Bradley v. Commissioner

1 T.C. 518, 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 242
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedFebruary 2, 1943
DocketDocket No. 109069
StatusPublished
Cited by62 cases

This text of 1 T.C. 518 (Bradley 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
Bradley v. Commissioner, 1 T.C. 518, 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 242 (tax 1943).

Opinions

OPINION.

AetjNdell, Judge:

The Commissioner determined a deficiency of $63,244.44 in estate tax. Minor adjustments are not disputed. The issue is whether the value of the corpora of two irrevocable trusts created by decedent prior to 1931 should be included within his gross estate. This turns primarily upon whether the transfers were intended to take effect in possession or enjoyment at or after decedent’s death by reason of his reservation of the right to designate who should receive the income during his life, though decedent was precluded from designating himself under one of the trusts. The facts are stipulated or admitted in the pleadings.

The decedent, a resident of Stonington, Connecticut, died September 19,1938, at the age of almost 81. The estate tax return was filed with the collector for the district of Connecticut.

The first trust was created December 11, 1923, by an irrevocable transfer of property from decedent to a trust company. The trust indenture directed the trustee to pay the net income quarterly during decedent's lifetime “to such persons as I [decedent] may designate,” any income not so designated and paid to be added to corpus. Upon decedent’s death his wife was to receive so much of the income as she should request during the remainder of her life; and thereafter, or upon decedent’s death if his wife predeceased him, the income was to be paid to. decedent’s children in equal shares. The share of any deceased child was to be paid to his or her issue, if any; otherwise to the surviving children or their issue. The trust was to terminate upon the death of the survivor of decedent, his wife, and their three children, and upon such termination the corpus was to be distributed free of trust “to the children or offspring of my children, per capita * * By an instrument executed October 30, 1930, decedent modified the trust by excluding himself from those whom he might designate to receive the income during his lifetime. The value of the corpus of this trust at the date of death was $142,650.69.

The other trust was created September 30, 1929, by an irrevocable transfer of property from decedent to the same trust company. The trust indenture directed the trustee to pay the net income quarterly during decedent’s lifetime to decedent or such other person or persons as he might designate, any income not so designated and paid to be added to corpus. Upon his death the trustee was to set aside the following sums: $100,000, the income from which was to be paid to decedent’s second wife, Mildred, during her lifetime; $15,000, the income from which was to be paid to decedent’s daughter-in-law, Adeline M. Bradley, during her lifetime; and $10,000 and $7,000, the respective incomes from which were to be paid to two employees of decedent during their respective lifetimes. The balance of the corpus upon decedent’s death, excluding $5,000 to be paid to the Connecticut Baptist Convention, was to be distributed free of trust to decedent’s daughters, Annie B. Brown and Vera B. Findlay. Similarly, upon the termination of each of the four life estates specified-above, the sums so set aside were to be paid free of trust to Annie B. Brown and Vera B. Findlay. The share of either daughter, if she were deceased at the time of any distribution of corpus, was to pass to her issue, if any; otherwise to the surviving daughter or her issue. In default thereof the corpus in each instance was to be distributed to decedent’s heirs-at-law and next of kin according to the Connecticut statutes of descent and distribution. By an instrument executed March 12, 1931, decedent modified this trust in a particular not here important. The value at the date of decedent’s death of the property transferred to this trust on September 30, 1929, was $243,123.49.

Neither of the trusts was created by decedent in contemplation of death.

Decedent and his first wife, Lois, had three children, Annie B. Brown, Vera B. Findlay, both of whom were living at the death of decedent, and a son, Eugene, who died in 1919. Decedent’s first wife, Lois, died October 5, 1925, and on September 20, 1926, decedent married Mildred G. Bradley, who was born June 16,1897.

Eugene had two children, born in 1916 and 1919, both of whom are now living. Annie B. Brown has two children now living, one born in 1908, who has four children now living, and the other born in 1914, who has one child now living. Vera B. Findlay has three children now living, one born in 1915 (who has one child now living), one born in 1922, and the other in 1929.

Despondent defends his inclusion of the trust corpora in decedent’s gross estate upon four distinct grounds: (1) Decedent retained such broad economic control over the trust assets that they fall within section 302 (a) of the Bevenue Act of 1926, as amended; (2) there was a possibility that the corpora might revert to decedent’s estate, and the transfers were therefore intended to take effect in possession or enjoyment at or after death within the meaning of subsection (c) as construed in Helvering v. Hallock, 309 U. S. 106; (3) the reservation of the right to designate the income recipients during his lifetime had a similar effect, Estate of Mary H. Hughes, 44 B. T. A. 1196; and (4) decedent retained the power to alter, amend, or revoke within the meaning of subsection (d) (1), Commissioner v. Bridgeport City Trust Co., 124 Fed. (2d) 48; certiorari denied, 316 U. S. 672. The pertinent sections of the statute are set forth in the margin.1

Three of these contentions are without merit and may be easily disposed of. The argument that subsection (a) applies is an attempt, as we understand it, to invoke in the estate tax field the income tax doctrine of Helvering v. Clifford, 309 U. S. 331. But, assuming that the equivalence of ownership theory might be invoked in an estate tax case where the decedent retained “broad economic control” over the trust corpus, the premises upon which that doctrine rests are entirely lacking here. The transfers were for long periods and were made to an independent trust company over which decedent retained no control of management. The only interest which he retained was the power to control the disposition of income. This power ceased at his death and gave him no control whatever at any time over the remainders, which are sought to be taxed here. . We think it plain that decedent had no such interest in the trust corpora as to cause their taxation under subsection (a). Estate of Flora W. Lasker, 47 B. T. A. 172. In the recent case of Helvering v. Safe Deposit & Trust Co. of Baltimore, 316 U. S. 56, the Supreme Court held that in view of the legislative, judicial and administrative history of section 302 (a), the words “interest * * * of the decedent at the time of his death” were not intended by Congress to include property subject to an unexercised general testamentary power of appointment." Congress had dealt specifically with such powers in subsection (f). We think the reasoning of the Court in that case leads to the same conclusion here. Transfers of the sort involved here have been covered by specific provisions in subsections (c) and (d).

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Bluebook (online)
1 T.C. 518, 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 242, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bradley-v-commissioner-tax-1943.