Ide v. Commissioner

40 T.C. 721, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 85
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 5, 1963
DocketDocket No. 92367
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 40 T.C. 721 (Ide 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
Ide v. Commissioner, 40 T.C. 721, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 85 (tax 1963).

Opinion

OPINION

Fat, Judge:

The respondent determined a deficiency in the petitioners’ income tax for the year 1958 in the amount of $180.01.

The only issue for decision is whether payments by the U.S. Navy Department of $1,500 for tuition and books under the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program on behalf of petitioners’ son Charles H. Ide (hereinafter referred to as Charles), a student at Cornell University, must be considered a part of his total support in determining whether the petitioners provided more than one-half of his support.

All of the evidentiary facts are stipulated and are found as stipulated.

The petitioners 'are husband and wife and reside at 675 Buhl Boulevard, Sharon, Pa. They kept their books and filed their Federal income tax return for the year at issue on the basis of a cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting. They filed their Federal income tax return for 1958 with the district director of internal revenue at Pittsburgh, Pa.

During 1958 Charles, a minor, was a full-time student at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. The petitioners, by check, gave sums totaling $1,500 to Charles for his support in 1958. In addition, they furnished other sums to him amounting to $500 for uses that may or may not constitute support.

During the calendar year 1958 Charles was enrolled in the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. The U.S. Navy Department paid educational expenses on his behalf as follows:

Tuition and fees_.$1,480
Books_ 20
Total- l, 500

In order to qualify for these payments, Charles was required to sign a statement agreeing to serve on active duty as a naval officer for 3 years following his graduation from college. Charles did serve on active duty after his graduation, pursuant to the agreement.

As a participant in the Naval Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, Charles received retainer pay of $50 a month for a period of 10 months during 1958. These payments totaled $500 and were used by Charles for his support in 1958.

During 1958 Charles participated in a naval training cruise, for which he received pay in the amount of $120. This sum also was used by him for his support in 1958. In connection with this cruise, he also received travel pay of $213.50, the use of which has not been accounted for in the record. Finally, during this cruise, Charles was furnished board and lodging by the Navy Department without cost, which is stipulated to be of a value of $112.50.

The petitioners claimed Charles as a dependent and took a dependency exemption for him on their 1958 income tax return. The respondent disallowed this exemption on the grounds that the petitioners had not provided more than one-half of his support.

The petitioners did provide more than one-half of Charles’ support during 1958.

We have found that the petitioners provided support for Charles in the amount of at least $1,500 during 1958. We have found that Charles received sums or support from other sources during 1958, as follows:

Tuition fees and books from U.S. Navy Department-$1, 500.00
Retainer pay_ 500. 00
Pay for cruise_ 120. 00
Travel pay_ 213. 50
Meals and lodging in kind- 112. 50
Total_ 2,446. 00

Thus, if the $1,500 paid by the Navy Department for tuition and books on behalf of Charles is considered a scholarship, the petitioners have provided more than one-half of his support.

The petitioners contend that the payments by the Navy Department for tuition and books should not be considered in determining Charles’ total support because these payments constitute a “scholarship” as that term is used in section 152(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, which provides as follows:

SEO. 152. DEPENDENT DEFINED.
(d) Speciai Support Test in Case of Students. — * * * in the case of any individual who is—
(1) a son, stepson, daughter, or stepdaughter of the taxpayer (within the meaning of this section), and
(2) a student * * * amounts received as scholarships for study at an educational institution * * * shall not be taken into account in determining whether such individual received more than half of his support from the taxpayer.

The respondent, on the other hand, contends that these payments cannot be considered as a scholarship and thus must be included in the computation of Charles’ total support. We agree with the petitioners.

The term “scholarship” is not defined in the Internal Revenue Code. However, the respondent in his Regulations has defined it as follows:1

Sec. 1.117-3(a) Scholarship. A scholarship generally means an amount paid or allowed to, or for the benefit of, a student, whether an undergraduate or a graduate, to aid such individual in pursuing his studies. * * *

Although the payments in question here seem to fall squarely within this definition, the respondent urges that they may not be considered as a scholarship because they fall within certain exceptions set forth in the regulations. These exceptions are found in subparagraphs 1.117-4 (b) and (c), which provide as follows:

Sec. 1.117-4 Items not considered as scholarships or fellowship grants.
The following payments or allowances shall not be considered to be amounts received as a scholarship or a fellowship grant for the purpose of section 117:
*******
(b) Allowances to members of the Armed Forces of the United States. Tuition and subsistence allowances to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who are students at an educational institution operated by the United States or approved by the United States for their education and training, such as the United States Naval Academy and the United States Military Academy.
(c) Amounts paid as compensation for services or primarily for the benefit of the grantor. (1) * * * any amount paid or allowed to, or on behalf of, an individual to enable him to pursue studies or research, if such amount represents either compensation for past, present, or future employment services or represents payment for services which are subject to the direction or supervision of the grantor.
(2) Any amount paid or allowed to, or on behalf of, an individual to enable him to pursue studies or research primarily for the benefit of the grantor.

These provisions of the regulations are further qualified, however, by the language which follows them, which states:

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Related

Woodfin v. Commissioner
1972 T.C. Memo. 49 (U.S. Tax Court, 1972)
Willie v. Commissioner
57 T.C. 383 (U.S. Tax Court, 1971)
Kirkman v. Commissioner
1970 T.C. Memo. 180 (U.S. Tax Court, 1970)
Mark v. Commissioner
1967 T.C. Memo. 222 (U.S. Tax Court, 1967)
Keegstra v. Commissioner
48 T.C. 897 (U.S. Tax Court, 1967)
Reese v. Commissioner
45 T.C. 407 (U.S. Tax Court, 1966)
Ide v. Commissioner
40 T.C. 721 (U.S. Tax Court, 1963)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
40 T.C. 721, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 85, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ide-v-commissioner-tax-1963.