Linda K. Minton - Page 16




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          shareholders on other than a pro rata basis (in accordance with             
          their respective stock ownership percentages).  See sec. 1.1361-            
          1(l)(2)(vi), Example (2), Income Tax Regs. (indicating that                 
          differences in the timing of distributions to shareholders do not           
          cause an S corporation to be treated as having more than one                
          class of stock).13                                                          
                    2.  Purpose and Nature of the Fixed Distributions to              
                    Julian E.                                                         
               The only support for petitioner’s argument that, in 1986,              
          the directors/shareholders of LPP agreed to make fixed                      
          distributions to Julian E. in amounts necessary to cover his (and           
          Alma’s) living expenses is petitioner’s testimony to that effect.           
          But that testimony is contradicted by the Louisiana Court of                
          Appeal’s description of petitioner’s trial testimony and by                 
          petitioner’s affidavit and a deposition given in connection with            
          the Louisiana litigation, all of which indicate that all or a               
          portion of the fixed distributions to Julian E., commencing in              
          1986, were made for the purpose of paying him (through LPP) for             
          his 1986 sale of LPP stock to Julian W. and petitioner.  If that            
          is so, it follows that some or all of the distributions to Julian           

               13  In this connection, we note the absence of evidence that           
          any disproportionate distributions to Julian E. prior to 1996,              
          when he ceased to be a shareholder in LPP, would not be offset by           
          future remedial distributions to the other shareholders out of              
          LPP’s substantial retained earnings, which totaled $582,933 at              
          the end of 1996.  Moreover, the payment of $14,786 in 1995 on               
          behalf of Julian W. for the purchase of a boat indicates that               
          remedial payments could occur whenever Julian W. or petitioner              
          needed distributions in excess of LPP’s tax payments on their               
          behalf.  That payment also indicates that all of the shareholders           
          were on equal footing vis-a-vis profit distributions from LPP in            
          that all were entitled to distributions on an as-needed basis.              





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