Dockery v. Commissioner

1998 T.C. Memo. 114, 75 T.C.M. 2032, 1998 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 114
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 19, 1998
DocketTax Ct. Dkt. No. 14915-96
StatusUnpublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1998 T.C. Memo. 114 (Dockery 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
Dockery v. Commissioner, 1998 T.C. Memo. 114, 75 T.C.M. 2032, 1998 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 114 (tax 1998).

Opinion

CHARLES C. DOCKERY, DONOR, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Dockery v. Commissioner
Tax Ct. Dkt. No. 14915-96
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1998-114; 1998 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 114; 75 T.C.M. (CCH) 2032;
March 19, 1998, Filed

*114 Decision will be entered that there are no deficiencies due from petitioner, and there is no overpayment due to petitioner.

Philip Cook, Michelle Henkel, and Timothy J. Peaden, for petitioner.
Willie Fortenberry, for respondent.
COLVIN, JUDGE.

COLVIN

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

COLVIN, JUDGE: Respondent determined that petitioner has gift tax deficiencies of $3,189 for 1992 and $512,073 for 1993.

The issues for decision are:

1. Whether the fair market value in 1992 of Crossroads *115 Insurance, Inc.'s stock that petitioner gave to his children was $628,619 ($704 per share), as respondent contends; zero, as petitioner contends; or some other amount. We hold that it was $303 per share.

2. Whether the fair market value in 1993 of Crossroads Insurance, Inc.'s stock that petitioner gave to his children was $1,286,961 ($1,010 per share), as respondent contends; $274,101 ($215 per share), as petitioner contends; or some other amount. We hold that it was $303 per share.

Unless otherwise specified, section references are to the Internal*116 Revenue Code in effect for the years in issue. Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.

I. FINDINGS OF FACTA. PETITIONER

Petitioner is Charles Dockery. Petitioner's mailing address was Lakeland, Florida, when he filed the petition.

Paula Dockery is petitioner's wife. Mavis Dockery is petitioner's former wife. Carl Dockery is petitioner's son. Michele Jones (formerly Michele Renwald) is petitioner's daughter.

B. CROSSROADS INSURANCE, INC.

Petitioner incorporated Crossroads Insurance, Inc. (Crossroads), under the Companies Law of the Cayman Islands on June 27, 1978. Petitioner has been the majority shareholder and chairman of the board of Crossroads since 1978. At all times relevant to this case: (1) The outstanding shares of stock of Crossroads consisted of 10,000 shares of common stock and 750,000 shares of 10 percent, noncumulative, redeemable preferred stock; and (2) the members of Crossroads' board of directors were petitioner and four minority shareholders: Paula Dockery, Mavis Dockery, Carl Dockery, and Michele Jones.

Crossroads is managed in Georgetown, Grand Cayman. It has no office in the United States. It is a controlled foreign corporation under*117 section 957(b). Crossroads' customers are all in the United States.

Crossroads is licensed to write insurance in Florida and Louisiana. Each year, Crossroads files annual statements with Florida and Louisiana reporting the financial condition of its operations.

1. THE REINSURANCE INDUSTRY

Crossroads is a reinsurer. 1 It is engaged in the business of providing aggregate "stop loss" workers' compensation reinsurance 2 to self-insurer pools (also referred to as funds).

An aggregate stop loss reinsurance agreement subjects Crossroads to liability for workers' compensation claims above a preestablished*118 "retention percentage". The retention percentage is the point at which Crossroads' liability on a reinsurance contract matures. For example, if a self-insurer fund collects $10 million in premiums and Crossroads' reinsurance agreement provides for an 80- percent retention point, the primary carrier's losses would be limited to $8 million, and Crossroads would pay all claims exceeding $8 million.

Self-insurer pools are formed under State law as an alternative to conventional insurance. Members of trade associations can form, and pay premiums to, pools owned by the members (rather than to an insurance company). Any profits are returned to the members.

"Unpaid claims", commonly called reserves for unpaid losses, are an insurer's estimate of the amount expected to be paid in the future to settle claims reported and incurred.

Workers' compensation reinsurance is "long-tail" insurance coverage because of the length of time before a reinsurer's obligations mature. Crossroads may not know if it had losses for aggregate stop loss workers' compensation reinsurance until 3 to 4 years after a policy year because it may take that long for Crossroads to review payments made by the*119 primary carrier. Crossroads may not make reinsurance payments until 5 to 6 years after a policy year because it does not pay until the primary carrier's paid claims reach the retention point. Crossroads may be paying claims for 8 to 10 years after the policy period ends.

2. CROSSROADS' REINSURANCE AGREEMENTS WITH SELF-INSURER FUNDS

From October 1, 1982, to October 1, 1987, Crossroads wrote stop loss workers' compensation reinsurance agreements for three self-insurer funds: The Oklahoma Retail Merchants Group Self-Insurers Association, the Oklahoma Employers Safety Group Self-Insurers Association, and the Florida Foliage Association Self-Insurers Fund.

Since October 1, 1987, Crossroads has written stop loss workers' compensation reinsurance agreements for four self-insurer funds: the Florida Retail Federation Self-Insurers Fund, the Employers Self-Insurers Fund (Florida) (ESIF), the Louisiana Retailers Association Self-Insurers Fund, and the Louisiana Employers Safety Association Self-Insurers Fund. These agreements have each generally been for 1 year. These self-insurer funds were established by Summit Consulting, Inc. (Summit Consulting).

On May 4, 1988, Florida's Treasurer and Department*120

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Related

Utah Med. Ins. Ass'n v. Commissioner
1998 T.C. Memo. 458 (U.S. Tax Court, 1998)
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1998 T.C. Memo. 157 (U.S. Tax Court, 1998)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1998 T.C. Memo. 114, 75 T.C.M. 2032, 1998 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 114, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dockery-v-commissioner-tax-1998.