Commissioner v. P.G. Lake, Inc.

356 U.S. 260 (1958)

Facts

The Lake, Wrather, and O’Connor cases are similar. Lake (P) was engaged in the business of producing oil and gas and had a 7/8th interest in two commercial oil and gas leases. P was indebted to its president to the sum of $600,000. In consideration of his cancellation of the debt, P assigned an oil payment right in the amount of $600,000 plus interest at 3 percent on the unpaid balance payable out of 25% of the oil attributable to P’s working interest in the two leases. The pay-out was reasonably anticipated to take 2-3 years. P reported the payment assignment as a sale of property with a profit of $600,000 and a long-term capital gain. The Commissioner determined that the monies were taxable as ordinary income. The Court of Appeals started from the premise that oil payments are interests in land; this was taken from Texas law.