Bailey v. Commissioner

41 T.C. 663, 1964 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedFebruary 25, 1964
DocketDocket No. 2185-62
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 41 T.C. 663 (Bailey v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bailey v. Commissioner, 41 T.C. 663, 1964 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147 (tax 1964).

Opinion

OPINION

Black, Judge:

The Commissioner has determined a deficiency in petitioners’ income tax for the year 1960 in the amount of $77.02. The deficiency is due to the addition to the taxable income shown on petitioners’ return of “(a) Additional income — Commissions earned $257.40.” The adjustment is explained in the deficiency notice as follows:

It is determined that you realized income from insurance commissions in the amount of $257.40 which you failed to report on your income tax return. Accordingly, your taxable income is increased $257.40.

The facts have all been stipulated and are adopted as our findings of fact. We summarize them as follows:

Petitioners are husband and wife who resided at Brentwood 17, Mo., during the taxable year 1960 and at the time the notice of deficiency was mailed to them. Their joint Federal income tax return for the year ended December SI, 1960, was filed with the district director of internal revenue, St. Louis, Mo. George E. Bailey, hereinafter referred to as petitioner, was, during 1960 and for many years prior thereto, an employee of the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Co. at St. Louis. In addition, petitioner, during 1960, also maintained a law practice in the city of St. Louis and was a member of the board of directors of the Missouri Fidelity Insurance Co., hereinafter referred to as the Company, being so elected on February 20, 1960. During 1960 petitioner was also an assistant secretary of the Company.

The Company is a legal reserve life insurance company incorporated under the laws of the State of Missouri, then maintaining home offices in the city of St. Louis and is primarily engaged in the business of selling life insurance. On or about August 17, 1960, at the request of petitioner, petitioner was appointed as an agent of the Company and thereby acquired the right to sell life insurance for the Company. Petitioner was duly licensed by the State of Missouri to sell life insurance. During the taxable year 1960, petitioner had no written agent’s agreement with the Company; however, an oral agreement respecting regular and renewal sales commissions existed between the parties during the taxable year involved herein. This oral agreement between petitioner and the Company imposed upon the Company the contractual obligation to pay petitioner a commission on all premiums paid on policies which petitioner wrote as compensation for his service in placing the policy with the Company. Under the oral agreement with the Company, petitioner was to receive or retain a percentage of the premiums on all policies procured by him in accordance with a schedule contained in an “Agent’s Letter of Understanding.”

By application dated October 13, 1960, petitioner made application for $10,000 in life insurance on his own life with the Company. The application was duly granted and a life insurance policy for that amount was issued to petitioner. The annual premium on the policy was $514.80. As a result of his oral contract with the Company, petitioner was entitled to a regular commission on this policy for 1960 in the amount of $257.40.

On its books and records for the calendar year 1960, the Company treated the transaction involved herein as if it had received the entire first year’s premium of $514.80 on policy No. 10333, sometimes referred to as the gross premium, and paid the petitioner the sum of $257.40 during 1960 as a commission on policy No. 10333 written by petitioner on his own life even though petitioner, in fact, remitted to the Company only $257.40, hereinafter sometimes referred to as a net premium, which is the gross premium minus commission.

Vernon’s Annotated Missouri Statutes, section 375.936 provides:

Sec. 376.936. Unfair Practices Defined
The following are hereby defined as unfair methods of competition and unfair and deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance:
*******
(8) “Rebates.”
(a) Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, knowingly permitting or offering to make or making any contract of life insurance, life annuity or accident and health insurance, or agreement as to such contract other than as plainly expressed in the contract issued thereon, or paying or allowing, or giving or offering to pay, allow, or give, directly or indirectly, as inducement to such insurance, or annuity, any rebate of premiums payable on the contract, or any special favor or advantages in the dividends or other benefits thereon, or any valuable consideration or inducement whatever not specified in the contract; or giving, or selling, or purchasing or offering to give, sell, or purchase as inducement to such insurance or annuity or in connection therewith, any stocks, bonds, or other securities of any insurance company or other corporation, association, or partnership, or any dividends or profits accrued thereon, or anything of value whatsoever not specified in the contract.

The Company is required by Missouri statute to write life insurance policies at fixed or uniform rates and the Company issues no policy for a consideration less than the uniform annual rate or premium as recited in each policy.

Life insurance policy No. 10333, with application therefor attached to the policy and incorporated therein, was issued by the Company on September 28, 1960, to petitioner and provides, inter alia, as follows:

(a) The total annual premium payable is $514.80 as stated on the first page of the insurance policy, as well as in the application attached thereto which was signed by petitioner as the proposed insured and also as the agent.

(b) The first page of the policy provides in pertinent part as follows:

CONSIDERATION
This contract is issued in consideration of the payment in advance of the annual premium specified above, and a like sum in advance on each anniversary of the date of issue during the continuance .of ithis contract, or until prior death of the Insured, except that premiums may be paid in semi-annual or quarterly installments as provided herein.

On their Federal income tax return for the taxable year ended December 31,1960, petitioners reported as taxable income the amount of $12,790.92. In computing their taxable income, petitioners disclosed on their return, but did not include in taxable income, the sum ■of $257.40 which petitioner was entitled to as a commission on the aforementioned life insurance policy. The disclosure on his income tax return with reference to the insurance premium involved here was as follows:

Taxpayer is an employee of St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company and, in addition, a practicing attorney. During 1960 he was elected to the Board of Directors of Missouri Fidelity Life Insurance Company, a new company, with offices at 4221 Lindell Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri. At taxpayer’s request he was designated an agent for said Life Insurance Company and thereafter applied for and received a policy on his own life for which he paid a net premium of $257.40. The gross premium payable, if the policy had been sold to another, would have been $514.80.

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Bailey v. Commissioner
41 T.C. 663 (U.S. Tax Court, 1964)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
41 T.C. 663, 1964 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bailey-v-commissioner-tax-1964.