Garland v. Commissioner

46 B.T.A. 1243, 1942 BTA LEXIS 756
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedMay 28, 1942
DocketDocket No. 105777.
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 46 B.T.A. 1243 (Garland v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Board of Tax Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Garland v. Commissioner, 46 B.T.A. 1243, 1942 BTA LEXIS 756 (bta 1942).

Opinion

OPINION.

Smith:

This proceeding involves a deficiency in estate tax of the estate of Edith P. Garland, deceased, in the amount of $'7,946.69. All of the issues raised in the original petition and answer have been waived or settled by stipulation. At the hearing the respondent was granted leave to file an amendment to his answer in which he avers:

* * * that in computing the deficiency set forth in the notice of deficiency the Commissioner of Internal Revenue erred in his method of computing the deduction for property previously taxed in that- he .used as a basis for computing said deduction an amount greater than the value of the decedent’s interest in the estate of the prior decedent at the time of the death of said prior decedent.

The question thus raised is submitted on the following stipulation of facts:

1. Edith P. Garland died May 4,1938.
2. Harry P. Garland died April 10, 1935. Edith P. Garland was the executrix and sole legatee of the Estate of Harry P. Garland.
3. Gross and net estate of Harry P. Garland as finally determined were:
Gross estate for Federal estate tax purposes_$617,651. 33
Deductions: (exclusive of exemption)_ 22,^458.41
Specific bequests_ none
Net estate_$595,192.92
The Federal estate tax liability on the above estate as finally determined was $63,742.93. The state inheritance and estate tax liability on the above estate was $13,807.72.
4. In the deficiency notice the gross estate of Edith P. Garland was determined to be $802,409.18. It is stipulated that the gross estate is $773,614.68. In the deficiency notice the deductions, exclusive of the statutory exemption and before any deductions for previously taxed property, were determined to be $49,019.46. It is stipulated that such amount should be $26,324.96.
5. There has been included in the gross estate of Edith P. Garland, property received by her from the Estate of Harry P. Garland. The value at which such property was included in the gross estate of Harry P. Garland and the value at which the same property was included in the gross estate of Edith P. Garland are as follows.
Estate of Estate of
Edith P. Garland Harry P. Garland
Real estate and securities_ $604, 651. 84 $567,224 95
[1244]*1244At the date of death of Edith P. Garland there remained unpaid liabilities of the Estate of Harry P. Garland in the amount of $14,031.50, said liabilities consisting of the unpaid portion of the items of $22,458.41, $63,742.93 and $13,807.72 referred to in paragraph 3 above. To the extent of $35,551.18, debts of the Estate of Harry P. Garland, expenses of administration thereof and taxes thereon had been paid from income or capital gains of his estate before the death of Edith P. Garland.
6. The only question presented to the Board for decision is the determination of the proper amount to be used as a deduction for previously taxed property. All other issues are waived or disposed of by this stipulation.

An estate tax return was filed on bebalf of decedent’s estate with the collector of internal revenue for the district of Maine.

It is the respondent’s contention that in determining decedent’s net estate the deduction allowable under section 303 (a) (2) of the 1926 Act, as amended, on account of property previously taxed in the estate of the prior decedent is limited to the value of decedent’s interest in the estate of the prior decedent at the time of such prior decedent’s death. Specifically, respondent contends that the deduction allowable to the estate of this decedent on account of the previously taxed property should be computed as follows:

Gross estate (of prior decedent)_$617,651.33
Less:
Federal estate tax-$63, 742. 93
State inheritance tax- 13, 807. 72
Deductions- 22,458. 41
- 100,009.06
Deductible from decedent’s estate- 517, 642. 27

Although it is stipulated that there fell into decedent’s estate specific property which was included in the estate of the prior decedent at a value of $567,224.95 and in decedent’s estate at a value of $604,651.84, respondent contends that the excess of the latter amount over $517,-642.27 represented an interest acquired by decedent after the prior decedent’s death “as income beneficiary of the prior estate, and not an interest in the corpus of the prior decedent’s estate.” Respondent’s contention, we think, does not comport with the plain provisions of the statute. Stripped of its impedimenta the statute, section 303 (a) (2) of the Revenue Act of 1926, as amended by sections 402 and 403 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1934, and by section 806 (a) of the Revenue Act of 1932, reads as follows:

Seo. 303. For the purpose of the tax the value of the net estate shall be determined—
(a) * * * by deducting from the value of the gross estate—
****** *
(2) An amount equal to the value of any property (A) forming a part of the gross estate situated in the United States of any person who died within five years prior to the death of the decedent, * * * where such property [1245]*1245can be identified as having been received by the decedent * * * from such prior decedent by * * * bequest, devise, or inheritance, * * * This deduction shall be allowed only where * * * an estate tax imposed under this or any prior Act of Congress, was finally determined and paid by or on behalf of * * * the estate of such prior decedent, * * * and only in the amount finally determined as the value of such property in determining the value of * * * the gross estate of such prior decedent, and only to the extent that the value of such property is included in the decedent’s gross estate, and only if in determining the value of the net estate of the prior decedent no deduction was allowable under this paragraph in respect of the property * * *. Where a deduction was allowed of any mortgage or other lien in determining the * * * estate tax of the prior decedent, which was paid in whole or in part prior to the decedent’s death, then the deduction allowable under this paragraph shall be reduced by the amount so paid. * * *

The deduction allowed is the value at which the property was taxed in the estate of the prior decedent, to the extent of its value in the present estate, reduced by the amount of any mortgage or lien thereon allowed as a deduction to the prior estate. There is no provision anywhere in the statute that the deduction allowable to the second decedent’s estate must be reduced by any and all obligations of the estate of the prior decedent. In Bahr v. Commissioner, 119 Fed. (2d) 371; affirming Estate of Eugene L. Bender, 41 B. T. A. 80, the court said with reference to section 303 (a) (2) that:

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

Related

Churchill v. Commissioner
3 T.C.M. 265 (U.S. Tax Court, 1944)
Garland v. Commissioner
46 B.T.A. 1243 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1942)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
46 B.T.A. 1243, 1942 BTA LEXIS 756, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/garland-v-commissioner-bta-1942.