Hohensee v. Commissioner

25 T.C. 1258, 1956 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 238
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 16, 1956
DocketDocket No. 51222
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 25 T.C. 1258 (Hohensee 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
Hohensee v. Commissioner, 25 T.C. 1258, 1956 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 238 (tax 1956).

Opinion

OPINION.

Opper, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency of $7,038.25 in estate tax for the Estate of Herman Hohensee, Sr., deceased. Petitioner claims an overpayment of $5,686.63. The first issue presented is whether the contribution of property to an inter vivos trust, jointly created by decedent and his wife, and the retention of certain income interests therein, require inclusion of any part of the corpus in his gross estate, and if so, what part. If includible, there are further issues of whether the estate is entitled to the marital deduction, and whether certain charitable bequests are deductible.

Herman Hohensee, Sr., hereafter sometimes referred to as decedent, died on November 10,1949. His widow, Anne, hereafter referred to as his wife, has already been discharged as executrix under decedent’s will. She was appointed special administratrix for the purpose of prosecuting this proceeding.

All facts, other than that last stated, have been stipulated and are hereby found.

A Federal estate tax return was filed on November 15, 1950, with the collector of internal revenue for the district of Wisconsin, disclosing liability of $5,686.63.

On May 1, 1933, decedent and his wife, as settlors, transferred certain property to an irrevocable trust, their three children to act as trustees. The settlors were each to receive one-half of the income for life, with the entire income to the survivor for the remainder of his or her life. The remainder at the death of the surviving settlor was to go to the three children or their issue. This trust was still in effect at the time of decedent’s death.

Upon its creation, decedent transferred to the trust a tract of land located in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, having a fair market value on November 10, 1949, of $17,500. This property had been owned just prior to the transfer solely by decedent. On November 10,1949, it was still a part of the trust.

At the same time, each settlor transferred to the trust 160 shares of $100-par-value stock of Herman Hohensee, Inc., a Wisconsin corporation. At decedent’s death, 160 shares of this stock had a fair market value of $88,443.20. At that time all 320 shares originally transferred to the trust were still part of the corpus.

On November 10, 1949, the total value of property transferred to the trust by decedent was $105,943.20, and by his wife $88,443.20, making the total amount $194,386.40.

The wife was 83 years of age at decedent’s death. On that date, the present value of the right to the entire income of an $8,750 portion of the trust corpus for the remainder of the expected life of the wife was $1,043.08. The present value on that date of the right to receive the entire income on a $105,943.20 portion of the corpus for the remainder of the wife’s expected life was $12,629.45.

Decedent’s last will and testament provided for distribution of the entire residue of the general estate to his wife, after three charitable and religious bequests totaling $900. On December 2,1949, the will was admitted to probate in the County Court of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.

The general estate of decedent, subject to administration, consisted only of the following assets:

Stocks and bonds-$1,810.27
Cash_ 15,482.00
Miscellaneous property- 1,566.48
Total assets in tbe estate subject to probate-$18,858.75

If the expenses of administration, debts of the deceased, widow’s allowance, Wisconsin inheritance tax, and Federal estate tax, as asserted, bad been paid out of the general estate, the assets would have been insufficient to pay all claims, and there would be nothing remaining for the payment of bequests or for distribution to the surviving spouse.

On November 27,1950, the final account was filed with the County Court. On April 4, 1951, a supplemental final account was filed. The trust advanced to the general estate the sum of $5,686.63. The trust also advanced for the payment of Wisconsin State inheritance tax and attorneys’ fees and disbursements the sum of $4,853.80. These sums are shown in the final account and supplemental final account as follows:

Final Account
Monies advanced on behalf of heirs-at-law of decedent on account of Federal estate tax_$5,686.63
Supplemental Final Account
Monies advanced by heirs-at-law on account of Wisconsin State inheritance tax- 2,700. 00
Monies advanced by heirs-at-law of decedent on account of additional
Wisconsin State inheritance tax_ 152.30
Monies advanced by heirs-at-law of decedent on account of attorneys’ fees and disbursements_ 2,001.50

By reason of these advancements, the general estate had sufficient funds to make the disbursements outlined in the final account and supplemental final account, and to leave $8,818.70 for distribution to the wife under the residuary clause of the will.

On November 4, 1953, the wife, as special administratrix, filed a claim for refund of the entire $5,686.63 with the director of internal revenue at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Respondent disallowed the deduction of $900 claimed in the return as charitable and religious bequests.

In computing its estate tax petitioner claimed a marital deduction under section 812 (e), Internal Revenue Code of 1939, of $34,367.94. This aggregate amount is made up of the following items:

1. Assets of the general probate estate_$18,858.75
2. Life insurance proceeds payable to surviving spouse_ 5,675.18
8. Jointly owned property_. 287. 50
4. Value of the life interest of surviving spouse in the property
transferred by decedent to the trust_ 12,063.17
Total properties passing to surviving spouse_$36,884.60
Less: Federal estate tax and other death taxes payable out of the
above-listed properties_ 2,516.66
Claimed marital deduction-$34,367.94

Respondent has disallowed in the computation of the marital deduction items 1 and 4.

The general estate was liable for the following expenses, debts, and taxes >

Funeral and administration expenses_ $3,433.03
Debts of decedent_ 381.45
Widow’s allowance- 5,500.00
State inheritance tax_ 2,852.30

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Wheeler v. Commissioner
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Hubbard v. Commissioner
26 T.C. 183 (U.S. Tax Court, 1956)
Hohensee v. Commissioner
25 T.C. 1258 (U.S. Tax Court, 1956)

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Bluebook (online)
25 T.C. 1258, 1956 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 238, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hohensee-v-commissioner-tax-1956.