1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78">*78
Petitioner, in the business of operating skiing facilities, made capital investments in slopes and trails for which it claimed a 7-percent investment credit under
50 T.C. 798">*798 Respondent determined deficiencies in petitoner's income tax of $ 3,675.89 for the taxable year ending October 31, 1962, and $ 15,095.33 for the taxable year ending October 31, 1963.
Since the parties have settled the issue relating to petitioner's deduction for depreciation and since petitioner did not assign error in its petition or at trial to the other deductions disallowed by the respondent, the sole issue remaining for decision is whether or not petitioner's ski slopes and trails qualify as "
FINDINGS OF FACT
Some of the facts have been stipulated. The stipulation of facts and the exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by reference.
Mt. Mansfield Co., Inc. (hereinafter "petitioner"), is a Vermont corporation with its principal office at Stowe, Vt. Petitioner's primary business is the operation of skiing facilities in the1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78">*80 Stowe area, including lifts, trails, and slopes. Petitioner filed its Federal income tax returns for the taxable years at issue with the district director of internal revenue for the district of Vermont.
The existence and operation of petitioner's lifts, slopes, and trails generate significant employment and income for the entire Stowe area. Petitioner's operation attracts about 320,000 visitors in an average 50 T.C. 798">*799 winter season, and to service them petitioner directly employs 350 to 400 people during the winter. There are approximately 90 motels, hotels and lodges in the Stowe area, employing about 750 additional people in the winter, which exist primarily to service visitors to petitioner's skiing operation.
Petitioner's area is set in heavily wooded, steep terrain. In order to cut suitable slopes and trails, and to erect lifts for carrying passengers uphill, petitioner expended and continues to expend large amounts of money for removing timber and other natural obstacles and for grading.
During the years at issue, petitioner expended a total of $ 172,648.37 on capital investments in slopes and trails for which it claimed a 7-percent investment credit on its corporate income1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78">*81 tax returns for these years. These credits, which totaled $ 12,085.38, were disallowed by the respondent.
ULTIMATE FINDING OF FACT
Petitioner was in the business of operating skiing facilities and was not in the transportation business.
OPINION
Petitioner claims herein that it is entitled to a 7-percent investment credit under
(a) (1) In general. -- Except as provided in this subsection, the term " (A) tangible personal property, or (B) other tangible property (not including a building and its structural components) but only if such property -- (i) is used as an integral part of manufacturing, production, or extraction, or of furnishing transportation, communications, electrical energy, gas, water, or sewage disposal services, * * *
Petitioner contends that the ski slopes and trails, while not tangible personal property, are "other tangible property" and, therefore, qualify 50 T.C. 798">*800 as "
Due to the recent (1962) enactment of the investment credit provisions, there have been few judicial interpretations1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78">*83 of
Pursuant to this authority respondent has promulgated
We do not believe that this regulation encompasses petitioner's business. Assuming
Furthermore, it is apparent that Congress did not intend such a service to be considered a separate trade or business. This is quite clearly evident from a reading of the technical explanations to the committee reports. The phraseology of these technical explanations is quite similar to respondent's regulations but is slightly more detailed:
Property is to be considered as being used as an integral part of a system of furnishing transportation, 1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78">*86 communications, electrical energy, gas, water, or sewage disposal services only if such property is used by one engaged in the trade or business of furnishing such services. Thus, if a manufacturing firm constructs an airstrip for use by airplanes operated for the convenience of its officers and employees, such airstrip would not qualify as
H. Rept. No. 1447, 87th Cong., 2d Sess. (1962),
This clearly indicates to us that Congress did not intend that every service performed by a firm should constitute a separate trade or business for purposes of
Furthermore, even if petitioner had proven that it was in the transportation business, which it has not, we still do not believe that it would qualify because we think it plain that under the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations the application of this term is limited. This approach is implicit in
(3)
50 T.C. 798">*802 While this regulation does not state the criteria used to determine whether or not a business is a "transportation business," we think that these examples of businesses that are clearly understood to be transportation businesses indicate that not every business which in some loose sense might be considered to be a transportation business should be so considered for purposes of
Any doubt that Congress intended this limited rather than broad approach to the definition of "transportation business" can be erased by reference to the technical explanations to the committee reports,
The terms "manufacturing," "production," "extraction," and the businesses of furnishing "transportation," "communications," "electrical energy," "gas," "water," or "sewage disposal" services
Using these congressional guidelines, we think that any contention that the services performed by petitioner might be "commonly accepted" as a transportation business is without merit. The examples given in the committee reports and in respondent's regulations, while not exclusive, circumscribe and are indicative of the types of businesses that are "commonly accepted" as transportation businesses.
Petitioner also contends that it must be considered to be in the transportation business because of the decision of the Federal District Court in Vermont in
We recognize that petitioner is making a substantial contribution to the economy of the Stowe, Vt., area and that it attracts many patrons from Canada, which would seem to serve the same purposes and objectives which Congress sought to encourage through the investment credit provisions, namely, to stimulate capital investment 50 T.C. 798">*803 and employment and to assist the United States' balance of payments. However, as respondent points out, Congress saw fit to limit its largesse in this field to certain kinds of businesses and did not include all businesses which might fulfill the general purposes for which the investment credit provisions were enacted. While we might agree that petitioner fulfills these purposes, we cannot overstep the restrictions that Congress saw fit to impose on these provisions.
Because of our holding herein that petitioner did not1968 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78">*91 meet the requirements of
Petitioner is not entitled to the investment credit for its investments in its slopes and trails.
To reflect the adjustments previously agreed upon by the parties,
1. All statutory references herein are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.↩
2.
(a) General Rule. -- There shall be allowed, as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter, the amount determined under subpart B of this part.
(b) Regulations. -- The Secretary or his delegate shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section and subpart B.↩
3.
(d)