Perkins v. Commissioner

40 T.C. 330, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 17, 1963
DocketDocket No. 92941
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 40 T.C. 330 (Perkins 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
Perkins v. Commissioner, 40 T.C. 330, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119 (tax 1963).

Opinion

Scott, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner’s income tax for tlie year 1958 in the amount of $1,836.45.

The issues for decision are:

(1) Whether the amount of $6,600 received in 1958 by petitioner from a trust created in her husband’s will is includable in her gross income in computing her U.S. Federal income tax or is exempt from such tax under the provisions of article X of the convention between the United States of America and the Italian Republic.

(2) Whether commissions received by petitioner in 1958 as coexecu-trix and cotrustee of the New Jersey estate of her deceased husband and the trust created by his will represent income from a source within the United States so as to be includable in petitioner’s gross income for Federal income tax purposes.

FINDINGS OP PACT

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

Irene Vavasour Elder Perkins, hereinafter referred to as petitioner, is an individual residing in Piazza del Vescovado 4, Assisi, Italy. She filed her Federal income tax return on form 1040 for the calendar year 1958 on the cash basis of accounting with the district director of internal revenue at Newark, N.J.

Petitioner was born in Germany in 1883, and married Frederic Mason Perkins, an American citizen, on November 10, 1913, at London, England. The records of the American consul in Rome, Italy, indicate that petitioner has been a citizen of the United States since the date of her marriage to Frederic Mason Perkins.

Petitioner’s husband, Frederic Mason Perkins (hereinafter sometimes referred to as Perkins), died on October 12,1955, leaving a will dated August 12, 1952, which, was probated in the Bergen County Surrogate’s Court at Hackensack, N.J., on October 26, 1955. For many years prior to the date of her husband’s death, petitioner and her husband had resided in Assisi, Italy, and petitioner has continued to reside in Assisi, Italy, from the date of her husband’s death throughout the year 1958.

Perkins’ will dated August 12, 1952, was drafted by William V. Breslin, a Hew Jersey attorney. Breslin had acted as an adviser to Perkins for a number of years prior to 1952. In August 1952 Breslin was in Italy and discussed with Perkins the drafting of his will. After this discussion Breslin drafted the will in accordance with Perkins’ directions and the will was executed by Perkins.

The Palisades Trust Co. of Englewood, N.J., and petitioner were named in Perkins’ will as coexecutors and cotrustees of his estate and of a testamentary trust created in Perkins’ will. Palisades Trust Co. qualified as coexecutor of the Perkins’ estate on October 26, 1955, and petitioner qualified as coexecutrix of the Perkins’ estate on June 5,1956.

Sometime in October 1955, petitioner engaged Carl Abruzzese of Newark, N.J., as her attorney. Abruzzese has continued to represent petitioner as her attorney in her individual capacity during the period from October 1955 to tire date of the trial of this case. Since June 5, 1956, Carl Abruzzese has represented petitioner as her attorney in her capacity as coexecutrix of Perkins’ estate and as cotrustee of a testamentary trust created in Perkins’ will.

In late October or early November 1955, shortly after Perkins’ death, Breslin and an officer (Moore) of the Palisades Trust Co. went to Assisi, Italy, and met with petitioner. Breslin and Moore explained to petitioner the contents of the will dated August 12, 1952. They informed petitioner as to when this will was prepared and executed. Petitioner had no prior knowledge of her husband’s will dated August 12, 1952. She mentioned to Breslin and Moore a prior will written in her husband’s handwriting in 1948 and showed them what she stated to be a copy of such will.

In March 1956 Abruzzese arranged for the forwarding of the necessary forms to have petitioner qualify as coexecutrix and cotrustee of the Perkins’ estate and trust to the American Consul in Rome, Italy. On June 5,1956, petitioner qualified as coexecutrix and cotrustee and the sum of $11.75 in connection with the qualification was paid to the Bergen County Surrogate by Abruzzese. In June 1956, by power of attorney, petitioner appointed the Surrogate of Bergen County at Hackensack, N.J., as her agent upon whom original process might be served in connection with her duties as coexecutrix and cotrustee.

