X16020

[Ric Gillespie]

The Lockheed purchase order form dated March 20 1936, that Ric attached to his "4,500 miles" post, has a pre-printed line, "California State Sales Tax."

Nice catch!  Note that the California State Sales Tax line is blank.

[Jerry Germann]

It would be interesting to see if this fellow ( T P Wright) mentioned anything about airplane taxes and means used to reduce or avoid paying them, in this February 1936 study. I don't have access to the entire report. Pages 122-128, only page 122 is open to viewing without an account.

http://arc.aiaa.org/doi/pdf/10.2514/8.155

[Jerry Germann]

Re delivery to Las Vegas, it's interesting that Lockheed test pilot Elmer C. McLeod also delivered two other new Electra 10s, CF-AZY and CF-BAF destined for Canada, to Las Vegas just a few days after he had done the same for X16020.

Las Vegas delivery seems to have been SOP for Lockheed.  Gotta be a sales tax thing.

It seems GP was very concerned about taxes at or just before the Electra's delivery,....this letter was dated just prior to the plane being delivered in Las Vegas ;
http://e-archives.lib.purdue.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/epurdue/id/294/rec/2631

I wasn't able to find the letter with the lawyers council and recommendations.....possibly the Nevada delivery was mentioned as a cost saving measure.

[Ric Gillespie]

As I read Putnam's letter, his concern is not about sales tax on the airplane.  The money for the purchase of the plane is coming from the Purdue Research Fund.  He wants it to be clear that "the gifts to Miss Earhart are outright and without obligation of performance on her part."  In other words, Purdue is not hiring Amelia to do anything.  She is not a contractor.  She is merely accepting gifts.

[Jerry Germann]

He mentions that they dropped the idea of corporate owned...rather, put the title in Earhart's name  , and is he concerned about gift taxes levied by the government against Amelia?

[Ric Gillespie]

He mentions that they dropped the idea of corporate owned...rather, put the title in Earhart's name  , and is he concerned about gift taxes levied by the government against Amelia?

We need a 1930s tax accountant.

[Ric Gillespie]

We need a 1930s tax accountant.

Wikipedia will do. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_tax_in_the_United_States

Putnam's original plan was to form a corporation that would use Purdue's money to buy and operate the airplane, but that would create a tax liability.  Congress had passed the first Gift Tax in 1932 but it only applied to gifts greater than $50,000.  The amount due upon delivery of the airplane was $34,000.  If Purdue made the money an outright gift Amelia would not have to declare it as income.

[Albert Durrell]

Actually, it's the donor that would have to pay the tax.  Still that way today, I believe.

[Ric Gillespie]

Actually, it's the donor that would have to pay the tax.  Still that way today, I believe.

But as a gift it would still not be taxable income to Eahart, right?

[Albert Durrell]

Right, Earhart would not have to report it.

[Jerry Germann]

Was wondering on the progress of the new book, and is there anything more we can be searching for to help complete the research. Do you have a best estimate when the book might be on store shelves, or the Tighar site?

[Ric Gillespie]

Was wondering on the progress of the new book, and is there anything more we can be searching for to help complete the research. Do you have a best estimate when the book might be on store shelves, or the Tighar site?

The writing is going more slowly than I had hoped.  The problem is finding time and time is a function of money.  Contributions to the Literary Guild have dropped off.  I've had to devote my time to fundraising and organizing the change in plans for Niku IX.  Also, believe it or not, we're making progress on a re-evaluation of the castaway.  We've decided to do three papers for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.  I'm writing a paper on the history of the discovery of a castaway's skeleton, Dr. Jantz is writing a paper on the bone measurements, and Tom King is writing a paper on the archaeology of the castaway camp (aka the Seven Site).  Huge project and very important - but time consuming.