Court Opinion

ID: 4475118
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2020-01-16 21:11:21.178016+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:31:19.252397
License: Public Domain

Disney, J dissenting: The majority opinion recognizes that a taxpayer on the accrual basis is to report income when the right to receive it becomes fixed. At the time that the petitioner was informed, by the cooperative corporation, that a credit memorandum was being enclosed for the year, the petitioner was also informed that the Treasury Department had requested renegotiation and the distribution could not be made until the results of renegotiation were known. It seems to me this is a case where the right to receive income had not become fixed, but that there was a very great contingency. Until that contingency was removed I do not think that item was accrued. The majority opinion appears to treat the renegotiation as not of sufficient importance to constitute a contingency. It is referred to as “the mere possibility of .renegotiation.” Obviously it was a probability, for the Treasury Department had asked for it. The result of renegotiation was altogether problematical and contingent. In my opinion, the taxpayer upon the accrual basis should not be required to accrue such an uncertain and contingent item. I, therefore, dissent.