Hall v. Commissioner

6 T.C. 933, 1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 210
United States Tax Court·Decided April 30, 1946·No. Docket No. 3469·Published·Cited by 26 cases

Opinion

OPINION.

Black, Judge-.

This proceeding involves the determination of a deficiency of $49,620.32 in estate tax. The deficiency is due to several adjustments made by the respondent to the net estate of the decedent as disclosed by the estate tax return. All of these adjustments are small except one. This latter one is the only one contested and represents an addition to the value of the gross estate of two “Transfers” in the total amount of $159,794.40. In a statement attached to the deficiency notice the respondent explained these transfers as follows:

Transfers
Returned Determined
The following assets of a Trust created on January 21, 1930, with the Continental Illinois Bank and Trust Company, Trustee:
[Here he lists 21 separate items of property which we summarize as follows]_ $31,617.84 $120,828.35
The following assets of a Trust created on August 3, 1929, with Central Trust Company, as Trustee:
[Here he lists 18 separate items of property which
we summarize as follows]_ 18,333. 67 88,917. 56
[Totals- 49,951.51 209,745.91]
[Less amount returned- 49,951.51]
[Amount added by respondent_ 159,794.40]
The value of the property transferred by decedent in trust, wherein he retained the income received from the principal of said trust during his lifetime, is included in the gross estate under Section 811 (c) of the Internal Revenue Code, as a transfer intended to take effect in possession or enjoyment at or after death. In this connection, attention is called to the case of Helvering vs. Hallock, 309 US 106, and Estate of Mary H. Hughes, 44 BTA 1196.

The above amount of $49,951.51 shown as returned by petitioners on the estate tax return represents those items of property which were transferred to the two respective trusts after the Joint Resolution of March 3,1931. There is no issue as to these items.

The above amount of $159,794.40 shown as determined by the respondent represents those items of property which were transferred to the two respective trusts before the Joint Resolution of March 3, 1931. By appropriate assignments of error petitioners contest the addition to the value of the gross estate of the above amount of $159,-794.40, and also assign as error the following:

(d) Respondent erred in determining the amount of decedent’s net estate subject to estate taxes in not allowing the deduction of additional expenses of administration paid and to be paid by petitioners subsequent to the filing of the Federal Estate Tax Return and not claimed as a deduction in said return, including attorneys’ fees and other expenses of this proceeding.

Because of assignment of error (d), petitioners claim there will be an overpayment instead of a deficiency. In this connection the parties stipulated “that proof of such additional expenses may be submitted and a determination and allowance made of the proper deduction therefor upon the final settlement of this case under Rule 50 * * *.”

The respondent in an amendment to his answer “avers that the Commissioner, in determining the deficiency set forth in the deficiency notice, properly included in the decedent’s gross estate the assets of the trusts created on August 3, 1929 and January 21, 1930, with the Central Trust Company and the Continental Illinois Bank and Trust Company, respectively, as Trustees, as transfers intended to take effect in possession or enjoyment at or after his death (Sec. 811(c), Internal Revenue Code), and as transfers wherein the enjoyment thereof was subject at the date of his death to a change through the exercise of a power by him to alter, amend or revoke (Sec. 811(d), Internal Revenue Code).” The respondent makes no contention that any part of the corpora of the two trusts is includible in the gross estate under section 811(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The facts are found as stipulated,, and are summarized below.

Petitioners B. Brower Hall, Charles F. Grimes, and Paul H. Davis, all residents of Chicago, Illinois, are the duly appointed, qualified, and acting executors of the will of George W. Hall, deceased, who died on October 25,1941, at the age of 72, a resident of Chicago. The will was executed on December 22,1939. The Federal estate tax return for the estate of the decedent was filed with the collector for the first district in Chicago on January 12, 1943, at which time the tax shown to be due thereon in the amount of $40,520.60 was paid. Pursuant to section 811 (j) of the Internal Revenue Code, petitioners elected to value all the property included in decedent’s gross estate as of a date one year after decedent’s death and so indicated their election in the return. The decedent prior to his death had been a practicing physician.

Under date of August 3,1929, the decedent’s two children, B. Brower Hall and Martha Nadine Grimes, executed and delivered a certain trust agreement with the Central Trust Co. of Illinois (now City National Bank & Trust Co. of Chicago) as trustee. Under date of January 21, 1930, the same parties executed and delivered a trust agreement with Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust Co. (now Continental Illinois National Bank & Trust Co. of Chicago) as trustee. The securities which the decedent’s two children conveyed to the respective trustees under said trust agreements had been received by them for that purpose from the decedent immediately prior to the creation of the respective trusts, and in the case of each trust the two transfers were simultaneous. The material provisions of the two trust agreements are identical and are as follows [excerpts herein are from the 1929 trust]:

This Indenture, made and entered into this 3rd day of August, 1929, by and between Bertram Brower Halt, and Martha Nadine Grimes, both of the City of Chicago, Illinois, parties of the first part, and Central Trust Company of Illinois * * * party of the second part.
*******
Article I.
*******
B During the lifetime of George W. Hall, the beneficiary hereinafter mentioned, the Trustee shall hold all or any part of the Trust Property in its original form, unless otherwise directed by said George W. Hall and make such sales or exchanges of all or any part of the Trust Property as may from time to time be directed in writing by said George W. Hall, and make any investment or investments or loans of the monies held as part of the Trust Property which the said George W. Hall may at any time in writing request or direct the Trustee to make, and the Trustee shall not be liable on account of any action taken by it pursuant to any written request or direction of said George W. Hall ; provided, however, that if for any reason whatsoever it shall be impractical for the Trustee to secure the prior instructions or directions of the said George W.

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Hall v. Commissioner, 6 T.C. 933, 1946 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 210 (tax 1946).

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