- 12 - former category are Cottage Sav. Association v. Commissioner, 499 U.S. 554 (1991); and Esmark, Inc. & Affiliated Cos. v. Commissioner, 90 T.C. 171 (1988), affd. without published opinion 886 F.2d 1318 (7th Cir. 1989). In the latter category are ACM Partnership v. Commissioner, 157 F.3d 231 (3d Cir. 1998), affg. in part T.C. Memo. 1997-115; Goldstein v. Commissioner, 364 F.2d 734 (2d Cir. 1966); and Friendship Dairies, Inc. v. Commissioner, 90 T.C. 1054 (1988). Referring to tax shelter transactions in which a taxpayer seeks to use a minimal commitment of funds to secure a disproportionate tax benefit, the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit stated, in Saviano v. Commissioner, 765 F.2d 643, 654 (7th Cir. 1985), affg. 80 T.C. 955 (1983): The freedom to arrange one's affairs to minimize taxes does not include the right to engage in financial fantasies with the expectation that the Internal Revenue Service and the courts will play along. The Commissioner and the courts are empowered, and in fact duty-bound, to look beyond the contrived forms of transactions to their economic substance and to apply the tax laws accordingly. * * * Petitioner repeatedly argues, and asks the Court to find, that it could not have had a tax savings or tax benefit purpose in entering into the ADR transaction because: In this case, a tax savings or tax benefit purpose cannot be attributed to Compaq because Compaq did not enjoy any tax reduction or other tax benefit from the transaction. Compaq's taxable income increased by approximately $1.9 million as a result of the Royal Dutch ADR arbitrage. Compaq's worldwide tax liability increased by more than $640,000 as a direct result of the Royal ADR arbitrage. The reason for this increasePage: Previous 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Next
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