Page images
PDF
EPUB

part of such net income shall be separately computed (allowing in such computation only the same proportionate part of the credits authorized in sections 311 and 312), and the tax upon the second part shall be the same percentage thereof as the tax so computed upon the first part is of such first part: Provided, That the tax upon such second part shall in no case be less than 20 per centum thereof, unless the tax upon the entire net income, if computed without benefit of this section, would constitute less than 20 per centum of such entire net income, in which event the tax shall be determined upon the entire net income, without reference to this section, as other taxes are determined under this title. The total tax computed under this section shall be subject to the limitations provided in section 302.

Sec. 304. (a) That the corporations enumerated in section 231 shall, to the extent that they are exempt from income tax under Title II, be exempt from taxation under this title.

(b) Any corporation whose net income for the taxable year is less than $3,000 shall be exempt from taxation under this title.

(c) In the case of any corporation engaged in the mining of gold, the portion of the net income derived from the mining of gold shall be exempt from the tax imposed by this title, and the tax on the remaining portion of the net income shall be the proportion of a tax computed without the benefit of this subdivision which such remaining portion of the net income bears to the entire net income.

Sec. 305. That if a tax is computed under this title for a period of less than twelve months, the specific exemption of $3,000, wherever referred to in this title, shall be reduced to an amount which is the same proportion of $3,000 as the number of months in the period is of twelve months.

Part III.-Credits.

Sec. 310. That as used in this title the term "prewar period" means the calendar years 1911, 1912, and 1913, or, if a corporation was not in existence during the whole of such period, then as many of such years during the whole of which the corporation was in existence.

Sec. 311. (a) That the war-profits credit shall consist of the sum of: (1) A specific exemption of $3,000; and

(2) An amount equal to the average net income of the corporation for the prewar period, plus or minus, as the case may be, 10 per centum of the difference between the average invested capital for the prewar period and the invested capital for the taxable year. If the tax is computed for a period of less than twelve months such amount shall be reduced to the same proportion thereof as the number of months in the period is of twelve months.

(b) If the corporation had no net income for the prewar period, or if the amount computed under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) is less than 10 per centum of its invested capital for the taxable year, then the war-profits credit shall be the sum of:

(1) A specific exemption of $3,000; and

(2) An amount equal to 10 per centum of the invested capital for the taxable year.

(c) If the corporation was not in existence during the whole of at least one calendar year during the prewar period, then, except as provided in subdivision (d), the war-profits credit shall be the sum of:

(1) A specific exemption of $3,000; and

(2) An amount equal to the same percentage of the invested capital of the taxpayer for the taxable year as the average percentage of net income to invested capital, for the prewar period, of corporations engaged in a trade or business of the same general class as that conducted by the taxpayer; but such amount shall in no case be less than 10 per centum of the invested capital of the taxpayer for the taxable year. Such average percentage shall be determined by the Commissioner on the basis of data contained in returns made under Title II of the Revenue Act of 1917, and the average known as the median shall be used. If such average percentage has not been determined and published at least 30 days prior to the time when the return of the taxpayer is due, then for the purposes of such return 10 per centum shall be used in lieu thereof; but such average percentage when determined shall be used for the purposes of section 250 in determining the correct amount of the tax.

(d) The War-profits credit shall be determined in the manner provided in subdivision (b) instead of in the manner provided in subdivision (c), in the case of any corporation which was not in existence during the whole of at least one calendar year during the prewar period, if (1) a majority of its stock at any time during the taxable year is owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a corporation which was in existence during the whole of at least one calendar year during the prewar period, or if (2) 50 per centum or more of its gross income (as computed under section 233 for income tax purposes) consists of gains, profits, commissions, or other income, derived from a government contract or contracts made between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, both dates inclusive.

(e) A foreign corporation shall not be entitled to a specific exemption of $3,000.

Sec. 312. That the excess-profits credit shall consist of a specific exemption of $3,000 plus an amount equal to 8 per centum of the invested capital for the taxable year.

A foreign corporation shall not be entitled to the specific exemption of $3,000.

Part IV.-Net Income.

Sec. 320. (a) That for the purpose of this title the net income of a corporation shall be ascertained and returned-

(1) For the calendar years 1911 and 1912 upon the same basis and in the same manner as provided in section 38 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide revenue, equalize duties, and encourage the industries of the United States, and for other purposes," approved August 5, 1909, except that taxes imposed by such section and paid by the corporation within the year shall be included:

(2) For the calendar year 1913 upon the same basis and in the same man

[ocr errors]

ner as provided in Section II of the Act entitled "An Act to reduce tariff duties and to provide revenue for the Government, and for other purposes,' approved October 3, 1913, except that taxes imposed by section 38 of such Act of August 5, 1909, and paid by the corporation within the year shall be included, and except that the amounts received by it as dividends upon the stock or from the net earnings of other corporations subject to the tax imposed by Section II of such Act of October 3, 1913, shall be deducted; and

(3) For the taxable year upon the same basis and in the same manner as provided for income tax purposes in Title II of this Act.

(b) The average net income for the prewar period shall be determined by dividing the number of years within that period during the whole of which the corporation was in existence into the sum of the net income for such years, even though there may have been no net income for one or more of such years.

Part V.-Invested Capital.

Sec. 325. (a) That as used in this title

The term "intangible property" means patents, copyrights, secret processes and formulae, good will, trade-marks, trade-brands, franchises, and other like property;

The term "tangible property" means stocks, bonds, notes, and other evidences of indebtedness, bills and accounts receivable, leaseholds, and other property other than intangible property;

The term "borrowed capital" means money or other property borrowed, whether represented by bonds, notes, open accounts, or otherwise;

The term "inadmissible assets" means stocks, bonds, and other obligations (other than obligations of the United States), the dividends or interest from which is not included in computing net income, but where the income derived from such assets consists in part of gain or profit derived from the sale, or other disposition thereof, or where all or part of the interest derived from such assets is in effect included in the net income because of the limitation on the deduction of interest under paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of section 234, a corresponding part of the capital invested in such assets shall not be deemed to be inadmissible assets;

[ocr errors]

The term "admissible assets' means all assets other than inadmissible assets, valued in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (a) of section 326, section 330, and section 331.

