Chapman v. Commissioner

32 T.C. 599, 1959 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 151
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJune 9, 1959
DocketDocket No. 60098
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 32 T.C. 599 (Chapman 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
Chapman v. Commissioner, 32 T.C. 599, 1959 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 151 (tax 1959).

Opinion

OPINION.

Tietjens, Judge:

The respondent determined a deficiency of $10,898.94 in estate tax. The petition alleges error in the respondent’s computation of the gift tax credit allowable against the estate tax. All the facts are stipulated and the stipulation is incorporated by this reference.

The decedent, Frank B. Chapman, died May 17, 1951. The estate tax return was filed with the collector of internal revenue at Columbus, Ohio.

On December 4, 1950, the decedent made gifts of property having a value of $46,931.58 to his wife, son, and daughter. The gift to his wife consisted of a life estate in one-third of that property, having a value of $4,136.12 at the time of the gift. The remainder interests were given to decedent’s daughter and son in equal shares. Gift tax returns were filed for the year 1950 by the decedent and his wife, reporting such gifts. The decedent’s wife elected to include one-half of the gifts of the remainders to the son and daughter as her gifts. By reason of exclusions and specific exemption allowable, no gift taxes were payable for 1950.

In 1951 the decedent transferred by way of gift to his wife, son, and daughter in equal shares property and cash having a total value of $448,931.78.

In March 1952 a gift tax return was filed for the year 1951. Gift taxes in the amount of $74,165.14 were paid on such gifts.

The above-described gifts made in 1950 and 1951 were included in the decedent’s gross estate as gifts made in contemplation of death.

The estate tax computed on the gross estate before credit for gift tax is $78,480.12. Under sections 813(a) and 936(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1939, the estate is entitled to a credit against the estate tax for gift taxes paid on gifts which thereafter are required to be included in the gross estate of the donor. This credit is subject to certain limitations.

The Revenue Act of 1948 made several amendments to the statutory provisions involved here:

SEC. 813. CREDITS AGAINST TAX.
(a) Gift Tax.—
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(A) If a tax has been paid under chapter 4 or under Title III of the Revenue Act of 1932, 47 Stat. 245, on a gift, and thereafter upon the death of the donor any amount in respect of such' gift is required to- be included in the value of the gross estate of the decedent for the purposes of this subchapter, then there shall be credited against the tax imposed by section 810 or 860 the amount of the tax paid under chapter 4 or under Title III of the Revenue Act of 1932 with respect to so much of the property which constituted the gift as is included in the gross estate, except that the amount of such credit shall not exceed an amount which bears the same ratio to the tax imposed by section 810 or 860 (after deducting from such tax the credits provided by section 813 (a) (1) and (b)) as the value (at the time of the gift or at the time of the death, whichever is lower) of so much of the property which constituted the gift as is included in the gross estate, bears to the value of the entire gross estate reduced by the aggregate amount of the deductions allowed under subsections (d) and (e) of section 812.
(B) In applying, with respect to any gift, the ratio stated in subpara-graph (A), the value at the time of the gift or at the time of the death, referred to in such ratio, shall be reduced- — •
(i) by such amount as will properly reflect the amount of such gift which was excluded in determining (for the purposes of section 1003 (a), or of section 504 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1932) the total amount of gifts made during the year in which the gift was made;
(ii) if a deduction with respect to such gift is allowed under section 812(e) (the so-called “marital deduction”) — then by an amount which bears the same ratio to such value (reduced as provided in clause (i) of this subparagraph) as the aggregate amount of the .marital deductions allowed under section 812(e) bears to the aggregate amount of such marital deductions computed without regard to subparagraph (,H) of section 812 (e) (1) ; and
(iii) if a deduction with respect to such gift is allowed under section 812(d) (the so-called “charitable deduction”)- — then by the amount of such value, reduced as provided in clause (i) of this subparagraph.
(O) Where the-decedent was the donor of the gift but, under the provisions of section 1000(f), the gift was considered- as made one-half by his spouse—
(i) the term “the amount of the tax paid under chapter 4”, as used in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, includes the amounts paid with respect to each half of such gift, the amount paid with respect to each being computed in the manner provided in subparagraph (D); and
(ii) in applying, with respect to such gift, the ratio stated in sub-paragraph (A) of this paragraph, the value at the time of the gift or at the time of the death, referred to in such ratio, includes such value with respect to each half of such gift, each such value being reduced as provided in clause (i) of subparagraph (B) of this paragraph.
(D) (i) For the purposes of subparagraph (A), the amount of tax paid under chapter 4, or under title III of the Revenue Act of 1932, with respect to any gift shall be an amount which bears the same ratio to the total tax paid for the year in which the gift was made as the amount of such gift bears to the total amount of net gifts (computed without deduction of the specific exemption) for such year.
(ii) For the purposes of clause (i) the “amount of such gift” shall be the amount included with respect to such gift in determining (for the purposes of section 1003(a), or of section 504(a) of the Revenue Act of 1932) the total amount of gifts made during such year, reduced by the amount of any deduction allowed with respect to such gift under section 1004(a) (2), or under section 505(a) (2) of the Revenue Act of 1932 (the so-called “charitable deduction”), or under section 1004(a)(3) (the so-called “marital deduction”).
SEC. 936. CREDITS AGAINST TAX.
(b) (1) If a tax has been paid under chapter 4 or under Title III of the Revenue Act of 1932, 47 Stat.

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Related

Chapman v. Commissioner
32 T.C. 599 (U.S. Tax Court, 1959)

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Bluebook (online)
32 T.C. 599, 1959 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 151, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chapman-v-commissioner-tax-1959.