Pearson v. Commissioner

4 T.C. 218, 1944 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 37
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 20, 1944
DocketDocket No. 2761
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 4 T.C. 218 (Pearson 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
Pearson v. Commissioner, 4 T.C. 218, 1944 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 37 (tax 1944).

Opinion

OPINION.

Black, Judge:

The Commissioner has determined a deficiency in petitioner’s income tax of $6,170.75 for the year 1940. This deficiency is due to two adjustments made by the Commissioner as follows: (a) Income from fiduciary, $111.35; and (b) interest, $13,616.97. The deficiency notice gives the following explanation of these adjustments:

(a) An examination of the books and records of the trustee of the trust U/W Olive P. O. Pearson discloses that your share of the net income for the year 1940 is $26,649.27. Inasmuch as you have reported only the amount of $26,537.92 from this source, your taxable income has been increased by the difference of $111.35.
(b) The deduction claimed as “interest on deficiency tax” has been disallowed.
The evidence submitted discloses that it does not represent interest paid on your obligation.

Petitioner by appropriate assignments of error contested in his petition both of the foregoing adjustments. However, the petitioner now concedes the correctness of respondent’s adjustment (a) and contests only adjustment (b).

The facts are all stipulated and we adopt them as our findings of fact.

The petitioner is Forrest G. Pearson, an individual. - He resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The return for the period here involved was filed with the collector of internal revenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Olive P. Corning Pearson, wife of petitioner (and hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “decedent”), died on April 3, 1936, leaving a last will and testament.

The executors of decedent’s estate, who are also trustees of the trust set .up under clause sixth of decedent’s will (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the “testamentary trust”) are the Germantown Tru^t Co., Clarence A. Warden, and petitioner (hereinafter sometimes referred to either as the “executors” or as the “trustees,” depending upon which of these two capacities are involved). Petitioner was sole life beneficiary of the residue of decedent’s estate.

The Germantown Trust Co., Forrest G. Pearson, and Clarence A. Warden, as executors under the will of Olive P. Corning Pearson, transferred to themselves, as trustees under the will of decedent, on the dates and in the amounts set forth below the following assets, which constituted all of the remaining assets of the decedent’s estate after payment of prior claims and bequests:

Jan. 11, 1938, stocks_$255,374.96
Dec. 13, 1938, cash_ 5.00
Feb. 11, 1939, cash_ 25.00
Mar. 6, 1939, .stock_ 16,600. 00
~ Bonds_ 4, 490. 62
miscellaneous_ 2,225. 80
Total_ 278,721.38

After March 6, 1989, no assets, whether principal or income, were held by the executors.

On June 15, 1940, the executors signed a “Waiver of Restrictions against Immediate Assessment and Collection of Deficiency in Estate Tax,” reflecting a deficiency in estate tax of $98,377.81 resulting from the inclusion in the gross estate of decedent of $120,416.76 representing the value of decedent’s reversionary interest in an inter vivos trust created by decedent under date of May 28,1917. This deficiency was subject to an allowance of $22,394.66 for the portion paid to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, leaving a net deficiency of $75,983.15. This net deficiency, together with interest of $17,620.40 for the period from July 3, 1937, to July 15, 1940, totaling $93,603.55, was paid by the Germantown Trust Co. as cotrustee under the decedent’s will on August 8, 1940.

The Federal estate taxes of the decedent and payment dates may be summarized as follows:

Tax as reported, Form 706, paid July 2, 1937_$249, 972. 88
Net deficiency, paid Aug. 8, 1940_$75, 983.15
Interest on deficiency, paid Aug. 8, 1940_ 17,620.40
- 93, 603. 55
Total_ 343, 576. 43

Of the sum of $17,620.40 paid by the Germantown Trust Co7 as a cotrustee under the decedent’s will as interest on the deficiency in Federal estate tax of the decedent, the amount of $4,011.13 was refunded on November 18, 1940, leaving a net payment of $13,609.27. The sum of $7.70 was paid on August 6, 1940, to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as interest on its deficiency estate tax assessment, making a total net payment of interest by the trustees of $13,616.97.

The net income of the testamentary trust for the taxable year 1940, prior to the payment of interest due on the deficiency Federal and Pennsylvania estate tax assessments against the estate of said decedent, was $26,537.92, plus $111.35 income from other fiduciaries. All of this income was in fact distributed to petitioner, who, however, returned a portion thereof to the trustees in the amount of $13,616.97.

On December 19, 1940, a letter was addressed to petitioner by the Germantown Trust C'o., one of the executors and trustees of decedent’s estate, containing the following language:

In reference to the complications which have arisen in connection with the distributions of income to you and the payment of Estate and Inheritance Taxes ip the above estate, it appears that originally a total of $17,628.10 had been improperly paid to you this year. However, since then we have received $4,011.13 by way of a refund from the Internal Revenue Department of interest thus reducing to $13,616.97 the amount of income improperly paid to you this year. We would, therefore, request that you refund the latter amount.

In response to this letter the petitioner returned to the trustees on December 26,1940, the amount of $13,616.97.

The petitioner in his income and defense tax return for 1940 included in his gross income the amount of $26,537.92 as income from the testamentary trust and claimed as a deduction (included in item of $14,-434.95 interest) the amount of $13,616.97.

Clause sixth of decedent’s will reads as follows:

Sixth: All the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, and including that over which I may have power of appointment, I give, devise and bequeath to the Germantown Trust Company, Forrest G. Beabson and Clarence A. Warden, In Trust nevertheless, to invest and reinvest, collect and receive the rents, income, issues, and profits, and after deducting all legal costs, charges, taxes, commissions and other expenses incident to the care and management of said trust, to distribute the income therefrom and principal thereof as follows:
(a) Pay to my husband, Forrest G. Pearson, the entire net income for and during the term of his natural life.
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Pearson v. Commissioner
4 T.C. 218 (U.S. Tax Court, 1944)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
4 T.C. 218, 1944 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 37, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pearson-v-commissioner-tax-1944.