Estate of Carruth v. Commissioner

28 T.C. 871, 1957 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 135
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 18, 1957
DocketDocket No. 57772
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 28 T.C. 871 (Estate of Carruth 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
Estate of Carruth v. Commissioner, 28 T.C. 871, 1957 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 135 (tax 1957).

Opinion

OPINION.

Bruce, Judge:

In the deficiency notice which was mailed March 24,1955, the respondent determined a deficiency in the income tax of Ostella Carruth for the fiscal year ended January 31, 1950, in the amount of $1,143.02. Ostella Carruth died April 20, 1954. Thomas R. Hamilton is the duly appointed administrator of her estate. One of the adjustments made by the respondent is not in dispute. The following issues remain for decision: (1) Whether the amount of farm rents earned but unpaid prior to the death of L. H. Carruth on August 19,1949, which were collected by the L. H. Carruth Estate Trust prior to January 1,1950, are includible in the income of Ostella Carruth, beneficiary under said trust; (2) whether a reserve for repairs in the amount of $5,000 set aside by the trust before making actual distribution to the beneficiary, Ostella Carruth, should be allowed as a deduction in computing the amount distributable by the trust and taxable to the beneficiary; (3) whether a reserve for trustee’s commission in the amount of $1,960.95 set aside by the trust before making actual distribution to the beneficiary should be allowed as a deduction in computing the amount distributable by the trust and taxable to the beneficiary.

On brief the respondent for the first time attempted to place in issue the depreciation deduction taken by the trust in computing distributable income. Since this issue was not pleaded it will not be considered by this Court. Sicanoff Vegetable Oil Corporation, 27 T. C. 1056.

The facts have been stipulated and they, together with the attached exhibits, are adopted as our findings of fact.

L. H. Carruth and Ostella Carruth were husband and wife. L. H. Carruth (hereinafter sometimes referred to as decedent) died testate August 19, 1949. For the fiscal year ended January 31, 1950, a joint Federal income tax return was filed in the name of L. H. Carruth, deceased, and Ostella Carruth, with the collector of internal revenue for the district of Arkansas. The income of L. H. Carruth, deceased, was reported on such return on a cash basis of accounting.

Prior to his death, L. H. Carruth owned farms which he had leased for the calendar year 1949 for cash consideration. The provisions of each lease agreement were similar in that the land was rented for the calendar year 1949 and a cash rent for same became due, in some cases, on October 15, 1949, and in others on November 1, 1949. In most instances promissory notes payable to the order of the decedent and becoming due on the dates stated above were executed by the tenants to secure the rent.

The decedent’s will, after providing for the payment of all expenses and taxes, provided as follows:

(3) I give, devise, and bequeath unto my wife, Ostella Carruth, as Trustee, and unto her successor, as hereinafter provided, the residue of my estate, real, personal, or mixed, wherever situated, subject to the payment by the Executrix of my estate, of any debts I may owe and the estate or inheritance tax which may be due to the Federal Government and the State of Arkansas; said Trustee (Original Trustee) is granted, and shall have the power and authority, without the approval of any Court, to:
Rent or lease or farm any and all lands, and collect the rents thereon; to make loans to any tenant or tenants for the purpose of producing crops on said lands, taking whatever securities that are available; to waive the rent lien on the crops of any tenant or tenants in order that said tenant may get furnished for farming said lands, if the Trustee considers that course best for the Trust; to borrow money for the payment of debts of the estate, the payment of the estate or inheritance taxes, to furnish money to the tenants for farming the lands, to repair the improvements on the lands, to build new improvements on the lands, to pay to the beneficiaries herein the annual allowance hereinafter provided, or for any other purpose necessary to the most successful operation of the Trust, and, if necessary, to mortgage or otherwise pledge any of the property in the Trust to secure the payment of any loan or loans that may be made to the Trustee. (I have full confidence in the business judgment of my wife, and I want to grant to her, as Trustee, the power and authority to do any act in managing the Trust property that I could do if then living).
Also to sell or exchange and convey any property in the Trust, and to reinvest the proceeds of such sale or sales, if she considers such action for the best interest of the Trust Estate, and any purchaser from her shall not be required to see to the application of the proceeds of any sale or sales.
(4) The annual net income, from the operation of the trust, during the lifetime of my wife, Ostella Carruth, shall be distributed annually within a reasonable time after January 1st, as follows:
To Ostella Carruth, my wife, 70% ; to Mary Carruth Jones, my daughter, 30%, and in arriving at the net income, for distribution, the trustee will not be bound by the same rules of accounting which prevail for income tax purposes, changing conditions may make it necessary to make- changes in capital assets, or to add on additional capital assets, or improvements, in order to obtain the maximum returns from the property. If the trustee deems it necessary to spend part of the income for what would normally be considered capital assets, then, said Trustee may consider these items as expenses in arriving at the net income for distribution.
* * " * * # * *
(7) It is my desire that my wife, Ostella Carruth, shall serve as Trustee for the duration of her life, and that she not be required to execute any sort of bond, as such, or be required to file any report in any Court, as such Trustee, and at her death, the title to the Trust property shall pass to the National Bank of Commerce of Memphis, Tennessee and Frank G. Barton, as Trustees in succession with the same powers and authority as granted to the original Trustee.

The Federal estate tax return filed for the estate of decedent was examined by the respondent and the respondent included in the gross estate as an asset at date of death the farm rents hereinabove described totaling $19,860.25 and estate tax attributable thereto was paid in the amount of $2,475.77.

A fiduciary income tax return prepared according to the cash basis was filed for the L. H. Carruth Estate Trust for the calendar year 1949. On Schedule B of such return was reported $33,064 as farm rents received. Such amount included the $19,860.25 rents not paid to L. H. Carruth prior to his death but collected prior to January 1, 1950. In the fiduciary return filed by the trust for the year ended December 31, 1949, for the purpose of computing taxable net income, there was deducted from gross income the amount of $16,484.60 as income for distribution to the beneficiary, Ostella Carruth, which was reported as income from the trust on the return of L. H. Carruth, deceased, and Ostella Carruth. On January 10,1952, the trust filed an amended fiduciary return for the year ended December 31, 1949. On Schedule B of such return was reported the amount of $31,776.40 as farm rents received. Such amount included the rents amounting to $19,860.25 not paid to L. H.

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Estate of Carruth v. Commissioner
28 T.C. 871 (U.S. Tax Court, 1957)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 T.C. 871, 1957 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 135, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-carruth-v-commissioner-tax-1957.