Rockefeller v. Commissioner

76 T.C. 178, 1981 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJanuary 29, 1981
DocketDocket Nos. 9356-77, 9357-77
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 76 T.C. 178 (Rockefeller 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
Rockefeller v. Commissioner, 76 T.C. 178, 1981 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182 (tax 1981).

Opinion

OPINION

Drennen, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in income tax of the petitioners as follows:

Docket No. Year Deficiency
9356-77 . 1970 $34,266
1971 57,295
9357-77 . 1969 130,081
1970 125,216
1971 234,403

The cases were consolidated for briefing and opinion. The only issue for decision is whether unreimbursed expenses incurred by the taxpayers in rendering services to qualifying charities, which are conceded by respondent to qualify as charitable contributions, qualify for the so-called unlimited charitable contribution deduction allowed under sections 170(b)(1)(C) and 170(g), I.R.C. 1954,1 as amended and in effect for the years here involved.

The cases were submitted on facts that were fully stipulated. The stipulations of fact filed by the parties are incorporated herein by reference. The pertinent facts are as follows.

David Rockefeller and Margaret McG. Rockefeller, the petitioners in docket No. 9356-77, are individuals, husband and wife, and at all times pertinent hereto, including the time of filing their petition in this case, their legal residence has been the town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, N.Y.

The petitioners in docket No. 9357-77 are the duly appointed executors of the Will of John D. Rockefeller III and Blanchette H. Rockefeller, the widow of John D. Rockefeller III. At all times pertinent hereto, including the time of filing their petition in this case, John D. Rockefeller III and Blanchette H. Rockefeller were husband and wife, and their legal residence was in the town of Mount Pleasant, Westchester County, N.Y.

David and Margaret McG. Rockefeller filed joint income tax returns for the calendar years 1970 and 1971 with the District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of Manhattan, N.Y. In a statutory notice dated June 9, 1977, respondent determined deficiencies in their income tax for the calendar years 1970 and 1971 in the sums of $34,266 and $57,295, respectively. The sole adjustment contained in this statutory notice was a determination by respondent that claimed unreim-bursed expenses for the respective years did not qualify under sections 170(b)(1)(A), 170(b)(1)(C), and 170(g)(2)(A), I.R.C. 1954. The correctness of that adjustment is the only issue in docket No. 9356-77.

In docket No. 9356-77, the amounts initially determined by respondent not to qualify for the unlimited charitable contributions deduction, the amounts which respondent has conceded did qualify, and the amounts remaining in issue, are as follows:

Amounts conceded Amounts Amounts
Year disallowed by respondent in issue
1970 $77,981 $2,345 $75,636
1971 81,850 2,235 79,615

John D. Ill and Blanchette H. Rockefeller filed joint income tax returns for the calendar years 1969,1970, and 1971 with the District Director of Internal Revenue for the District of Manhattan, N.Y. In a statutory notice dated June 9, 1977, respondent determined deficiencies in their income tax for the calendar years 1969, 1970, and 1971 in the sums of $130,081, $125,216, and $234,403, respectively. The sole adjustment contained in this statutory notice was a determination by respondent that claimed unreimbursed expenses for the respective years did not qualify under sections 170(b)(1)(A), 170(b)(1)(C), and 170(g)(2)(A). The correctness of that adjustment is the only issue in docket No. 9357-77.

In docket No. 9357-77, the amounts initially determined by respondent not to qualify for the unlimited charitable contributions deduction, the amounts which respondent has conceded did qualify, the amounts which petitioners have conceded, and the amounts remaining in issue, are as follows:

Amounts Amounts conceded Amounts conceded Amounts Year disallowed by respondent by petitioners in issue
0 $152,768 1969 $168,937 $16,169
$127 235,110 1970 239,701 4,464
69 320,745 1971 334,861 14,047

During 1969, John D. Rockefeller III, and during 1970 and 1971, John D., Ill, and David Rockefeller, and other family members shared in the expenses of operating a pooled service center at the Rockefeller Family Joint Office located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. The Rockefeller Family Joint Office provided to family members legal, accounting, clerical, and technical services, as well as investment services, with a staff of approximately 215 persons. Both John D., Ill, and David Rockefeller also maintained personal offices and staffs at the same location in contiguous premises. At such location, John D., Ill, and David Rockefeller, themselves, and through their personal staffs and the staff of the Rockefeller Family Joint Office, conducted their business, financial, philanthropic, and personal affairs. Their philanthropic activities included providing services to various charitable organizations. They deducted as charitable contributions the unreimbursed expenses incurred in providing these services. These unreimbursed expenses consisted of salaries of personal and/or joint office employees, and of travel, entertainment, and other miscellaneous expenses incurred either by John D., Ill, or David Rockefeller, themselves, or by their personal or joint office employees.

During 1970, David Rockefeller, and during 1971, David and Margaret McG. Rockefeller, incurred and paid unreimbursed expenses in the aggregate amounts of $75,636 and $79,615, respectively, in connection with or directly attributable to services rendered by David Rockefeller, his salaried staff personnel, or others, or by Margaret McG. Rockefeller in 1971, to organizations described in section 170(b)(1)(A) or 170(g)(2)(C), as in effect for those years. It has been stipulated that all such expenses for these years were charitable contributions.

The amounts referred to above consisted of the following categories of expenses, all incurred in the course of the rendition of voluntary services to charitable organizations:

1970 1971
(a) A portion of staff payroll and related expenses of David Rockefeller’s office . $32,092 $23,486
(b) A portion of staff payroll and related expenses of David Rockefeller’s share of joint family office expenses . 39,376 53,838
(c) Other expenses of petitioners, David Rockefeller’s staff employees, or others rendering services to the respective charities . 4,168 2,291
Total . 75,636 79,615

In each of the years 1970 and 1971, David and Margaret McG.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
76 T.C. 178, 1981 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rockefeller-v-commissioner-tax-1981.