Huntington Nat'l Bank v. Commissioner

13 T.C. 760, 1949 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 35
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 21, 1949
DocketDocket Nos. 17736, 17737
StatusPublished
Cited by52 cases

This text of 13 T.C. 760 (Huntington Nat'l Bank 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
Huntington Nat'l Bank v. Commissioner, 13 T.C. 760, 1949 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 35 (tax 1949).

Opinions

OPINION.

Van Fossan, Judge:

The first question to be considered is whether the payment of $25,000 made by the executor of decedent’s estate to the estate of decedent’s widow is an allowable deduction under the provisions of section 812 (b) (3) or (5) of the Internal Revenue Code.1

Section 81.40 of Regulations 105 provides that the support of dependents of the decedent during the settlement of the estate is deductible pursuant to the following rules:

(a) In order to be deductible, the allowance must be authorized by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the estate is being administered, and not in excess of what is reasonably required.
(b) The allowance for which deduction may be made is limited to support during the settlement of the estate. Amy allowance for a more extended period is not deductible.
(c) There must be an actual disbursement from the estate to the dependents, but after payment has been made the right of deduction is not affected by the fact that the dependents do not expend the entire amount for their support during the settlement of the estate.

The respondent relies in particular upon subparagraph (c) of the above section of Regulations 105, providing “There must be an actual disbursement from the estate to the dependents.” He points out, among other things, that the decedent’s widow was a woman of means in her own right, that she survived the decedent by only about eight months, and that the amount of $25,000 was not paid to the decedent’s widow, but to the executrix of the widow’s estate about a month after her death.

In Estate of Peter D. Middlekauff, 2 T. C. 203, wherein the amount of $7,500 was allowed as a deduction for the support of decedent’s widow under section 812 (b) (5), it is stated that “The fact that the widow had income of her own and did not have to have the allowance made by the Probate Court is beside the question.” In that case it was found that, pursuant to the order of the court made in the estate proceedings of the decedent, the executor made during the probate of the estate 10 monthly payments of $750 each to decedent’s widow It was also found that the widow actually expended for her support and maintenance an amount in excess of $750 a month allowed and paid to her.

While the evidence herein shows that the amount of $25,000 was allowed for a year’s support of the widow by the laws of the jurisdiction under which the estate was being administered (Page’s Ohio General Code, Ann., secs. 10509-74 and 10509-75), there is no evidence from which the amount or the approximate amount actually expended for the support of the widow can be determined. The fact that the amount of $25,000 set off by the appraisers was approved by the probate court is only prima facie evidence of the reasonableness of the amount. Roth v. Wardell, 77 Fed. (2d) 124; Mary A. Powers, Executrix, 6 B. T. A. 633.

Section 812 (b) allows the deduction of the amount “reasonably required and actually expended for the support” of those dependent upon the decedent. The fact that the petitioner paid the amount after the widow’s death to the executrix of her estate does not establish that the amount was actually expended for the support of the widow. At the time the $25,000 was paid by decedent’s executor, the widow had died and therefore no longer required support. The amount was deposited by the executrix of the widow’s estate in the bank account of the estate and, together with other funds therein, was disbursed by the executrix in the administration and distribution of the estate.

The burden rests upon the taxpayer to show that the deduction claimed falls within the language of the statute. Brown v. Helvering, 291 U. S. 193; New Colonial Ice Co. v. Helvering, 292 U. S. 435. This, petitioner has failed to do. The disallowance of the deduction under section 812 (b) (5) is therefore approved.

Section 81.36 of Regulations 105 provides, in part, as follows:

* * * Claims against the estate. — The amounts that may be deducted under this heading are such only as represent personal obligations of the decedent existing at the time of his death, whether or not then matured * * *.

In Neville v. Sawicki, 67 N. E. (2d) 323, the Supreme Court of Ohio held that the widow’s statutory right for 12 months’ support is only an expectant interest, and stated that:

The right of a widow to receive support for twelve months after the husband’s death is a right granted to a widow, not to a wife. In other words, that right does not come into existence until the death of the husband.

The amount of $25,000 is, therefore, not deductible as a claim against the estate. See Estate of Nellie Grant Burbank Dodge, 40 B. T. A. 209; Estate of Louis M. Faber, 40 B. T. A. 1070; Estate of Daisy W. Jacobs, 8 T. C. 1015.

The next question to be determined is whether the respondent erred in disallowing as a deduction from the value of the gross estate the value of the bequest and devise of decedent’s residence to the Marion County Federation of Women’s Clubs, located at Marion, Ohio. There is no dispute as to the amount of the deduction.

Section 812 (d) of the Internal Revenue Code permits the deduction of the amount of all bequests, devises, or transfers:

* * * to or for the use of any corporation organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational purposes, including the encouragement of art and the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private stockholder or individual and no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation * * *.

The word “exclusively” has been liberally construed. Estate of Robert Marshall, 2 T. C. 1048, 1051; affd., 147 Fed. (2d) 75; certiorari denied, 325 U. S. 872.

The primary activities of the Federation were the promotion of interest in individual self-improvement and enlightenment by means of study groups covering a variety of topics and education generally. It expended and contributed funds and services for charitable, educational, and social welfare purposes. Its social activities were merely incidental to its educational or charitable activities. The respondent has adduced no evidence to the contrary.

The carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation does not automatically disqualify the Federation under the statute. To disqualify it, such activities under the statute must constitute a “substantial part of” its activities. Such is not the case here. The fact that the Federation studies proposed legislation pertaining to the education and welfare of children and may have expressed its approval or disapproval thereof to its legislative representatives does not bar classification as an educational, literary, or charitable organization under the statute. Slee v. Commissioner, 42 Fed.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
13 T.C. 760, 1949 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 35, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/huntington-natl-bank-v-commissioner-tax-1949.