Stein v. Commissioner

37 T.C. 945, 1962 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 188
United States Tax Court·Decided February 21, 1962·No. Docket Nos. 69931, 69932, 70277, 78991·Published·Cited by 83 cases

Opinion

OPINION.

FokRestek, Judge:

Respondent has determined liabilities against the petitioners as transferees as follows:

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The issues for consideration are as follows:

(1) Is respondent estopped to assert transferee liability in Docket Nos. 69931 and 69932 by reason of an “election” to treat the transfers involved therein as taxable distributions in prior cases?

(2) Were certain transfers by the National Thread Co., Inc., to its shareholders during the years 1943 to 1946, inclusive, and the transfer from Esther’s estate involved in Docket Nos. 69931, 70277, and 78991 made with intent to hinder, delay, or defraud the United States in the determination, assessment, and collection of deficiencies in and additions to taxes due?

(3) In the alternative as to Docket Nos. 69931 and 69932, were the above transfers from National Thread Co., Inc., or some of them, made while said company was insolvent or thereby being rendered insolvent ?

(4) In the alternative, did transfers by National Thread Co., Inc., in the amount of $10,000 to Samuel Stein impair the transferor’s capital so as to render the transferee liable under the provisions of section 58 of the New York Stock Corporation Law?

(5) If respondent is not found in Issue 1 to be estopped in Docket No. 69932, is petitioner entitled to equitable recoupment therein for certain income taxes paid by Samuel Stein ?

(6) In' what manner is the amount of $74,880.91 received by Samuel' Stein from the Estate of Esther M. Stein allocable to the dockets in which petitioner has been determined to be a transferee of said estate, namely Docket Nos. 69931,70277, and 78991 ?

(7) At what rate and from what date is petitioner liable for interest on the several transfers ?

All of the facts have been stipulated, are so found, and are incorporated herein by this reference. In prior proceedings, reported at 25 T.C. 940 2 (hereinafter referred to as the prior cases), we determined deficiencies in tax and additions to tax for fraud against National Thread Co., Inc. (hereinafter referred to as NTC), Samuel Stein, and the Estate of Esther M. Stein, Deceased. The decisions were entered on August 21,1956, and have since become final. The findings of fact and opinion in the prior cases are incorporated by reference as if fully rewritten here.

In accordance with the decisions in the prior cases, the deficiencies in taxes and additions thereto determined against NTC were as follows:

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A portion of NTC’s deficiencies in taxes and additions thereto was paid subsequent to the death of Samuel Stein in 1956, but the following amounts (exclusive of interest as provided by law) remain unpaid as per the records of the district director of Manhattan:

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The following deficiencies were also determined in the prior cases:

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The deficiencies in income tax and additions thereto for fraud determined against Samuel Stein for the years 1944 and 1945 have been paid. Interest thereon to the extent of $1,545.27 and $188.48 has been paid on the liabilities for 1944 and 1945, respectively.

No part of the deficiency, addition to tax, or interest as provided by law thereon, determined against the Estate of Esther M. Stein, Deceased, for the year 1948 has been paid. After Esther’s death on March 27, 1944, Samuel became the executor of her estate. On or about August 21, 1946, there was distributed to Samuel, as residual beneficiary under the will of Esther M. Stein, the amount of $74,880.91. By reason of this distribution the Estate of Esther M. Stein was left without assets and has continued so.

Docket No. 69931 involves the liability of Samuel’s estate (he having died in 1956) as transferee of a transferee (Esther) of NTC. The amounts involved in this docket are the sums of $57,130.21 and $2,417.84 paid by NTC to Esther in 1943 and 1944, respectively. Petitioner in this docket is the estate of Samuel, and liability is predicated on Iris having received from Esther through her will funds of NTC which respondent seeks to apply toward NTC’s tax liability.

Docket No. 69932 involves Samuel’s liability as transferee of NTC. The sums received by him as determined in the prior cases are:

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The amount of $3,285.84 was received by Samuel from NTC in 1946 but was not reported by him on his income tax return filed for that year.

Docket No. 70277 involves Samuel’s liability as transferee of Esther for her unpaid 1943 taxes and additions thereto amounting to $58,135.71. Transferee liability is predicated on Samuel’s receipt of the residue of Esther’s estate. Petitioners concede that the funds so received are subject to respondent’s claim, but deny liability for interest on such fmids. They also claim that all of these funds received from Esther’s estate — $74,880.91—are due and owing hi Docket No. 70277.

Docket No. 78991 involves the liability of Samuel as transferee of Esther for an agreed deficiency in income tax in the amount of $766.04, representing the tax on her income received in 1944 prior to her death. There is no addition to tax for fraud on this amount, which remains unpaid. As in Docket No. 70277, transferee liability is predicated on the receipt by Samuel of the residue of Esther’s estate.

Samuel Stein and Esther M. Stein were husband and wife residing in New York City. They were married in 1908, and had no children.

Prior to May 1913, Esther’s father conducted a sole proprietorship engaged in the business of selling trimmings and thread. In May 1913 he incorporated this business, known thereafter as NTC, under the laws of the State of New York. He owned 48 of the 50 original shares of capital stock. By 1916, those 50 shares had been transferred to Esther, and an additional 50 shares had been issued to her with the result that Esther became the sole stockholder of NTC. The par value and amount paid in for such stock was $10,000. Although Samuel became president and treasurer of NTC in 1913, these positions were only nominal, and Esther was in complete charge of the business.

In 1923, NTC began manufacturing operations. Included in these operations was converting mercerized and dyed yarn into lots of varying yardage and weights per the specification of customers, who were usually clothing manufacturers. This was done in Hoboken, New Jersey, under the business name of Carolina Thread Mills, and was supervised by Samuel.

In 1935, Carolina’s facilities were moved to New York City and absorbed by NTC. At that time Samuel asked Esther to transfer some of her stock in NTC to him, but she refused, promising instead to pay him a share of the corporation’s profits. It was Esther’s practice to give Samuel cash from NTC whenever he needed it.

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Stein v. Commissioner, 37 T.C. 945, 1962 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 188 (tax 1962).

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