(b) For the purposes of this title, the par value of stock or shares shall, in the case of stock or shares issued at a nominal value or having no par value, be deemed to be the fair market value as of the date or dates of issue of suck stock or shares.

Sec. 326. (a) That as used in this title the term "invested capital" for any year means (except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (c) of this section): (1) Actual cash bona fide paid in for stock or shares;

(2) Actual cash value of tangible property, other than cash, bona fide paid in for stock or shares, at the time of such payment, but in no case to exceed the par value of the original stock or shares specifically issued therefor, unless the actual cash value of such tangible property at the time paid in

[ocr errors]

is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to have been clearly and substantially in excess of such par value, in which case such excess shall be treated as paid-in surplus: Provided, that the Commissioner shall keep a record of all cases in which tangible property is included in invested capital at a value in excess of the stock or shares issued therefor, containing the name and address of each taxpayer, the business in which engaged, the amount of invested capital and net income shown by the return, the value of the tangible property at the time paid in, the par value of the stock or shares specifically issued therefor, and the amount included under this paragraph as paid-in surplus. The Commissioner shall furnish a copy of such record and other detailed information with respect to such cases when required by resolution of either House of Congress, without regard to the restrictions contained in Section 257;

(3) Paid-in or earned surplus and undivided profits; not including surplus and undivided profits earned during the year;

(4) Intangible property bona fide paid in for stock or shares prior to March 3, 1917, in an amount not exceeding (a) the actual cash value of such property at the time paid in, (b) the par value of the stock or shares issued therefor, or (c) in the aggregate 25 per centum of the par value of the total stock or shares of the corporation outstanding on March 3, 1917, whichever is lowest;

(5) Intangible property bona fide paid in for stock or shares on or after March 3, 1917, in an amount not exceeding (a) the actual cash value of such property at the time paid in, (b) the par value of the stock or shares issued therefor, or (c) in the aggregate 25 per centum of the par value of the total stock or shares of the corporation outstanding at the beginning of the taxable year, whichever is lowest: Provided, that in no case shall the total amount included under paragraphs (4) and (5) exceed in the aggregate 25 per centum of the par value of the total stock or shares of the corporation outstanding at the beginning of the taxable year; but

(b) As used in this title the term "invested capital" does not include borrowed capital.

(c) There shall be deducted from invested capital as above defined a percentage thereof equal to the percentage which the amount of inadmissible assets is of the amount of admissible and inadmissible assets held during the taxable year.

(d) The invested capital for any period shall be the average invested capital for such period, but in the case of a corporation making a return for a fractional part of a year, it shall (except for the purpose of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of section 311) be the same fractional part of such average invested capital.

The average invested capital for the prewar period shall be determined by dividing the number of years within that period during the whole of which the corporation was in existence into the sum of the average invested capital for such years.

Sec. 327. That in the following cases the tax shall be determined as provided in section 328:

(a) Where the Commissioner is unable to determine the invested capital as provided in section 326;

(b) In the case of a foreign corporation;

(c) Where a mixed aggregate of tangible property and intangible property has been paid in for stock or for stock and bonds and the Commissioner is unable satisfactorily to determine the respective values of the several classes of property at the time of payment, or to distinguish the classes of property paid in for stock and for bonds, respectively;

(d) Where upon application by the corporation the Commissioner finds and so declares of record that the tax if determined without benefit of this section would, owing to abnormal conditions affecting the capital or income of the corporation, work upon the corporation an exceptional hardship evidenced by gross disproportion between the tax computed without benefit of this section and the tax computed by reference to the representative corporations specified in Section 328. This subdivision shall not apply to any case (1) in which the tax (computed without benefit of this section) is high merely because the corporation earned within the taxable year a high rate of profits upon a normal invested capital nor (2) in which 50 per centum or more of the gross income of the corporation for the taxable year (computed under Section 233 of Title II) consists of gains, profits, commissions, or other income, derived on a cost-plus basis from a government contract or contracts made between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918, both dates inclusive.

Sec. 328. (a) In the cases specified in section 327 the tax shall be the amount which bears the same ratio to the net income of the taxpayer (in excess of the specific exemption of $3,000) for the taxable year, as the average tax of representative corporations engaged in a like or similar trade or business, bears to their average net income (in excess of the specific exemption of $3,000) for such year.

In the case of a foreign corporation the tax shall be computed without deducting the specific exemption of $3,000 either for the taxpayer or the representative corporations.

In computing the tax under this section the Commissioner shall compare the taxpayer only with representative corporations whose invested capital can be satisfactorily determined under section 326 and which are, as nearly as may be, similarly circumstanced with respect to gross income, net income, profits per unit of business transacted and capital employed, the amount and rate of war-profits or excess-profits, and all other relevant facts and circumstances.

(b) For the purposes of subdivision (a) the ratios between the average tax and the average net income of representative corporations shall be determined by the Commissioner in accordance with regulations prescribed by him with the approval of the Secretary.

In cases in which the tax is to be computed under this section, if the tax as computed without the benefit of this section is less than 50 per centum of the net income of the taxpayer, the installments shall in the first instance be computed upon the basis of such tax; but if the tax so computed is 50 per centum or more of the net income, the installments shall in the first instance be computed upon the basis of a tax equal to 50 per centum of the net

« PreviousContinue »