Schwartz v. Comm'r

2016 T.C. Memo. 144, 112 T.C.M. 189, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 144
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 1, 2016
DocketDocket No. 13153-11.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 2016 T.C. Memo. 144 (Schwartz v. Comm'r) 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
Schwartz v. Comm'r, 2016 T.C. Memo. 144, 112 T.C.M. 189, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 144 (tax 2016).

Opinion

ROBERT L. SCHWARTZ, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Schwartz v. Comm'r
Docket No. 13153-11.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 2016-144; 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 144;
August 1, 2016, Filed

Decision will be entered for respondent.

*144 Robert L. Schwartz, Pro se.
Louis H. Hill and Gary R. Shuler, Jr., for respondent.
RUWE, Judge.

RUWE
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

RUWE, Judge: Respondent determined a $297,391 deficiency in petitioner's 2007 Federal income tax and a $223,043.25 fraud penalty under section 6663.1 The issues for decision are: (1) whether petitioner received *145 $806,739.33 of unreported income in 2007 and (2) whether petitioner is liable for a fraud penalty under section 6663.2

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts and the attached exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference.

At the time the petition was filed, petitioner was incarcerated in Kentucky.

Petitioner*145 graduated from law school in 1966 and was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1967. Petitioner spent the first two years of his legal career as an examiner with the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) estate tax department before becoming a sole practitioner specializing in personal injury civil litigation for approximately 40 years.3

*146 Beverly W. Hersh's Estate

On or about May 9, 2003, petitioner was given a power of attorney for the financial affairs of a wealthy, elderly friend and client named Beverly W. Hersh. Petitioner assisted Mrs. Hersh in preparing several codicils to her will and arranged for the preparation of three trust agreements and subsequent amendments thereto by a Cincinnati law firm. As of December 13, 2003, pursuant to Mrs. Hersh's estate plan (i.e., her will and trust agreements as amended), her adjusted gross estate was to be placed in the Beverly W. Hersh Trust (Hersh Trust). Thereafter, the Hersh Trust would distribute the balance of Mrs. Hersh's adjusted gross estate as follows: (1) 20% to Hadassah Hospital (Hadassah); (2) 30% to the Beverly W. Hersh Charitable Trust (charitable*146 trust); and (3) 50% to the Hersh revocable trust. Petitioner was named executor of Mrs. Hersh's estate and trustee for the trusts and was responsible for the distribution of Mrs. Hersh's adjusted gross estate according to her will and amended trust agreements.

The money designated for the charitable trust was to be distributed to organizations with section 501(c)(3) status, like Hadassah. The money designated for the Hersh revocable trust was to be distributed at the sole discretion of petitioner as trustee to or on behalf of individuals or to organizations in a manner which would assist them with overcoming financial and substance abuse issues, to *147 live more fulfilling lives, and to provide benefits to those individuals who had assisted and befriended Mrs. Hersh during her lifetime.

Article II, sec. 2.2, of the Hersh revocable trust agreement establishes limitations on petitioner's discretion in his capacity as trustee as follows:

2.2 Distribution Restrictions. Grantor has established this Trust Agreement with the intention of providing * * * [petitioner] with a wide latitude of discretion to make charitable and noncharitable distributions to individuals and other entities as * * * [petitioner] determines. However, Grantor*147 desires to place certain limitations on the discretion of * * * [petitioner] to ensure that the income and principal of the trust estate (other than as provided for in Section 4.24) will fulfill the intentions of the Grantor in establishing this Trust Agreement and ensure that [the] trust estate will not be taxable to * * * [petitioner] in any manner, whatsoever. To this end, * * * [petitioner] shall not have the discretion to make distributions of the trust estate:

(a) To * * * [petitioner] (other than as provided for in Section 4.2);

(b) To creditors of * * * [petitioner];

(c) To creditors of * * * [petitioner]'s estate;

(d) To or for the benefit of any individual, in trust or otherwise, within six degrees of lineal or collateral consanguinity or affinity to * * * [petitioner]; or

(e) To any entity that one or more of the parties listed above in Sections 2.2(a) - (d) owns an equity interest.

*148 Mrs. Hersh died on May 5, 2005. Shortly after Mrs. Hersh's death, petitioner (as executor and trustee) began making distributions from the estate and disbursing funds through the Hersh revocable trust.

On or about August 2, 2006, petitioner filed a*148 Form 706, United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return, on behalf of Mrs. Hersh's estate. The Form 706 indicated that Hadassah was to receive approximately $2,502,469, the charitable trust was to receive approximately $3,756,703, and the remaining residual estate balance of approximately $6,261,172 was to be disbursed through the Hersh revocable trust.

Petitioner sent Hadassah a letter dated September 1, 2005,5

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

Related

Thomas S. Miller
U.S. Tax Court, 2025
Alan Brian Fabian
U.S. Tax Court, 2022
Rozin v. Comm'r
2017 T.C. Memo. 52 (U.S. Tax Court, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2016 T.C. Memo. 144, 112 T.C.M. 189, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 144, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schwartz-v-commr-tax-2016.