Stern v. Commissioner

74 T.C. 1075, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 14, 1980
DocketDocket No. 14176-78
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 74 T.C. 1075 (Stern 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
Stern v. Commissioner, 74 T.C. 1075, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78 (tax 1980).

Opinion

OPINION

Hall, Judge:

On April 29, 1980, the Bank of America N.T. & S.A. (the bank) filed a motion for protective order pursuant to Rule 147(b), Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure, requesting the Court to order respondent to compensate the bank for all reasonable costs incurred in connection with the production of additional documents in this case. A brief summary of the prior procedural motions involved in this case is necessary in order to place the bank’s request in its proper perspective.

On September 26, 1978, respondent issued a statutory notice of deficiency wherein he asserted income tax deficiencies against petitioners Sidney and Yera Stern of $1,551,956 for 1971, $688,147 for 1972, and $55,647 for 1973. One of the proposed adjustments concerns a disposition of Teledyne, Inc., stock.

Petitioner Sidney Stern organized Fireside Securities Corp. in 1952. He served as the chief executive officer of that corporation and was its majority shareholder. On August 12, 1968, Fireside Securities Corp. entered into a plan and agreement of merger with Teledyne, Inc., under which petitioners were to receive shares of Teledyne stock in exchange for their shares of Fireside Securities. The merger agreement also provided that petitioners could receive additional Teledyne shares in 1972 based upon the performance of Fireside Securities during the interim period.

On October 14, 1971, petitioners entered into a sales agreement with Wobaco Trust Ltd. (Wobaco), a Bahamian corporation,1 acting in its capacity as trustee for Trust No. CT-1109 (hereafter referred to as the Hylton trust).2 Pursuant to the October 14 agreement, petitioner Sidney Stern transferred 126,867 common shares of Teledyne to the trust in exchange for the trust’s promise to pay Stern a yearly annuity of $222,757.01. Similarly, petitioner Vera Stern transferred 17,136 common shares of Teledyne to the trust in exchange for a yearly, single-life annuity to her of $27,216.85. Under the agreement, both annuities were to be paid annually commencing on October 14, 1972.

The deed of settlement for the Hylton trust recites that it was established in 1971 by Peter Hylton upon the transfer of $5,000.3 In addition to naming Wobaco as trustee, the deed of settlement also provides that the beneficiaries of the trust are Sidney Stern, his spouse, and his issue.

In an addendum to their 1971 joint Federal income tax return, the Sterns made the following statement:

On October 14, 1971 the taxpayers exchanged the following shares of stock and cash for the right of each to receive a sum annually for the full term of each of their respective lives:
Annual sum Sidney B. Stern $222,757.01
Vera F. Stem 27,216.85
Shares and corporation Sale price
Sidney B. Stem 126,867 shares of Teledyne, Inc. $2,569,056.70
Vera F. Stem 17,136 shares of Teledyne, Inc. 347,004.00
Computation of each annual payment was based upon the fair market value of each share of stock of the above corporation on October 14, 1971, the date of the exchange, and the aggregate fair market value of the above shares and cash on that date was equal to the value of Sidney B. Stern, age 49, receiving the annual sum of $222,751.01[4] for his lifetime and Vera F. Stern, age 49, receiving the annual sum of $27,216.85 for her lifetime, all as determined by Table A(l) of Federal Estate Tax Regulations Section 20.2031-10(e). Pursuant to the provisions of Revenue Ruling 69-74 no gain or loss was recognized on October 14, 1971 and the tax consequences of the receipt of the annual sum by each taxpayer will not commence until the date of the first payment, October 14, 1972.

In 1972 and 1973, the Sterns reported the annuity payments as part long-term capital gains and part interest.

In his statutory notice, respondent determined that:

The annuity realized from the sale of Teledyne shares has an ascertainable fair market value in the year of sale. The entire amount of gain determined under section 1001 is recognized in the year of sale December 31, 1971.
In the alternative, it is determined that as grantor of the Bahama Trust (Wobaco Trust Limited — trustee), you are taxable on the net income from it for the taxable years 1972 and 1973 because you furnished the consideration for the creation of the trusts; the named settlor was settlor in form only; the amounts distributable are deemed to be amounts distributable without the consent or approval of an adverse party under section 677(a)(1), and that the purported annuity agreement is solely a prearranged distribution of income agreement. Your taxable income for 1972 and 1973 has accordingly been increased to include the income of the trust as owner of the trust under section 671 of the Code.

Petitioners filed their petition with the Court on December 26, 1978. At that time, they were residents of Reno, Nev.

On November 19, 1979, respondent filed a motion for order for production of documents for inspection and copying or to impose sanctions against petitioners. Among the documents requested were:

All records, receipts, memoranda, or documentation of any kind not heretofore furnished to respondent which directly or indirectly affect or affected the right of Wobaco Trust, Limited, to mortgage, sell, or otherwise deal or dispose of the securities transferred by the petitioners pursuant to the agreement dated October 14, 1971.
All letters, memoranda, notes, or documentation of any kind not heretofore furnished to respondent reflecting exchanges of information between petitioners and/or their attorneys and the trustee or other authorized individual or individuals acting for or on behalf of the trust relating to the investment policies to be followed, the amount of trust income to be distributed, and any other facet of trust administration.

In his motion, respondent indicated that the above documents were particularly relevant in connection with the alternative contention involving the grantor trust provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.

On November 21, 1979, respondent served two subpoenas duces tecum on the bank. These subpoenas called for the production of various documents relating to the Hylton trust.5 On December 5, 1979, the bank filed a response in which it indicated its inability to comply with the subpoenas on account of the bank secrecy laws in effect in the Bahamas and in the Cayman Islands.6

On December 5, 1979, a hearing was held in San Francisco at which respondent’s counsel, petitioners’ counsel, and counsel for the bank were present. At the hearing, petitioners’ counsel turned over to respondent documents previously requested in the November 19 motion for order for production of documents addressed to petitioners.7

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
74 T.C. 1075, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 78, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stern-v-commissioner-tax-1980.