Morton v. Commissioner

23 B.T.A. 236, 1931 BTA LEXIS 1906
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedMay 14, 1931
DocketDocket No. 32241.
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 23 B.T.A. 236 (Morton v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Board of Tax Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Morton v. Commissioner, 23 B.T.A. 236, 1931 BTA LEXIS 1906 (bta 1931).

Opinion

[240]*240OPINION.

McMahon:

At the hearing the petitioner waived the contention with regard to inheritance taxes paid to the State of New York. This assignment of error need, therefore, not be considered.

In his brief, the respondent conceded that the petitioner is entitled to a credit of $1,456.04, additional inheritance tax paid to the State of Missouri subject to the limitation contained in section 301 (b) of the Revenue Act of 1924, which provides:

The tax imposed by this section shall be credited with the amount of any estate, inheritance, legacy, or succession taxes actually paid to any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, in respect of any property included in the gross estate. The credit allowed by this subdivision shall not exceed 25 per centum of the tax imposed by this section.

Upon the redetermination, the petitioner will be credited with the full amount of the additional inheritance tax paid to the State of Missouri, $1,456.04, provided that amount, together with the amount of inheritance taxes paid and already credited by the respondent, does not exceed 25 per centum of the tax as computed in the light of the decision in this proceeding. If such total is greater than 25 per centum of the estate tax, then petitioner will be credited with so much of the additional inheritance tax as is not in excess of 25 per centum of the estate tax computed in accordance with this decision.

There remain for consideration three assignments of error. The applicable provisions of the Revenue Act of 1924 are contained in sections 301 and 302. Section 301 provides:

(a) In lieu of the tax imposed by Title IV of the Revenue Act of 1921, a tax equal to the sum of the following percentages of the value of the net estate (determined as provided in section 303) is hereby imposed upon the transfer of the net estate of every decedent dying after the enactment of this Act, whether a resident or nonresident of the United States. * * *

Section 302 provides:

The value of the gross estate of the decedent shall be determined by including the value at the time of his death of all property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, wherever situated — .
[241]*241(a) To the extent of the interest therein of the decedent at the time of his death which after his death is subject to the payment of the charges against his estate and the expenses of its administration and is subject to distribution as part of his estate;
* * * * * * m
(e) To the extent of the interest therein held as joint tenants by the decedent and any other person, or as tenants by the entirety by the decedent and spouse, or deposited, with any person carrying on the banking business, in their joint names and payable to either or the survivor, except such part thereof as may be shown to have originally belonged to such other person and never to have been received or acquired by the latter from the decedent for less than a fair consideration in money or money’s worth: * * * Provided further, That where any property has been acquired by gift, bequest, devise, or inheritance, as a tenancy by the entirety by the decedent and spouse, then to the extent of one-half of the value thereof, or, where so acquired by the decedent and any other person as joint tenants and their interests are not otherwise specified or fixed by law, then to the extent of the value of a fractional part to be determined by dividing the vahre of the property by the number of point tenants;
$ ⅜ * ⅝ ⅜ ⅜
(g) To the extent of the amount receivable by the executor as insurance under policies taken out by the decedent upon his own life; and to the extent of the excess over $40,000 of the amount receivable by all other beneficiaries as insurance under policies taken out by the decedent upon his own life.
(h) Subdivisions (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), and (g) of this section shall apply to the transfers, trusts, estates, interests, rights, powers, and relinquishment of powers, as severally enumerated and described therein, whether made, created, arising, existing, exercised, or relinquished before or after the enactment of this Act.

The respondent included in the gross estate of the decedent certain real estate situated in the State of Missouri which decedent owned at the date of his death and which had a value of $10,158.70 at such date. Real estate situated in Missouri is not subject to the expenses of administration of the estate and, therefore, under section 302 of the Revenue Act of 1924, is not to be included in the gross estate. Crooks v. Harrelson, 282 U. S. 55.

The respondent included in the gross estate of the decedent two tracts of land which had been transferred by deed to the decedent and his wife in 1909 and 1911. It is the contention of the petitioner that the decedent and his wife held both tracts of land as tenants by the entirety and that respondent erred in including them in the gross estate.

In his answer the respondent admitted that both tracts of land were held by the decedent and his wife as tenants by the entirety. At the hearing respondent raised a question as to whether one of the tracts was held by decedent and his wife as tenants by the entirety and the two deeds were submitted in evidence. The respondent was allowed to amend his answer by striking from the answer that [242]*242part admitting that the land was held by the decedent and his wife as tenants by the entirety. However, in his brief the respondent states: “ At the time of his death, the decedent and his wife held as tenants by the entireties two parcels of real estate, * * ⅜ ” and contends that his action in including both tracts in the gross estate of the. decedent was proper, relying upon United States v. Tyler, 33 Fed. (2d) 724.

There is no doubt in our minds that both tracts of land were held by.the decedent and his wife as tenants by the entirety. Under the deeds, parts of which we have set forth in our findings of fact, the decedent and his wife both became seized of the property. The law in Missouri is settled that a deed to husband and wife in the usual form creates an estate by the entireties. Ashbaugh v. Ashbaugh, 273 Mo. 352; 201 S. W. 72; Eliot v. Roll, 226 S. W. 590; Hume v. Hopkins, 140 Mo. 65; 41 S. W. 784; Wilson v. Frost, 186 Mo. 311; 85 S. W. 375.

There has been no showing that any part of the land constituting the tenancy by the entirety had, prior to the creation of the tenancy, ever belonged to the surviving spouse, and, by the express provisions of section 302 of the Revenue Act of 1924, the full value of the property held by the decedent and his wife must be included in the gross estate of the decedent for estate-tax purposes. Tyler v. United States, 281 U. S. 497; Ida A. Smith et al., Executors, 20 B. T. A. 41; Max Dann et al., Executors, 20 B. T. A. 42; Ada M. Slocum, Executrix, 21 B. T. A. 169; and Mary S. Garrison et al., Executors, 21 B. T. A. 904.

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Morton v. Commissioner
23 B.T.A. 236 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1931)

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Bluebook (online)
23 B.T.A. 236, 1931 BTA LEXIS 1906, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morton-v-commissioner-bta-1931.