engaged in the lumber business.
In his deficiency determination respondent, to arrive at the net operating loss deduction for 1941, reduced the amount of the corrected net operating loss carry-over from 1940 of $ 41,484.09 by the amount of the 1941 percentage depletion, or $ 37,341.38, and accordingly allowed as a net operating loss deduction for 1941 the difference of $ 4,142.71. There was no allowable cost depletion available to petitioner with respect to the oil leases and consequently the entire amount of percentage depletion taken by petitioner1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 53">*56 was in excess of what would have been allowable if computed without reference to discovery value or percentage depletion.
Respondent allowed as a deduction in 1941 on account of capital stock tax the amount of $ 750, representing the capital stock tax for the capital stock tax year which commenced July 1, 1941, and ended June 30, 1942. Respondent accordingly disallowed as a deduction in 1941 the amount of $ 5,000 claimed by petitioner as representing the capital stock tax paid in the calendar year 1941 for the capital stock tax year ended June 30, 1941.
Petitioner now claims that the proper deduction in 1941 1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 53">*57 on account of capital stock tax is $ 2,875, representing one-half of the $ 5,000 capital stock tax for the capital stock tax year ended June 30, 1941, and one-half of the $ 750 capital stock tax for the capital stock tax year ended June 30, 1942.
OPINION.
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(c) Amount of Net Operating Loss Deduction. -- The amount of the net operating loss deduction shall be the aggregate of the net operating loss carry-overs and of the net operating loss carry-backs to the taxable1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 53">*58 year reduced by the amount, if any, by which the net income (computed with the exceptions and limitations provided in subsection (d) (1), (2), (3), and (4)) exceeds, in the case of a taxpayer other than a corporation, the net income (computed without such deduction), or, in the case of a corporation, the normal-tax net income (computed without such deduction).
The exceptions and limitations referred to in subsections (a), (b), and (c) shall be as follows:
7 T.C. 994">*997 (1) The deduction for depletion shall not exceed the amount which would be allowable if computed without reference to discovery value or to percentage depletion under section 114 (b) (2), (3), or (4);
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(3) No net operating loss deduction shall be allowed.
In our opinion the above quoted provisions, as applied to the instant case, clearly require, for purposes of arriving at the amount of petitioner's net operating loss deduction for 1941, that petitioner's net operating loss carry-over be reduced by the difference between petitioner's 1941 net income increased by the 1941 percentage depletion and petitioner's 1941 normal tax net income. The difference in this case is the1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 53">*59 amount of the percentage depletion taken as a deduction in 1941 and this is the amount by which respondent reduced the net operating loss carry-over for the purposes of determining the amount of the net operating loss deduction.
Petitioner, on brief, states:
* * * There is no specific language in
This statements either overlooks
Petitioner further states that certain of the oil leases expired in 1942 and 1943 and that as a result portions of the percentage depletion taken in 1941 had to be restored to income in those later years. From this petitioner argues that it is a tax hardship on it to reduce its net operating loss deduction1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 53">*60 by percentage depletion which in later years may be restored to income. If there were merit in this contention, it would seem to us to be a fault which only Congress could properly correct.
We hold that the respondent's determination in reducing petitioner's net operating loss deduction was correct.
The issue, therefore, is whether petitioner may treat its capital stock tax liability as accruing month by month during the calendar year, 1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 53">*61 as petitioner contends, or whether the capital stock tax must be treated as accruing entirely on the first day of the capital stock tax year, as respondent contends. Treating capital stock tax liability on a monthly accrual basis has been approved where such treatment has been consistently followed by the taxpayer and no distortion of income is involved.
The petition raised an issue concerning the proper amount allowable as a deduction on account of accrued state income taxes. Since petitioner did not at the hearing or on brief mention or discuss this question, we consider it abandoned, and respondent's determination in this respect is therefore sustained.