During the period from April 20, 1956, through January 2, 1958, numerous letters were exchanged between Abruzzese and petitioner with respect to the administration of the Perkins’ estate. Abruzzese advised petitioner on such. matters as investment of cash, belonging to the estate more advantageously than in a savings account, a bill presented by Breslin for services rendered to Perldns prior to the date of his death, the preparation and signing of the New Jersey inheritance tax return and Federal estate tax return, the exercise of stock rights with respect to American Telephone & Telegraph Co. stock, the filing of an account with the New Jersey Surrogate’s Court, and petitioner’s commissions as coexecutrix of the Perkins’ estate and cotrustee of the Perkins’ trust. In addition to correspondence with petitioner, Abruz-zese corresponded with Tiberio Gualdi of Assisi, Italy, who was an adviser to petitioner. Petitioner signed the New Jersey inheritance tax return before an official in Assisi, Italy, and signed the Federal estate tax return after raising certain questions with respect thereto by corresponding with Abruzzese. She also signed the necessary papers to permit the exercise of the American Telephone & Telegraph stock rights. Petitioner refused to agree to Breslin’s claim for legal fees for services to Perkins prior to his death, and Breslin dropped the claim.

In November 1955, Breslin, while in Assisi, Italy, told petitioner that she would receive less income under the 1948 will which she had exhibited to him than under the will dated August 12, 1952. Breslin advised petitioner that Perkins had told him that he wished to increase the monthly payments to her and that was the reason for the annuity provided in the will of August 12,1952.

Abruzzese advised the Italian vice consul in a letter dated January 10,1956, that petitioner would receive less under the 1948 will than under the probated will of August 12, 1952. In a letter dated February 3, 1956, to the Palisades Trust Co., petitioner acknowledged the validity of the will dated August 12, 1952, that had been probated in Bergen County, N.J. The will dated August 12, 1952, which was probated provided in part as follows:

I, Frederic Blasón Perkins being domiciled in tbe city of Englewood, Bergen County, New Jersey; now living in Assisi, Province of Perrugia, Italy, a citizen of tbe United States of America, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, and considering tbe uncertainty of tbis life, do make, publish and declare tbis to be my last will and testament as follows, hereby revoking all other and former wills by me at any time made.

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

Related

Janice Kay Haskins & Julian William Haskins v. Commissioner
2019 T.C. Memo. 87 (U.S. Tax Court, 2019)
Martin A. Kapp v. Commissioner
2019 T.C. Memo. 84 (U.S. Tax Court, 2019)
Ebert v. Comm'r
2015 T.C. Memo. 5 (U.S. Tax Court, 2015)
Naylor v. Comm'r
2013 T.C. Memo. 19 (U.S. Tax Court, 2013)
Storey v. Comm'r
2012 T.C. Memo. 115 (U.S. Tax Court, 2012)
Rickard v. Comm'r
2010 T.C. Memo. 159 (U.S. Tax Court, 2010)
Kanofsky v. Comm'r
2006 T.C. Memo. 79 (U.S. Tax Court, 2006)
Kendrix v. Comm'r
2006 T.C. Memo. 9 (U.S. Tax Court, 2006)
Sanders v. Commissioner
1997 T.C. Memo. 452 (U.S. Tax Court, 1997)
Judy v. Commissioner
1997 T.C. Memo. 232 (U.S. Tax Court, 1997)
Schlosser v. Commissioner
1992 T.C. Memo. 233 (U.S. Tax Court, 1992)
Lagoy v. Commissioner
1992 T.C. Memo. 213 (U.S. Tax Court, 1992)
Kling v. Commissioner
1990 T.C. Memo. 284 (U.S. Tax Court, 1990)
Sly v. Commissioner
1990 T.C. Memo. 12 (U.S. Tax Court, 1990)
Snyder v. Commissioner
93 T.C. No. 43 (U.S. Tax Court, 1989)
FELAK v. COMMISSIONER
1989 T.C. Memo. 543 (U.S. Tax Court, 1989)
Pauli v. Comm'r
1984 T.C. Memo. 591 (U.S. Tax Court, 1984)
Duley v. Commissioner
1981 T.C. Memo. 246 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
Peters v. Commissioner
1981 T.C. Memo. 83 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
40 T.C. 330, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 119, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/perkins-v-commissioner-tax-1963.