Scott v. United States

432 F.2d 1388, 193 Ct. Cl. 27
CourtUnited States Court of Claims
DecidedOctober 16, 1970
DocketNo. 36-66; No. 64-66
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 432 F.2d 1388 (Scott v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Scott v. United States, 432 F.2d 1388, 193 Ct. Cl. 27 (cc 1970).

Opinions

Davis, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

In these refund suits the Government requests our approval of an administrative gloss on the concept of “bona fide resident” as it appears in § 911(a) (1) of the Internal Revenue Code, relieving certain Americans of federal income tax on earnings abroad. The separate claims of taxpayers Frank Scott and Alvin and Barbara Warnick1 were consolidated for trial because of similar questions of law and fact. From the trial commissioner’s decision for the taxpayers, the Government seeks review.2 Both parties accept the commissioner’s basic findings of fact. However, the Government rejects Ultimate Findings 102 and 103,3 as well as the result.

Taxpayers were and are United States citizens, employed as university professors, who accepted temporary positions with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations [FAO], to render services in Argentina, pursuant to an agreement between FAO and that nation. The treaty [31]*31provided, mter alia, that plaintiffs would be granted benefits accorded by the Convention of Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, including freedom from the Argentine income tax.4 Frank S. Scott, Jr., professor of agricultural economics at the University of Hawaii, agreed to go to Buenos Aires to tram a group of economists for various agricultural marketing and research programs in Argentina for a period of one year. The University granted him a sabbatical leave, and paid him one-half his normal yearly salary. Dr. Scott was also paid by FA'O, that income forming the basis of his claim. He left the United States on December 3, 1960, arriving in Argentina four days later. He departed from Argentina on January 4,1962, and returned to Hawaii to resume his University assignment. On his federal tax returns for 1961 and 1962, he excluded the amounts paid by FAO, as income received from foreign sources while a bona fide resident of a foreign country for an uninterrupted period including a full taxable year. 26 U.S.O. § 911(a) (1) (quoted infra). This income totalled $9,170.82 in 1961, and $2,499.10 in 1962, the latter having been earned in 1961, but not received until the following year.5 The exclusions were subsequently disallowed in full, and a deficiency assessed by the Internal Bevenue Service. Plaintiff paid the amounts allegedly owing, plus interest, totalling $3,657.45 in 1961, and $426.76 in 1962, and filed a refund claim with the District Director. Upon denial of the claim, he began a timely suit in this court.

Dr. Warnick, professor of animal science at the University of Florida, likewise accepted an assignment with FAO in Argentina, to investigate the problems of cattle reproduction in that country. Unlike Dr. Scott, Professor Warnick was not granted a sabbatical, but instead obtained a leave of absence without pay. He left the United States with his wife and three children on December 30, 1962, arriving in Buenos [32]*32Aires the same day. They remained in Argentina until January 2, 1964, when he returned to Florida and his previous position at the University. During his stay in Argentina, Warnick received $10,322.22 in salary from FAO, and $1,149.31 in rents and royalties. On his joint tax return covering 1963, he excluded the FAO money, pursuant to § 911(a) (1), and claimed a refund of his entire prepaid estimated tax of $829.59. This was returned at first, but later the IRS disallowed the exclusion, and assessed him an additional $1,682.55. Dr. Warnick paid this amount, again asked for refund, and sued here.

I

Section 911(a) (1) states:

(a) General Buie. — The following items shall not be included in gross income and shall be exempt from taxation under this subtitle:
(1) Bona fide resident of foreign country. — In the case of an individual citizen of the United States who establishes to the satisfaction of the Secretary or his delegate that he has been a bona fide resident of a foreign country or countries for an uninterrupted period which includes an entire taxable year, amounts received from sources without the United States (except amounts paid by the United States or any agency thereof) which constitute earned income attributable to services performed during such uninterrupted period. The amount excluded under this paragraph for any taxable year shall be computed by applying the special rules contained in subsection (c).6

The only contested issue is whether each taxpayer was a “bona fide resident” of Argentina during his stay there. On the basis of facts showing the integration of the taxpayers with the Argentine community, the trial commissioner decided that they were. Conceding the correctness of the findings from which the commissioner drew this conclusion, the Government nevertheless urges, as its principal point, that [33]*33the privileges and immunities accorded taxpayers by the agreement between Argentina and FAO preclude, as a matter of law, a finding of “bona fide residency.” That treaty made applicable to plaintiffs the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, which provided (in section 19) that plaintiffs would:

(a) Be immune from legal process in respect of words spoken or written and all acts performed by them in their official capacity;
(b) Enjoy the same exemptions from taxation in respect of the salaries and emoluments paid to them by the specialized agencies and on the same conditions as are enjoyed by officials of the United Nations [under this provision, Argentina did not impose its income tax on either plaintiff] ;
(c) Be immune, together with their spouses and relatives dependent on them, from immigration restrictions and alien registration;
(d) Be accorded the same privileges in respect of exchange facilities as are accorded to officials of comparable rank of diplomatic missions;
(e) Be given, together with their spouses and relatives dependent on them, the same repatriation facilities in time of international crises as officials [with] comparable rank of diplomatic missions;
(f) Have the right to import free of duty their furniture and effects at the time of first taking up their post in the country in question.

In addition, they were not subject to national service obligations. It is defendant’s primary position that, whenever a citizen of the United States, living abroad, is exempted by such a treaty from the foreign income tax, and granted other privileges (of the type outlined above) under local law, he cannot, as a matter of law, become a resident of that country for the purposes of § 911(a) (1), regardless of the existence of other indicia of residency.

While § 911 does not itself define “bona fide resident”, the Treasury Begulations refer us to § 871, and its regulations, for interpretive aid. Treas. Beg. § 1.911-2(a) (2). Section 871 deals with taxation of non-resident aliens in the United [34]*34States, and that term is defined by Treas. Reg. § 1.871-2 (b) .7 It is well-settled that courts employ the same standards of residency in determining whether Americans abroad are residents of a foreign country. Fuller v. Hofferbert, 204 F. 2d 592, 597 (C.A. 6, 1953); Hamer v.

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

Related

Brown v. United States
5 Cl. Ct. 1 (Court of Claims, 1984)
Van Yost v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 516 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Park v. Commissioner
79 T.C. No. 17 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Duley v. Commissioner
1981 T.C. Memo. 246 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
Croyle v. Commissioner
1980 T.C. Memo. 501 (U.S. Tax Court, 1980)
Schoneberger v. Commissioner
74 T.C. 1016 (U.S. Tax Court, 1980)
Riley v. Commissioner
74 T.C. 414 (U.S. Tax Court, 1980)
Hagerty v. Commissioner
1973 T.C. Memo. 162 (U.S. Tax Court, 1973)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
432 F.2d 1388, 193 Ct. Cl. 27, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/scott-v-united-states-cc-1970.