Loeb v. Commissioner

29 T.C. 22, 1957 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 67
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 11, 1957
DocketDocket No. 60154
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 29 T.C. 22 (Loeb 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
Loeb v. Commissioner, 29 T.C. 22, 1957 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 67 (tax 1957).

Opinion

Testjens, Judge:

The Commissioner determined a deficiency in estate tax in the amount of $5,339.15 and made an addition to the tax for failure to file a return within the time prescribed by law (sec. 3612 (d), I. R. C. 1939) in the amount of $266.96. Only one of the Commissioner’s adjustments is contested. We must decide whether the premiums on life insurance policies on the life of the decedent were indirectly paid by the decedent and the insurance proceeds are thus includible in his gross estate under section 811 (g) (2) (A). If we hold that the insurance proceeds are so includible, then we must further decide whether section 811 (g) (2) (A) is unconstitutional in its application in this case.

FINDINGS OF FACT.

Most of the facts are stipulated. The stipulated facts and pertinent exhibits are found as stipulated and are incorporated herein by reference.

The estate tax return was filed with the director of internal revenue for the district of Brooklyn, New York.

Clarence died August 25, 1951. He was survived by his wife, Bessie, and three sons.

On March 30, 1941, Bessie, as “applicant,” and Clarence, as the proposed insured, made application to the Prudential Insurance Company of America for insurance on the life of Glarence. On April 21,1941, Prudential issued policy number 11-495-009 in the face amount of $30,000 on tbe life of Clarence. This policy is hereinafter referred to as the Prudential policy. Bessie was the primary beneficiary of the Prudential policy and a rider attached to the policy provided that all legal incidents of ownership and control of the policy belong to her. Annual premiums on the Prudential policy were $974,40 for the first 3 years and $1,137.30, thereafter.

On April 5,1941, Bessie, as “applicant,” and Clarence, as the proposed insured, made application to the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company of Boston, Massachusetts, for insurance on the life of Clarence. On April 14, 1941, John Hancock issued policy number 3457518 in the face amount of $10,000 on the life of Clarence. This policy is hereinafter referred to as the John Hancock policy. Bessie was the primary beneficiary and on subsequent endorsements to the policy was referred to as its owner. Annual premiums on the John Hancock policy were $366.20.

On April 21, 1941, Bessie, as “applicant,” and Glarence, as the proposed insured, made application to the Home Life Insurance Company for insurance on the life of Clarence. On that day, Home Life issued policy number 484,543 in the face amount of $10,000 on the life of Clarence. This policy is hereinafter referred to as the Home Life policy. Bessie was the primary beneficiary of this policy and the policy provided specifically that Bessie, in the place and stead of the owner, was the owner of the policy. Annual premiums on the Home Life policy were $343.70.

On April 18, 1941, Bessie opened a cheeking account in the United National Bank of Long Island upon which only she had authority to draw. Bessie’s opening deposit in the account was $2,000 which was given to her by Clarence. On the day she opened the account she drew three checks totaling $1,684.30 to pay the initial premiums on the Prudential, Home Life, and John Hancock policies. Subsequent premium payments to the insurance companies with respect to the above policies were made by checks drawn upon this account. Over 95 per cent in amount of the deposits, to Bessie’s checking account had their source in checks drawn by Clarence on his own personal checking account.

The following schedules show the source of the deposits and the nature of the withdrawals, with respect to Bessie’s checking account at the United National Bank, from the date the .account was opened to the date of Clarence’s death:

[[Image here]]

Subsequent to the death of Clarence, the proceeds of the Prudential, the Plome Life, and the .John Plancock policies, in the respective amounts of $30,000, $10,000, and $10,000, were paid to Bessie. She also received $2,340.72 in accumulated dividends on the Prudential policy. The above-mentioned insurance proceeds were listed in Schedule D of Clarence’s estate tax return, but they were not included in his gross estate for estate tax purposes. The stated reasons for such treatment were that the policies “were owned by Bessie B. Loeb, she made the application for the policies and paid all premiums due thereon.”

The insurance proceeds paid to Bessie, under the Prudential, the Home Life, and the John Hancock policies, all of which were upon the life of Clarence, were purchased with premiums paid indirectly by Clarence, the decedent.

OPINION.

Insofar as this case is concerned, section 811 (g) (2) (A) of the Internal Bevenue Code of 19391 provides that the value of the gross estate of the decedent shall include the proceeds of life insurance to the extent of the amount receivable by all beneficiaries, other than the executor, as insurance under policies upon the life of the decedent purchased with premiums, or other consideration, paid indirectly by the decedent in proportion that the amount so paid by the decedent bears to the total premiums paid for the insurance.

The petitioner contends that under the estate tax regulations2 only those premium payments which are made with funds transferred for the purpose of paying premiums, pursuant to an arrangement which requires that the funds be used for that purpose, can be considered to be indirect premium payments by the decedent. Accordingly, the petitioner argues, since Bessie’s uncontradicted testimony was to the effect that the funds given to her by Clarence were gifts with which she could do as she pleased, and since she paid the premiums with checks drawn on her personal checking account, then Clarence did not indirectly pay the premiums on the policies on his life within the meaning of the statute and the regulations. As authority, the petitioner cites Estate of John E. Cain, Sr., 43 B. T. A. 1133 (1941), and Ford v. Kavanaugh, 108 F. Supp. 463 (E. D. Mich., 1952).

We think the petitioner’s interpretation of the regulations is too narrow. They specifically provide that the phrase “paid indirectly by the decedent” is intended to be broad in scope. The latter interpretation is consistent with the legislative history of the so-called payment of premiums provision for including insurance proceeds in the decedent’s gross estate. House Report No. 2333, section 404, 77th Cong., 2d Sess., p. 162, 1942-2 C. B. 372, 491, states that the provision was “intended to prevent avoidance of the estate tax and should be construed in accordance with this objective.” See Estate of Albert Dudley Saunders, 14 T. C. 534 (1950), where we held that payments of insurance premiums from a joint bank account, which was made up almost exclusively of funds furnished by the decedent, were indirectly paid by the decedent, except to the extent it was shown they were paid out of funds which were his wife’s separate property prior to deposit in the joint checking account; and Estate of E. A. Showers, 14 T. C. 903 (1950), where we held that payments of insurance premiums by decedent’s wife, with income derived by the wife from property transferred to her by the decedent, were indirectly paid by the decedent.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Estate of Chapin v. Commissioner
1970 T.C. Memo. 7 (U.S. Tax Court, 1970)
Carlton v. Commissioner
34 T.C. 988 (U.S. Tax Court, 1960)
Manufacturers National Bank of Detroit v. United States
175 F. Supp. 291 (E.D. Michigan, 1959)
Schwarz v. United States
170 F. Supp. 2 (E.D. Louisiana, 1959)
Baker v. Commissioner
30 T.C. 776 (U.S. Tax Court, 1958)
Loeb v. Commissioner
29 T.C. 22 (U.S. Tax Court, 1957)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
29 T.C. 22, 1957 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 67, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/loeb-v-commissioner-tax-1957.