United States v. Boston Buick Co., 282 U.S. 476 (1931)

U.S. Supreme Court

United States v. Boston Buick Co., 282 U.S. 476 (1931) United States v. Boston Buick Company

Nos. 42 and 43

Argued January 8, 9, 1931

Decided February 2, 1931

282 U.S. 476

CERTIORARI TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS

FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

Syllabus

1. Interest on a credit allowed a taxpayer because of overpayment of income and excess profits taxes must be computed according to the statutory provision for interest in force at the time of such allowance. P. 282 U. S. 478.

2. The allowance of credits in these cases was the Commissioner's approval of the schedule of refunds and credits which had been

Page 282 U. S. 477

forwarded to him by the Collector. United States v. Swift & Co., ante, p. 282 U. S. 468. P. 282 U. S. 478.

35 F.2d 560 affirmed.

Certiorari, 281 U.S. 709, to review affirmances of two recoveries by taxpayers in the district court (see 27 F.2d 395; 31 id. 628) in actions for interest upon overpayments of income and profits taxes. The overpayments had been applied as credits against taxes due for other years.

MR. JUSTICE ROBERTS delivered the opinion of the Court.

These cases involve the same question as United States v. Swift & Co.. ante. p. 282 U. S. 468, namely, what constitutes the allowance of a credit to a taxpayer who has overpaid his income or profits taxes? The issue is made on facts somewhat different from those involved in No. 56. It is whether interest to be paid on the amounts credited to the taxpayers shall be calculated as provided by § 1324 of the Revenue Act of 1921 (42 Stat. 316) or by § 1019 of the Revenue Act of 1924 (43 Stat. 346). Interest runs from different periods under these acts. As the allowance made by the Act of 1924 is more favorable to the taxpayers in these cases, they claimed interest on their credits

Page 282 U. S. 478

under that act. The Commissioner awarded them interest under the Act of 1921. The date of the allowance of the credits becomes important because we have held that interest on refunds and credits must be computed according to the statutory provision in force at the time of their allowance. United States v. Magnolia Petroleum Co., 276 U. S. 160; Blair v. Birkenstock, 271 U. S. 348.

Upon audit of respondents' returns for 1918, it was disclosed that their taxes had been overassessed for that year. In March, 1924, the Commissioner approved schedules which informed the collector of the overassessments and instructed him to check the same against the taxpayers' accounts determine whether to abate in whole or in part, determine any overpayment, and apportion the same as between credit and refund. In July, 1924, the collector completed his work as to both taxpayers' accounts and executed and forwarded to the Commissioner schedules of refunds and credits attached to the schedules of overassessments. The Commissioner placed his certificate of approval on the schedules of refunds and credits on July 31 and August 7. The Revenue Act of 1924 became effective June 2, 1924. If the credits were allowed after the effective date of that statute, the respondents are entitled to interest computed in accordance with § 1019 of that act; if before, they are entitled to interest computed as provided by § 1324 of the Revenue Act of 1921. The district court held that the provisions of the 1924 Act applied, and the circuit court of appeals affirmed its judgments. On petition of the United States, this Court issued writs of certiorari in both cases.

In view of the decision in United States v. Swift & Co., supra, we hold that the Commissioner's approval of the schedule of refunds and credits constituted the allowance, and that interest is to be computed as required by the Act of 1924.

The judgments are

Affirmed.