Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co. v. Commissioner

30 B.T.A. 679, 1934 BTA LEXIS 1283
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedMay 15, 1934
DocketDocket No. 49272.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 30 B.T.A. 679 (Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co. v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Board of Tax Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co. v. Commissioner, 30 B.T.A. 679, 1934 BTA LEXIS 1283 (bta 1934).

Opinion

OPINION.

Matthews:

The Commissioner determined that there was a deficiency of $12,287.33 in estate taxes due from the estate of Clinton H. Scovell. The issues involved are: (1) The amount to be included in the gross estate as the value of decedent’s interest in a partnership where under the partnership agreement $100,000 of such interest was to be paid and was paid with the proceeds of a life insurance policy carried by the partnership on the life of decedent, payable to beneficiaries designated by insured, all the premiums on the policy having been paid by the partnership; (2) whether amounts pledged by decedent prior to his death to two alleged charitable purposes and paid after his death, are deductible; and (3) whether any amount is deductible by reason of the gift of the remainder estate to charity after life estates to certain persons in being and others not yet born.

The facts were stipulated by the parties, a copy of the articles of partnership and a copy of the will of decedent being a part of the stipulation.

(1) Clinton H. Scovell died December 31, 1926 and at that time he was a general partner in the firm of Scovell, Wellington and Company.
(2) In accordance with the terms of the Articles of Partnership of the Firm of Scovell, Wellington and Company insurance was carried on the life of said Clinton H. Scovell in the face or principal amount of $100,000. Premiums on said insurance were paid by said partnership.
(3) After the death of said Clinton H. Scovell said insurance was paid in the amount of $90,000 to his estate and $10,000 to named beneficiaries.
(4) The value of the interest of said Clinton H. Scovell in the partnership assets of Scovell, Wellington and Company, capital and profits, at the time of the decedent’s death, was $129,247.19, against which it was provided by the partnership agreement that there should be debited, as and for the purpose stated in the partnership agreement, the amount of the life insurance upon the decedent’s life, the premiums of which were paid by the firm. The insurance upon the lives of the members of the partnership, paid for by the firm, in accordance with the partnership agreement, was, substantially, in proportion to their respective interests in the firm.
[681]*681(5) Said Clinton H. Scovell during liis lifetime pledged the sum of $1,500 to the Newton Hospital Building' and Equipment Fund, $1,000 of which remained unpaid at the time of his death, but which has since been paid by his executors. Said pledge was made in consideration of the pledges of others to make similar donations.
(6) Said Clinton H. Scovell during his lifetime by the terms of a circular letter offered to pay the sum of $1,500 as prizes for essays to be written and presented by members of the National Association of Cost Accountants. At the time of his death, essays had been submitted in response to this offer which were subsequently judged and the prizes in the total amount of $1,500 were paid in accordance with tile terms of said offer.
(7) By the terms of the will of said Clinton H. Scovell the residue of his estate was left in trust for the payment of annuities and other sums, and upon the completion of said payments, the then existing principal and accumulated income was to be paid to charitable and municipal corporations which fall within the purview of paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 303 of the Revenue Act of 1926, all in accordance with the will * * *.
(8) The value of the net estate as determined by the Commissioner, including the $90,596.63 of insurance as such (of the face value of $90,000, referred to in paragraph (3) above), and treating the decedent’s interest in the partnership of Scovell, Wellington and Company as possessing a value, as of the date of the decedent’s death, of $129,479.19, and without any deduction for bequest to charity, is $447,102.89.
(9) The ages of the annuitants and the persons to whom payments are to be made as of the date of death of Clinton H. Scovell are:
1. Rosa W. Scovell-52 years of age
2. Albert D. Scovell_86
3. Helen Louise Stevens_33
4. Margaret C. Gustin_21
5. Carrie Mason Scovell_85
6. Harriet Mason_82
7. Constance E. Thatcher_66
8. Louise M. Harleston_74
9. Mary Wright Johnston_78
and the following grandchildren of Constance E. Thatcher whose ages at the death of Clinton B. Scovell were as follows:
10. Eugene V. Thatcher Jr_10 years of age
11. Jerome D. Thatcher_ 8 “ “ “
12. Norma D. Thatcher_ 4 “ “ “
13. Lois K. Stiles- 4 “ “
(10) The only two annuitants above named whose children are entitled to payments of either income or principal are Helen Louise Stevens and Margaret C. Gustin. Helen Louise Stevens had been married and at the death of Clinton H. Scovell had been divorced and had one child, Prescott A. Stevens, who was four (4) years old. Margaret C. Gustin was unmarried and was twenty-one (21) years old.
The partnership agreement is very long and elaborate. Only such provisions as are pertinent will be summarized or quoted. The purpose and business of the partnership was the general practice of public accounting, industrial engineering, business management, and such other activities as might be incidental thereto. The amount of capital invested by the general partners was to be “ $200,000 more or [682]*682less ”, in the proportion of two thirds by Scovell and one third by Wellington. The exact amounts were to be determined from time to time on the basis that Scovell and Wellington would jointly, in the proportion of two thirds and one third, provide such capital as might be necessary in addition to the amounts contributed by the special partners properly to finance the business of the firm. The partners were to draw salaries and interest on the balances in their capital accounts, and were to share in the profits, after profit-sharer’s profits were deducted, in the proportion of two thirds and one third. Paragraph (9) provides that the profits of the business are to be the sum remaining from the gross earnings after deducting all expenses of the business. The expenses are specifically set forth and included therein as one of the items is “ Premiums on life insurance policies as provided in paragraph (12) and any other insurance policies that may be agreed upon directly or indirectly benefiting the business or reserves to create an insurance fund within the business.”

Paragraph (12) provides:

(12). Insurance of a continuously renewable kind sliall be carried on the lives of tlie general partners with the policies in each case payable to the assured, or to whomsoever he may designate, always with the assured reserving the right to change and successively change the beneficiary, and with phraseology to define the insurable interest of other partners, so far as the rules and practice of the insurance companies require.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Dobrzensky v. Commissioner
34 B.T.A. 305 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1936)
Vanderbilt v. Commissioner
34 B.T.A. 1033 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1936)
Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co. v. Commissioner
30 B.T.A. 679 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1934)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 B.T.A. 679, 1934 BTA LEXIS 1283, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/boston-safe-deposit-trust-co-v-commissioner-bta-1934.