Estate of Kleemeier v. Commissioner

58 T.C. 241, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 8, 1972
DocketDocket No. 2771-70
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 58 T.C. 241 (Estate of Kleemeier 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 Kleemeier v. Commissioner, 58 T.C. 241, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132 (tax 1972).

Opinions

OPINION

Scott, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner’s Federal estate tax in the amount of $3,058.67. The issue for decision is whether a portion of two “supplementary” annuities acquired by decedent as beneficiary upon the death of her husband may be excluded from decedent’s gross estate under section 2039(c), I.R.C. 1954.1

All of the facts have been stipulated and are found accordingly.

Lyla B. Kleemeier (hereinafter referred to as the decedent), died on July 4, 1966, a resident of the City of Kirkwood, County of St. Louis, State of Missouri.

On July 7,1966, Robert B. Kleemeier was appointed by the Probate Court of the County of St. Louis, Mo., as executor of decedent’s estate, and is still acting in that capacity. At the time of the filing of the petition herein, Robert B. Kleemeier resided in West Lafayette, Ind.

The executor filed a Federal estate tax return, Form 706, for the Estate of Lyla B. Kleemeier, with the district director of internal revenue, St. Louis. Mo.

Decedent was predeceased by her husband, Robert W. Kleemeier (hereinafter referred to as Robert), who died on April 16,1966. During the period September 1, 1948, through August 31, 1949, Robert had been employed by Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., as a professor. From September 1,1958, to the date of his death, Robert was employed by Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., as a professor.

On the date of Robert’s death, he was the owner of an annuity contract, No. A-61555 issued on October 1,1948, by Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America (hereinafter referred to as TIAA). Robert was also the owner of an annuity certificate, No. P-15073, on the date of his death which had been issued on January 1, 1954, by College Retirement Equities Fund (hereinafter referred to as CREF). Each of these contracts would mature on December 1, 1980, when Robert reached age 65. Robert had received no payment under either contract at the date of his death.

Robert, Northwestern University, and Washington University, each contributed to the premium cost of the TIAA annuity. The contribution of each, the percentage contribution of each, and the total purchase cost of the TIAA annuity were as follows:

Percent
Northwestern University_ $337. 56 3. 10
Washington. University- 3, 806. 09 34. 93
Robert W. Kleemeier_ 6, 753. 16 61. 97
Total_ 10, 896. 81 100. 00

Robert and Washington University each contributed to the premium cost of the CREF annuity. The contribution of each, the percentage contribution of each, and the total purchase cost of the CREF annuity were as follows:

Percent
Washington University-$3, 806. 08 47. 9
Robert W. Kleemeier_ 4, 137. 29 52. 1
Total_ 7, 943. 37 100. 00

At all times material herein, Northwestern University and Washington University were organizations referred to in section 503(b) and exempt from tax under section 501 (a).

On the date of Robert’s death, the total values of the TIAA annuity contract and the CREF annuity certificate were in the amounts of $13,789.67 and $13,324.33, respectively. The values attributable to Robert’s contributions toward the purchase of the TIAA and CHEF annuities were in the respective amounts of $8,546.58 and $6,919.15, which amounts represented 61.97 percent of the total value of the TIAA annuity and 52.1 percent of the total value of the CHEF annuity.

The values of the TIAA and CHEF annuities attributable to Robert’s contributions toward the purchase cost as set forth above were included in the gross estate on the Federal estate tax return filed for Robert’s estate. The balance of the values of the TIAA and CREF annuities on the date of Robert’s death was excluded from his gross estate under the provisions of section 2039 (c)(3).

The decedent was named as sole beneficiary in the TIAA and CREF annuities as of the time of Robert’s death. No contingent beneficiary or beneficiaries were designated. No part of the proceeds of these annuities was payable to or received by Robert’s estate. Both the TIAA contract and the CREF certificate provided that the benefits thereunder would be paid to the beneficiary in accordance with such available method of settlement as should be elected by the annuitant or in the absence of such election by the annuitant, by the beneficiary after his death.

The TIAA annuity contract, No. A-61555, contained the following provision for payment to the beneficiary designated by the annuitant in the event of death prior to the first annuity payment:

18. DeatR Benefit Before First Annuity Payment. Upon surrender of this contract and receipt of due proof of the death of the Annuitant before annuity payments have begun, the Association will pay to the Beneficiary the equivalent of the Accumulation at the time of the Annuitant’s death, under one of the methods of settlement described below. The method of settlement to become effective shall be elected by the Annuitant or, in absence of such election, by the Beneficiary after the Annuitant’s death. Payments will begin on the first day of the calendar month next succeeding receipt of the contract and proof of death and will continue on the first day of subsequent calendar months.
Note: The amount of each payment under an elected settlement depends on the amount of the Accumulation, the particular method elected, and in the case of Methods (1) and (2) the age and sex of the Beneficiary.
Method (1). An annuity payable during the lifetime of the Beneficiary, payments ceasing at death.
Method (2). Guaranteed instalments for 10 or 20 years, as elected, and if the Beneficiary survives such period, continuing thereafter as an annuity payable during the lifetime of the Beneficiary.
Method (3). Guaranteed instalments for such period as may be elected, provided that the election of a period of less than 10 years which would have resulted in payments of more than $100 a month shall be void and another election shall be made.
* * * Upon the death of any Beneficiary who survives the Annuitant by forty-eight hours, the Beneficiary’s interest in any guaranteed instalments then remaining unpaid will be commuted and paid in one sum to his or her executors or administrators.

Tile CREF annuity certificate No. P-15073 contained the following provision for annuity benefits to beneficiary upon the participant’s death:

10. Methods of Unit-annuity Settlement.

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Estate of Kleemeier v. Commissioner
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Bluebook (online)
58 T.C. 241, 1972 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-kleemeier-v-commissioner-tax-1972.