Charles H. Davison and Leslie B. Davison - Page 24

                                       - 24 -                                         
          relevant to this issue.  Once it is determined that the borrowed            
          funds were the same funds used to satisfy the interest                      
          obligation, the purpose of the loan plays a decisive role.                  
               In light of the foregoing analysis, we hold that a cash                
          basis borrower is not entitled to an interest deduction where the           
          funds used to satisfy the interest obligation were borrowed for             
          that purpose from the same lender to whom the interest was owed.            
          This test is consistent with our traditional approach of                    
          characterizing transactions on a substance-over-form basis by               
          looking at the economic realities of the transaction.  We agree             
          with the Courts of Appeals in Wilkerson and Battelstein that                
          there is no substantive difference between a situation where a              
          borrower satisfies a current interest obligation by simply                  
          assuming a greater debt to the same lender and one where the                
          borrower and lender exchange checks pursuant to a plan whose net            
          result is identical to that in the first situation.  In both                
          situations, the borrower has simply increased his debt to the               
          lender by the amount of interest.  The effect of this is to                 
          postpone, rather than pay, the interest.                                    
               In the instant case, it is clear that the purpose of the               
          $1,587,310.46 advance on December 30, 1980, from John Hancock to            
          White Tail was to provide White Tail with funds to satisfy its              
          interest obligation to John Hancock.  White Tail's general                  
          partner had requested modification of the original 1980 credit              
          arrangement so that the entire amount of interest could be                  




Page:  Previous  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011