Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

I March 7, 1961 Honorable Robert S. Calvert Opinion No, ~~-1.006 Comptrollerof Public Accounts Capitol Station Re: Whether transfers of Austin, Texas permanent reserve fund stock certificatesof building and loan associationschartered by State of Texas are exempt from the Texas Stock Transfer Dear Mr. Calvert: Act. You ask whether transfers of permanent reserve fund stock certificatesof building and loan associationschartered by the State of Texas are exempt from the Texas Stock Transfer Act. We answer, "Yes, they are exempt." The law making this exemption Is Article 16.09 of Title 122A, Taxation-General,V.A.T.S., which reads as follows: "The tax imposed by this Chapter shall not be construed as being applicable to shares, share accounts, certificatesor passbooks issued by any building and loan associationchartered under the laws of this State, nor to credit unions defined in Article 2461, Revised Civil Statutes, 1925." The principal statutes governing building and loan associationsare covered by Title 24, V.A.T.S. Article 881a-36 therein specificallyauthorizes issuance of several different classes of shares, stock, share accounts and investment certifi- cates. Reserve fund or permanent stock is one of the classes authorized. We believe the exemption stated in Article 16.09, supra, is clear and unambiguous and that it must be applied in accordance with Its plain terms. Gilmore v. Waples, 108 Tex. 167, 188 S.W.2d 1037 (1916), and authoritiescited in 39 Tex. Jur. 160-162, Statutes, Sec. 88. SUMMARY Transfers of permanent reserve fund stock certificatesof building and loan Honorable Robert S. Calvert, Page 2 Opinion No. WW- associationschartered by the State of Texas are exempt from the Texas Stock Transfer Act. Yours very truly, WILL WILSON Attorpey General of Texas Assistant WEA:cm APPROVED: OPINION COMMITTEE: W. V. Geppert, Chairman W. Ray Scruggs Robert T. Lewis Dudley McCalla Sam Wilson REVIEWED FOR THE ATTORNEY GE8ERAL By: Morgan Nesbitt