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Burnet v. Sanford & Brooks Co.

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Burnet v. Sanford & Brooks Co.
Argued December 5, 8, 1930
Decided January 5, 1931
Full case nameBurnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, v. Sanford & Brooks Co.
Citations282 U.S. 359 (more)
51 S. Ct. 150; 75 L. Ed. 383; 1931 U.S. LEXIS 7; 2 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) ¶ 636; 9 A.F.T.R. (P-H) 603; 1931-1 C.B. 363; 1931 P.H. P389
Case history
PriorSanford & Brooks Co. v. Commissioner, 11 B.T.A. 452 (1928); reversed, 35 F.2d 312 (4th Cir. 1929); cert. granted, 281 U.S. 707 (1930).
Holding
An annual accounting system is a practical necessity if the federal income tax is to produce revenue ascertainable and payable at regular intervals.
Court membership
Chief Justice
Charles E. Hughes
Associate Justices
Oliver W. Holmes Jr. · Willis Van Devanter
James C. McReynolds · Louis Brandeis
George Sutherland · Pierce Butler
Harlan F. Stone · Owen Roberts
Case opinion
MajorityStone, joined by unanimous
Laws applied

Burnet v. Sanford & Brooks Co., 282 U.S. 359 (1931), was a case heard before the United States Supreme Court dealing with accounting for purposes of federal income tax and the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The case held that an annual accounting system is a practical necessity if the federal income tax is to produce revenue ascertainable and payable at regular intervals.[1]

The case was decided at a time when losses could not be carried forward to future years. Since 2018, Section 172 of the Internal Revenue Code now generally allows a taxpayer to use net operating losses from previous years to deduct up to 80% of income for a given year.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Burnet v. Sanford & Brooks Co., 282 U.S. 359 (1931).
  2. ^ 26 U.S.C. § 172
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