Johnson Trust v. Commissioner

71 T.C. 941, 1979 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 166
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedFebruary 28, 1979
DocketDocket No. 1335-76
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 71 T.C. 941 (Johnson Trust 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
Johnson Trust v. Commissioner, 71 T.C. 941, 1979 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 166 (tax 1979).

Opinion

Scott, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies of $2,874.19 and $29,085.68 in petitioner’s Federal income taxes for the calendar years 1972 and 1973, respectively. All of the issues raised by the pleadings for the year 1972 and some of the issues raised by the pleadings for the year 1973 have been disposed of by the parties, leaving for our decision only whether the redemption in 1973 by Crescent Oil Co., Inc. (Crescent Oil), of all its stock owned by petitioner should be treated under section 302,1.R.C. 1954,1 as a payment in exchange for the stock.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are found accordingly.

Petitioner Rodgers P. Johnson Trust is a testamentary trust. Its income tax returns were filed by Harrison F. Johnson who resided in Independence, Kans., at the time of the filing of the petition herein. Petitioner filed a United States Fiduciary Income Tax Return (Form 1041) for the year 1973 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Austin, Tex., using the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting.

Petitioner was created by the will of Rodgers P. Johnson (hereinafter grantor). The grantor died on March 14, 1968, survived by his wife, Martha M. Johnson, and their adopted son, Philip R. Johnson. After providing for payment of his debts, the expenses of his last illness, and funeral and administration expenses, the grantor, in his will, bequeathed to Mrs. Johnson an amount of money or property equal to one-half of all the property he owned at his death. Mrs. Johnson was empowered to select the assets to satisfy this bequest, so long as the assets selected were of a kind that would qualify for the marital deduction for Federal estate tax purposes. The grantor directed that all taxes be paid out of the residue of his estate. Finally, he bequeathed the rest and residue of his estate to Harrison Johnson and Mrs. Johnson, in trust, to be disposed of as follows:

(a) If, in the sole discretion of Harrison F. Johnson, my wife, Martha M. Johnson, needs a portion of the income or principal for her comfortable living, support or medical care, my trustees shall distribute to her or for her benefit such amounts as said Harrison F. Johnson shall deem necessary for such purpose. Any income from the trust estate which is not distributed to my said wife during the, calendar year may, in the discretion of the trustees, be accumulated for, paid to, or used for the benefit of my son, Philip R. Johnson.
(b) This trust shall terminate upon the death of my wife, Martha M. Johnson, at which time my trustee shall distribute the trust principal to my son, Philip R. Johnson, together with any income that may have been accumulated for his benefit under (a) hereof, provided, however, that if Philip is under thirty-five (35) years of age at the time of such termination this trust shall continue until he reaches age thirty-five (35), at which time such distribution shall be made to him.
(c) In the event of Philip’s death prior to the termination of the trust, survived by my wife, Martha M. Johnson, one-half of the trust property shall be delivered to her. The remaining trust property shall be held for the benefit of Philip’s children. Any income from the trust estate which is not distributed to my wife during the calendar year after the death of Philip may be accumulated for, paid to, or used for the benefit of Philip’s children or their issue in such manner as my trustees solely in their discretion may determine.
(d) Upon termination of the trust at the death of my wife, Martha, or at the death of Philip if he should survive my wife but die before age thirty-five (35), the trust property and any accumulated income shall pass to Philip’s children then surviving, share and share alike, with the issue of any deceased children taking the share their parent would have received, if such parent were then living. If there are no children or issue thereof then surviving, then the property shall be paid and delivered to Philip’s wife who is legally married to Philip at the time of his death.

At the time of Rodgers P. Johnson’s death, Mrs. Johnson was 53 years old and Philip was 24. At the creation of the trust, Philip Johnson had a 96.14-percent actuarial interest in the trust, and Mrs. Johnson had a 1.898-percent interest (without regard to the possibility of distribution for the support or care of Mrs. Johnson).

In 1972, administration of Rodgers P. Johnson’s estate was completed, and the estate was closed. Upon the closing of the estate, 112 shares of stock of Crescent Oil were distributed from the estate to petitioner. On March 29, 1973, Crescent Oil redeemed 12 of the shares owned by petitioner in exchange for 300 shares of stock of Union Gas Co. (Union). On May 21,1973, Crescent Oil redeemed the remaining 100 shares owned by petitioner in exchange for 2,650 shares of Union. Petitioner owned no other shares of Crescent Oil stock at the time of the aforementioned redemptions. It has acquired no other Crescent Oil shares since the redemptions. At the time of the redemptions, Philip Johnson owned no shares of Crescent Oil stock. He has not acquired any Crescent Oil stock since the redemptions. Philip Johnson is the beneficiary of one other trust, which was created by the will of his grandmother, Hazel Johnson. The Hazel Johnson Trust neither owned any Crescent Oil stock at the time of the redemptions, nor has since acquired any Crescent Oil stock. Neither petitioner nor Philip Johnson has had any managerial interest in Crescent Oil since the redemptions.

Prior to the aforementioned redemptions, Mrs. Johnson owned 920 of 2,368 Crescent Oil shares outstanding. Subsequent to the redemptions, she held 920 of 2,256 shares outstanding. At the time of Rodgers P. Johnson’s death, Mrs. Johnson owned 324 shares of Crescent Oil with a value of $530 per share; 1,038 shares of Union with a value of $12 per share; 42 shares of Yellow Cab Co. with a value of $20 per share; and a one-half interest in 556 additional shares of Crescent Oil held jointly with Rodgers P. Johnson. Upon her husband’s death, Mrs. Johnson succeeded to his interest in the jointly held 556 Crescent Oil shares and to his interest in jointly held real and personal property with a value of $30,000. Further, Mrs. Johnson received $50,000 in life insurance proceeds. From the probate of the estate, Mrs. Johnson received property valued at $198,278.04.

On January 23, 1975, Harrison Johnson and Mrs. Johnson, as cotrustees of the Rodgers P. Johnson Trust, filed with the office of respondent in Topeka, Kans., the following letter:

Dear Sir:
This agreement is filed by the undersigned taxpayer pursuant to the provisions of Section 302(c)(2)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code and 1.302-4(a) of the income tax regulations, with respect to a distribution to the taxpayer from Crescent Oil Co. of Independence, Kansas, on March 26, 1973 and April 27, 1973, in redemption of all of its stock in the corporation. The distribution to the Trust consisted of 300 shares of Union Gas System, Inc., stock having a value of $6,000 and 2,650 shares of Union Gas System, Inc., stock having a value of $53,000.
The undersigned is a distributee required by the aforesaid provision to file this agreement.

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Related

Metzger Trust v. Commissioner
76 T.C. 42 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
Adams v. Commissioner
72 T.C. 81 (U.S. Tax Court, 1979)
Johnson Trust v. Commissioner
71 T.C. 941 (U.S. Tax Court, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
71 T.C. 941, 1979 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 166, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/johnson-trust-v-commissioner-tax-1979.