Roderick v. Commissioner

57 T.C. 108, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 39
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 18, 1971
DocketDocket Nos. 2190-69, 2191-69
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 57 T.C. 108 (Roderick 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
Roderick v. Commissioner, 57 T.C. 108, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 39 (tax 1971).

Opinion

FeatheRSton, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in the Federal gift taxes of each petitioner for the calendar years 1965 and 1966 in the amounts of $5,400 and $5,499.65, respectively. Respondent has made concessions, and the only issue for decision is whether transfers made in 1965 and 1966 to trusts created for the benefit of petitioners’ grandchildren were gifts of future interests or gifts of present interests within the meaning of section 2503(b) ;1 resolution of this issue controls the determination of whether the gifts qualify for the $3,000 per donee annual exclusion allowed by section 2503 (a).

FINDINGS OP FACT

Petitioners Dorrance D. Roderick and Olga B. Roderick, husband and wife, were legal residents of El Paso, Tex., at the time they filed their petitions. They each filed Federal gift tax returns for the calendar years 1965 and 1966 with the district director of internal revenue, Austin, Tex. For convenience, when Dorrance D. Roderick alone is hereinafter mentioned, he will be referred to as Roderick.

In December 1955, petitioners created seven so-called Clifford trusts, one for the benefit of each of their seven grandchildren. Petitioners’ attorney, Richard H. Feuille (hereinafter referred to as Feuille), prepared the trust indenture (hereinafter the 1955 trust) which set forth the terms of the trusts. The trust instrument provided that:

(b) During tbe continuance of tbe Trust, tbe Trustee shall deliver and pay over tbe entire “net income” of tbe Trust to tbe beneficiary in sucb monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, annual or oilier convenient intervals as the Trustee Shall deem convenient and feasible or the beneficiary may request.

To fund these trusts petitioners made gifts of stock. They timely filed gift tax returns for these gifts, claiming the $3,000 per donee annual gift tax exclusion. Upon audit of the returns by the respondent, he determined that the provisions of the 1955 trust directing the distribution of the income to the beneficiaries qualified the gifts for the $3,000 annual exclusion.

During July 1959, petitioners created four additional Clifford trusts, one for the benefit of each of their two children and their spouses. The trust indenture (hereinafter the 1959 trust) covering these four trusts contained the same provision as the 1955 trust for the distribution of the entire net income. Petitioners’ attorney, Feuille, also drew this indenture. The 1959 trusts were also funded by petitioners with gifts of stock, and gift tax returns were timely filed claiming the $3,000 per donee annual gift tax exclusion. The respondent audited these returns, and found that the income provisions satisfied the requirements for the $3,000 annual exclusion.

In the latter half of 1965, petitioners decided to create new Clifford trusts for the benefit of their grandchildren. These new trusts were designed to take the place of the 1955 trusts which were to expire in March 1966. In September or October 1965, Roderick met with Feuille and requested that he draw up a new 10-year trust for the benefit of the grandchildren. Roderick indicated that he wanted the new trust to be like the 1955 and 1959 trusts, and that he wanted to be able to use the $3,000 per donee annual gift exclusion.

In October 1965, Roderick wrote to his accountant, James Gilger (hereinafter Gilger), indicating that petitioners were planning to create two short-term trusts for the benefit of their grandchildren and that they wished to take advantage of the annual exclusion. Roderick asked Gilger to compute the amount of gift tax which would be owing for each petitioner for 1965 and 1966 based on gifts to these trusts. A copy of this letter was sent to Feuille.

Shortly thereafter, Roderick wrote to Feuille requesting that he confirm the gift tax liability for each petitioner as computed by Gilger. On November 1, 1965, Feuille wrote to Roderick confirming Gilger’s calculations.

At the time of the discussions relating to the creation of these new trusts, Feuille was concerned about the spendthrift tendencies of one or more of petitioners’ grandchildren. He believed that if the grandchildren had an unrestricted right to the income, they might become too independent of their parents and escape parental control. After discussing this problem with the trust officer of the bank designated as trustee under the 1955 trust, he decided to draft the instrument to provide that the income to the grandchildren under the new trusts would be distributable or subject to accumulation in the discretion of the trustee. In this way some measure of control over the actions of the grandchildren could be maintained.

Feuille, without consulting petitioners concerning the changes, thereupon drew up the new trust indenture (hereinafter the 1965 trust). It provided in part:

(b) During tbe continuance of tbe trust and while tbe beneficiary is alive, tbe Trustee may use and disburse tbe income and accumulated income of tbe trust for tbe use and benefit of tbe beneficiary of tbe trust to tbe extent and in tbe amounts deemed necessary, proper or advisable by tbe Trustee in bis sole and absolute discretion, to provide for tbe care, support, education, * * *

Feuille sent the draft of the 1965 trust agreement to petitioners with instructions that they execute it and transfer the stock in accordance with their wishes. Upon receipt of the agreement, and before signing it, petitioners read it. Although Koderick was familiar with the rule that only gifts of present interests qualified for the $3,000 per donee annual exclusion, and that a present interest meant that the income from the trust must be absolutely distributable to the beneficiaries, he was unaware that the 1965 trust did not so provide. He thought it was substantially the same as the 1955 and 1959 trusts with respect to the income provisions.

On December 20,1965, petitioners executed the 1965 trust agreement creating eight separate trusts, one for the benefit of each of their eight grandchildren. On the same date, each petitioner transferred an undivided one-eighth interest in his community one-half share of 20,000 shares of $20 par value preferred stock of El Paso Times, Inc., to each of the eight trusts created under the agreement. On March 20 and 30, 1966, each petitioner transferred an undivided one-eighth interest in his community one-half share of 1,000 and 19,000 shares, respectively, of the $20 par value preferred stock of El Paso Times, Inc., to each of the eight trusts.

Gilger prepared each petitioner’s gift tax return for 1965 and 1966, and reported the transfers under the 1965 trust agreement. On each return, eight $3,000 annual exclusions were claimed. Petitioners first learned that the income provisions of the 1965 trust differed from those of the 1955 and 1959 trusts when respondent’s agents audited petitioners’ 1965 gift tax returns.

In the notices of deficiency, respondent determined that under section 2503 (b) the $3,000 annual exclusions for the eight grandchildren were not allowable for 1965 and 1966 since all the gifts made in trust for those years were gifts of future interests.

OPINION

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Bluebook (online)
57 T.C. 108, 1971 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 39, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roderick-v-commissioner-tax-1971.