Gobins v. Comm'r

18 T.C. 1159, 1952 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 89
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 29, 1952
DocketDocket No. 26572
StatusPublished
Cited by87 cases

This text of 18 T.C. 1159 (Gobins v. Comm'r) 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
Gobins v. Comm'r, 18 T.C. 1159, 1952 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 89 (tax 1952).

Opinion

OPINION.

TdeneR, Judge:

Pursuant to the provisions of section 311 of the Internal Revenue Code,2 the respondent has determined that petitioner was transferee of property of Kay Jelwan and, as such transferee, is liable in an amount equal to the deficiency in income tax determined against Jelwan for 1948, the addition thereto for fraud, and interest. The petitioner in this proceeding contests both the determination of the deficiency and fraud penalty against Jelwan and the determination of transferee liability therefor against her. Under section 1119 of the Internal Revenue Code, the burden of proof in such proceeding is upon the respondent “to show that a petitioner is liable as a transferee of property of a taxpayer, but not to show that the taxpayer was liable for the tax.”

In his income tax return for 1948, Jelwan reported a net loss of $5,081.33. He did not report any of the gain realized from the sale of the house and furnishings at 98 Estero Avenue, nor income from any source other than the operation of Wonderland. In his determination of deficiency, the respondent increased Jelwan’s income by $71,203.92, as representing bank deposits from undisclosed and unexplained sources made by or for Jelwan in his various bank accounts in 1948. The record discloses total deposits in that year of $171,715.70. Of that amount, $90,293.06 represented transfers between bank accounts, leaving $81,422.01 to be accounted for. Of this latter amount, $5,713 represented proceeds from Series E war bonds belonging to Jelwan in a prior year, and $28,709.01 represented the proceeds from the sale of the Estero Avenue property, leaving bank deposits still unexplained in the amount of $47,000. Of the deposits covering the proceeds from the sale of the Estero Avenue property, $8,354:.50 represents the amount of taxable capital gain realized on the transaction. While the petitioner did testify that according to her knowledge Jelwan had no business operations or sources of income other than Wonderland, it is not disputed that he did have in 1948 bank deposits from unexplained and undisclosed sources in the amount of $47,000. There is some suggestion or argument that $20,000 of the amount having been deposited by Alex Massad in the Jelwan-Massad joint account, the $20,000 so deposited did, or may have, belonged to Massad. The proof shows that 15 days later $20,650 was transfered from the Jelwan-Massad account, $2,650 to the Najeeb J. Jelwan checking account and $18,000 to the Najeeb J. Jelwan Savings Account No. 6477. The proof further shows that Jelwan was given an opportunity to explain or disclose the source of the deposits in question, but made no effort to do so. It also appears that in Jelwan’s presence his accountant stated that, except for the fact that his records indicated unexplained bank deposits in a greater amount, his data was in accord with that of the revenue agent.

The respondent’s determination is presumed to be correct, and bank deposits from unexplained and undisclosed sources supply an adequate basis for such determination. Goe v. Commissioner (C. A. 3), 198 F. 2d 851. See also Halle v. Commissioner, 175 F. 2d 500, affirming 7 T. C. 245; Hague v. Commissioner, 132 F. 2d 775, affirming 45 B. T. A. 104; Hoefle v. Commissioner, 114 F. 2d 713; and Leonard B. Willits, 36 B. T. A. 294.

The reduction of unexplained bank deposits from $71,203.92, added to income in determining the deficiency, to $47,000, now shown of record, came about by concessions made by counsel for the respondent at the time and in the course of the trial herein. In preparing for trial, counsel caused a revenue agent to be assigned to further check and verify the évidence at hand and to obtain any other pertinent information that might be had. In the course of his investigation, the agent succeeded in further identifying Jelwan’s 1948 deposits, thereby reducing the unexplained deposits to $47,000, as above set forth. Part of the deposits were identified as proceeds of the sale of the Estero Avenue property, of which $8,354.50 represented the amount of taxable capital gain realized by Jelwan on the sale. He also discovered that during 1948 Jelwan had expended $4,624.42 for medical expenses of the type deductible under the provisions of section 23 (x) of the Internal Revenue Code, for the deduction of which no claim had been made.

It is the contention of counsel for the petitioner that, by reason of these concessions at or in the course of the trial, the burden of proof as to the correctness of the deficiency has shifted from the petitioner to the respondent. The contention is wholly devoid of merit. The concessions made by counsel were not only in the interest of orderly procedure, but they relieved petitioner of a substantial portion of her burden of proof and this court of what could have been an even longer and more burdensome trial. His action was in keeping with his duty as a lawyer and officer of the Court. To rule with petitioner, would be to say that counsel, whether for respondent or petitioner, who, by concession or stipulation of pertinant facts, relieves opposing counsel of a portion of his burden of proof and the Court of needless labor, does so at the jeopardy of having the burden of the opposing party as to remaining matters shift to himself. Justice and common sense would countenance no such rule.

On the facts as they appear of record, the deficiency in Jelwan’s income tax for 1948 is $15,194.86, and has been so found in our findings of fact. With respect to the fraud issue, we have concluded, and found as a fact, that the deficiency was due to fraud with intent to evade tax, and, in that connection, there is no need to again discuss the matter covered above in connection with the determination of the deficiency, which facts, along with other evidence of record, amply sustain the respondent’s determination that the deficiency was due to fraud with intent to evade tax. See Goe v. Commissioner, supra. The addition to tax determined by the respondent, pursuant to the provisions of section 293 (b) of the Code, to the extent óf 50 per cent of the above deficiency, is accordingly sustained.

On the transferee issue, the evidence of record discloses that the transfers by Jelwan to petitioner were made in fraud of creditors and in partial consideration for petitioner’s executory promise to pay his future living expenses, and, by reason of the transfers so made, Jelwan was rendered insolvent. That petitioner thus became liable “at law or in equity” as transferee of Jelwan’s property, does not in our opinion require discussion or amplification. For a case where the consideration for the transfers was the promise of future support, and the determination of transferee liability was sustained, see Margaret Wilson Baker, 30 B. T. A. 188. Having shown that petitioner did become so liable, the respondent has made a prima facie case of transferee liability and the burden of going forward shifted to petitioner, .and unless the prima facie case so made is answered or rebutted by petitioner, the respondent must be regarded as having borne his burden of proof. Hutton v. Commissioner, 59 F. 2d 66, affirming 21 B. T. A. 101. To the same effect, see Robinette v. Commissioner, 139 F. 2d 285; Commissioner v. Renyx, 66 F. 2d 260; Estate of L. E. Mcknight, 8 T. C. 871; Margaret Wilson Baker, supra H. W. Trout, 27 B. T. A. 1210; and Edward H. Garcin, 22 B. T. A. 1027.

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Bluebook (online)
18 T.C. 1159, 1952 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 89, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gobins-v-commr-tax-1952.