Buck v. Commissioner

25 B.T.A. 780, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1472
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedMarch 4, 1932
DocketDocket Nos. 32584, 44153, 44684.
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 25 B.T.A. 780 (Buck 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
Buck v. Commissioner, 25 B.T.A. 780, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1472 (bta 1932).

Opinion

OPINION.

Smith:

These are proceedings for the redetermination of deficiencies as follows:

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The allegations of error stated in the petition in Docket No. 32584 are as follows:

1. The inclusion in the gross estate of John A. Buck of the community interest of his wife, Mary M. Buck.

2. The inclusion in the gross estate, at face value, of a worthless note receivable of Ronald C. Kennedy in the principal amount of $1,000, plus accrued interest to .date of death of $528.89, a total of $1,528.89.

3. The inclusion in the gross estate, at face value, of a promissory note of J. C. Freese in the principal amount of $2,000, the collection of which was barred by the statute of limitations.

4. The increase made in error by the respondent in the value of the following parcels of real estate for Federal estate-tax purposes:

Parcel No. 3 — Market & Taylor St. Property
Parcel No. 4 — Delger Bldg. 6th & Market Sts.
Parcel No. 9 — Golden Gate & Larkin Property (all in San Francisco)

5. The increase made in error by the respondent in the value of 269 shares of stock of the Langendorf Baking Company for Federal estate-tax purposes.

[782]*7826. The failure to include among the liabilities of the estate the decedent’s proportionate stockholder’s liability in the amount of $8,105.14 arising from endorsement of acceptance of the Koster Company by officials of the California Barrel Company, of which the decedent was a stockholder.

7. The failure to include among the liabilities of the estate the claim of the Matson Navigation Company against the estate in the amount of $13,684.98.

8. The failure to include among the liabilities of the estate the amount of $95,000 loaned to decedent by his wife (Mary M. Buck), from her separate property, on April 1, 1922, and not repaid to her prior to his death on April 6,1923.

9. The failure to include among the deductions allowed the estate a reasonable allowance for support of dependents actually paid pursuant to an order of the Superior Court for the City and County of San Francisco.

The above assignments of error are exclusive of certain assignments of error settled by stipulation of the parties at the hearing of these proceedings.

10. The allegation of error stated in Docket No. 44153 is, “ The addition to petitioner’s taxable income for the year 1924 of $60,-000.00 alleged to be deducted in error as income paid to Mary M. Buck, a beneficiary,” and that in Docket No. 44684 is, “ The addition to petitioner’s taxable income for the year 1925 of $7,500.00 alleged to be deducted in error as income paid to Mary M. Buck, a beneficiary.”

These proceedings were heard together, at which time the respondent moved to increase the deficiency in income tax determined against the estate for 1925 in Docket No. 44684 by the amount of tax payable upon the profit realized by the estate upon the sale in that year of shares of stock of the Langendorf Baking Company, provided the Board should find that the value of that stock at the date of the death of the decedent was less than the amount for which such stock was sold in 1925.

The petitioners are the executors of the estate of John A. Buck, who died testate a resident of. San Francisco, California, on April 6, 1923. For convenience of treatment, the facts and conclusion of the Board pertaining to each allegation of error will be considered in order.

1. The first allegation of error is that the respondent has erroneously included in the gross estate of the decedent the value of the community interest of Mary M. Buck, the widow of the decedent. In the estate-tax return filed, such value was included in the gross estate. The will of the decedent executed November 22, 1922, states in part as follows:

[783]*783I estimate that, at the time of my marriage to my wife, Mary M. Buck, my fortune was of the value of approximately Three Hundred Thousand Dollars; and that all of the rest of my property is the community property of myself and my said wife. I hereby recognize her right to one-half of the community property, and I give her, in addition thereto, one-half of my separate property, so that she shall receive altogether, on the distribution of my estate, one-half of all my property, whether separate or community. * * *

This point is decided in favor of the respondent. United States v. Robbins, 269 U. S. 315; United States v. Talcott, 29 Fed. (2d) 897; United States v. Henshaw, 31 Fed. (2d) 946; Lula Vance Baumgartner, 21 B. T. A. 623.

2. On September 16, 1915, decedent received an unsecured note from Ronald C. Kennedy in the principal sum of $1,000, due one year after date with interest at the rate of seven per cent per annum. At the date of the death of John A. Buck (April 6, 1923) nothing had been paid on account of the principal of the note and there was accrued interest in the amount of $528.89. The note was returned in the estate-tax return at a value of $500. The respondent valued it at $1,528.89, which included the entire principal and interest to April 6, 1923. The full amount of the note with interest was paid in 1928, there having been some prior payments of interest.

The petitioners contend that the note was outlawed at the date of the death of the decedent and had no value. There is no proof, however, that the note had no value at the date of death of the decedent, and, even if outlawed at that date, there is no evidence that the maker of the note would have pleaded the statute of limitations as a bar if a suit had been brought against him for the collection thereof. The action of the respondent in including the note in the gross estate at a value of $1,528.89 is sustained.

3. The estate-tax return filed by the petitioners contained the following item: “Note, J. C. Freese, dated November 5, 1915, in the principal sum of $2,000, with interest at 6%, due six months from date. Interest paid to April 1, 1923. Barred by Statute.” The value was given as “ Nil.” This note was included in the gross estate at face value by the respondent in the determination of the deficiency. On November 6, 1923, an interest payment was made of all accrued interest to that date and, on November 4, 1925, an interest payment of $240 was made. The principal of the note has never been collected.

The petitioners contend that this note was outlawed at the date of the death of the decedent and was worthless on that date. There is no proof, however, that the note was worthless. The estate-tax return shows that interest was paid to April 1, 1923, and that three 3’ears’ interest was subsequently paid upon the note. The petitioners [784]*784contend that the payment of interest on the note did not prevent the running of the bar of the statute of limitations, which is four years from the due date of the note. (Section 337 of the Code of Civil Procedure of the State of California.) In their brief, the petitioners claim that under the laws of the State of California “ partial payments do not toll the statute of limitation.” In support of this proposition, section 360 of the Code of Civil Procedure is relied upon, which provides:

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Related

Estate of Hagmann v. Commissioner
60 T.C. No. 51 (U.S. Tax Court, 1973)
Buck v. Commissioner
25 B.T.A. 780 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1932)

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Bluebook (online)
25 B.T.A. 780, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1472, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/buck-v-commissioner-bta-1932.