Estate of Myers v. Commissioner

1968 T.C. Memo. 200, 27 T.C.M. 975, 1968 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 100
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 10, 1968
DocketDocket Nos. 4833-64, 2007-65.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1968 T.C. Memo. 200 (Estate of Myers 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 Myers v. Commissioner, 1968 T.C. Memo. 200, 27 T.C.M. 975, 1968 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 100 (tax 1968).

Opinion

Estate of William H. Myers, Deceased, Floyd F. Myers, Executor v. Commissioner.
Estate of Myers v. Commissioner
Docket Nos. 4833-64, 2007-65.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1968-200; 1968 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 100; 27 T.C.M. (CCH) 975; T.C.M. (RIA) 68200;
September 10, 1968. Filed
Jerome B. Van Orman, Fort Wayne Bank Bldg., Fort Wayne, Ind., for the petitioner. Wayne I. Chertow and Eugene P. Bogner, for the respondent.

DAWSON

Memorandum Findings of Fact and Opinion

DAWSON, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner's estate and gift taxes and additions to tax as follows:

Docket No. 4833-64
Estate Tax$52,351.02
*104
Docket No.
2007-65
YearGift TaxAdditions to Tax
Sec.6651(a), I.R.C. 1954
and its predecessors
1938$ 65.98a $ 16.50
1942207.87b 51.97
1956998.55249.64
19578,389.672,097.42
19581,962.64490.66
19594,149.601,037.40
19604,360.381,090.10

On a motion granted at trial these cases were consolidated for trial, brief and opinion.

The issues presented for decision are: (1) Whether William H. Myers made taxable gifts of real estate and corporate securities and forgave certain indebtednesses during the years in issue; (2) Whether half of the gifts made by William H. Myers may be treated as having been made by his spouse; (3) Whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax because of William H. Myers' failure to file gift tax returns; (4) Whether certain farmland, the remainder interest in which was given away in 1942, is includable in William H. Myers' gross estate at a valuation of $17,000; (5) Whether the securities William H. Myers transferred from June 5, 1956, through*105 the date of his death were made under trust instruments dated April 18, 1957, and, if so, whether they were includable in his gross estate as a result of retained life interests; (6) Whether a bequest of $50 per month for life to William H. Myers' widow is a terminable interest, disqualifying it as a marital deduction.

Findings of Fact

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

Floyd F. Myers (herein called Floyd) was appointed executor of the estate of his father, William H. Myers (herein called William), who died testate on May 16, 1960, a resident of Waterloo, Indiana. A Federal estate tax return for the estate of William H. Myers was filed on August 16, 1961, with the district director of internal revenue at Indianapolis, Indiana. Floyd, the executor, was a resident of Waterloo, Indiana, at the time the petition herein was filed.

William moved in 1898 to DeKalb County, Indiana, and began farming. In the ensuing years, he acquired several hundred acres of land and developed a successful 977 farming operation. His six children, Florence Staley, Chester Myers, Russell Myers, Floyd Myers, Edna Rakestraw, and Donald Myers, helped in the farming activities*106 and were given 80-acre homesites at the time of their marriages. In 1938 William transferred to his daughter Edna Rakestraw the remainder interest in 80 acres of land in DeKalb County, retaining a life estate. A contract entered into by William and his wife Ida with Edna Rakestraw granted to the latter the right to occupy the premises, subject to William's right to use all buildings except the dwelling house, in consideration for the payment of $200 annual rental. Respondent determined that the value of the 80 acres was $7,000 and that William made a taxable gift of the remainder interest which was valued at $4,398.45.

On March 6, 1942, William deeded 60 acres of his farmland to his son, Floyd, reserving to himself a life estate. Under a simultaneously executed contract between the parties, Floyd agreed to pay, as consideration for the conveyance, $200 peryear for the life of William, with payments to cease after 20 years. William reserved a vendor's lien on the land, and Floyd agreed that his estate would be liable for the payments in the event he predeceased William. The total payments were calculated to equal the $4,000 paid by William in 1934 to acquire the land. Pursuant to*107

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Bluebook (online)
1968 T.C. Memo. 200, 27 T.C.M. 975, 1968 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 100, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/estate-of-myers-v-commissioner-tax-1968.