United Dominion Industries, Inc. v. United States, 532 U.S. 822, 17 (2001)

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838

UNITED DOMINION INDUSTRIES, INC. v. UNITED STATES

Thomas, J., concurring

dated [PLL], even when those transfers would otherwise be ill-advised"). Second, the Government may, as always, address tax-motivated behavior under Internal Revenue Code § 269, which gives the Secretary ample authority to "disallow [any] deduction, credit, or other allowance" that results from a transaction "the principal purpose [of] which . . . is evasion or avoidance of Federal income tax." 26 U. S. C. § 269(a). And finally, if the Government were to conclude that § 269 provided too little protection and that it simply could not live with the single-entity approach, the Treasury could exercise the authority provided by the Code, 26 U. S. C. § 1502, and amend the consolidated return regulations.

* * *

Thus, it is true, as the Government has argued, that "[t]he Internal Revenue Code vests ample authority in the Treasury to adopt consolidated return regulations to effect a binding resolution of the question presented in this case." Brief for United States 19-20. To the extent that the Government has exercised that authority, its actions point to the single-entity approach as the better answer. To the extent the Government disagrees, it may amend its regulations to provide for a different one.

The judgment of the Court of Appeals is reversed, and the case is remanded for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

It is so ordered.

Justice Thomas, concurring.

I agree with the Court that the Internal Revenue Code provision and the corresponding Treasury Regulations that control consolidated filings are best interpreted as requiring a single-entity approach in calculating product liability loss. I write separately, however, because I respectfully disagree with the dissent's suggestion that, when a provision of the

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