Coker v. United States

327 F. Supp. 169, 27 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1280, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13569
District Court, D. Nebraska·Decided April 27, 1971·No. Civ. No. 03189·Published·Cited by 7 cases

Opinion

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

RICHARD E. ROBINSON, Chief Judge.

This matter comes before the Court on the motions of both plaintiff and defendant for summary judgments. [Filings •# 12 and 10].

The controlling facts in this case can be constructed from various filings and thus are undisputed matters of record. Accordingly, this action is an appropriate one for disposition by summary judgment. See Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

On March 8, 1960, a divorce decree was granted in an action between Ella P. Coker and Alfred M. Coker, the deceased taxpayer on behalf of whose estate this action has been brought. Said decree incorporated a settlement agreement between the parties. That agreement generally provided that Ella Coker was to receive a life interest in a home, the taxes and upkeep required for the home, one thousand [$1000.00] dollars a month permanent alimony and the federal income tax incurred because of the receipt of such payments. The decree, after providing for some lesser benefits not here pertinent, also provided that Mrs. Coker was to receive thirty thousand [$30,000] dollars within ten [10] days of the entry of the decree and the sum of thirty thousand [$30,000] dollars within one year and ten days after the entry of the decree. It is these two payments with which this case is concerned.

The plaintiff’s decedent filed timely income tax returns for the years 1960 and 1961 and paid the taxes shown thereon to be due and subsequently deficiency assessments were levied by the government and paid by the decedent, Alfred Coker. Timely claims for refund of the deficiency assessments plus interest were filed and were disallowed. The plaintiffs, co-executors of the Estate of Alfred Coker, then brought this suit for recovery of the deficiency assessments and a reversal of the Commissioner’s determination that the two thirty-thousand dollar payments were wrongfully taken as a deduction by Alfred Coker. Thus this action is concerned with the deductibility of these two thirty-thousand dollar payments paid by the decedent to Ella Coker. At issue here is simply whether the two $30,000 payments qualified as a deduction from Alfred Coker’s income tax returns for the years 1960 and 1961. If the two payments made are periodic payments for the purpose of the Internal Revenue Code [1954 § 71, and § 215, 26 U.S.C. §§ 22 [k] and 23 [u], then Mr. Coker was entitled to a deduction for the years in question and the plaintiffs are entitled to a recovery. If, however, the payments are considered to be installment payments on a division of capital within the meaning of 26 U. S.C. § 71 the I.R.S. was correct in refusing the deductions and plaintiffs would not be entitled to a recovery.

Sections 71 [a] [1] of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 provide in general that “alimony” payments are includible in the gross income of the wife and Section 215 [a] provides that such payments are deductible by the husband.

Section 71 [c] provides that installment payments discharging an obligation of the principal sum which is stated in the decree is not deductible by the [171]*171husband.1 The plaintiffs seek recovery by attempting to bring the payments here in question within the definition of “periodic payments” as contained in Section 71 [a] [1] of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.

To qualify as periodic payments Reg. 171-1 [d] [3] [i] provides the payments must meet the following conditions:

“[a] Such payments are subject to any one or more of the contingencies of death of either spouse, remarriage of the wife, or change in the economic status of either spouse, and “[b] Such payments are in the nature of alimony or an allowance for support.”

The decree here in question provided in pertinent part as follows:

“1. In consideration of the release by First Party [Ella Coker] of her marital rights in any property of Second Party [Alfred Coker] Second Party shall supply to First Party a home for herself and Mary Jo Ann Coker, costing approximately Fifty Thousand [$50,000] Dollars, more or less, the title to which shall be placed in the Mary Jo Ann Coker Trust #2 with a life estate to First Party, with a reversion on the death of First Party to the Mary Jo Ann Coker Trust #2.
* * * * * *
“In order to bring about the purchase of said house, Second Party shall supply the First Party with sufficient funds to seek out and approve two or more locations and properties and submit same to Second Party for the approval of the one of his choice.
“First Party shall have the right to select the necessary furnishings and [172]*172fixtures from the home now occupied by her and Mary Jo Ann Coker, to furnish the new home, except the drapes, carpets, and any items regarded as fixtures shall be left within the present home.
“Second Party shall pay the necessary moving expenses of First Party, in an amount not in excess of Five Thousand [$5,000] Dollars * * *.
“2. Second Party shall pay to First Party the sum of Thirty Thousand [$30,000] Dollars within ten [10] days of the entry of a decree in the pending action, and the sum of Thirty Thousand [$30,000] Dollars within one [1] year and ten [10] days after the entry of said decree.
“3. Second Party shall pay to First Party the sum of One Thousand [$1,-000] Dollars per month during the lifetime of First Party as permanent alimony, and such additional amount as is necessary to pay any State or Federal income taxes chargeable to First Party by reason of the receipt of said payments, all the foregoing is considered permanent alimony, the first payment to be made on the fifteenth of the month following entry of decree in the pending action, and on the fifteenth of each and every month thereafter.
“Second Party will deposit with The Omaha National Bank as Trustee, as a guaranty for the fulfillment of the obligations enumerated in Paragraphs 2 and 3 above, stock owned by Second Party in Cqker Construction, Inc., of the present book value of Three Hundred Fifty Thousand [$350,000] Dollars, and in the event of the decline in the book value of said stock, Second Party will supplement it, so that there will be at all times in the hands of The Omaha National Bank, Trustee, stock of Coker Construction, Inc., having a book value of a minimum of Three Hundred Fifty Thousand [$350,000] Dollars and Second Party will furnish at least annually to said Trustee financial statement prepared by certified public accountants,
certifying as to the book value of said stock, which statement will be made available to First Party or her representative.

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

Coker v. United States, 327 F. Supp. 169, 27 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1280, 1971 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 13569 (D. Neb. 1971).

327 F. Supp. 169 (Coker v. United States) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Springer v. Comm'r
2003 T.C. Memo. 221 (U.S. Tax Court, 2003)
Shane v. Commissioner
1980 T.C. Memo. 409 (U.S. Tax Court, 1980)
White v. White
378 N.E.2d 1255 (Appellate Court of Illinois, 1978)
Stock v. Commissioner
1976 T.C. Memo. 134 (U.S. Tax Court, 1976)
Coker v. United States
456 F.2d 676 (Eighth Circuit, 1972)