Tinsley v. State Tax Commission

235 So. 2d 698, 1970 Miss. LEXIS 1459
CourtMississippi Supreme Court
DecidedMay 11, 1970
DocketNo. 45824
StatusPublished

This text of 235 So. 2d 698 (Tinsley v. State Tax Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Mississippi Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Tinsley v. State Tax Commission, 235 So. 2d 698, 1970 Miss. LEXIS 1459 (Mich. 1970).

Opinion

ETHRIDGE, Chief Justice.

This case involves interpretation of the Mississippi reciprocal estate tax exemption of intangible property owned by nonresidents, and a determination of whether in this jurisdiction a nonresident’s real and personal partnership property situated in Mississippi is converted into intangible property for all purposes, including estate taxation. We hold that it is not, and thus affirm the decree of the Chancery Court for the First Judicial District of Hinds County.

The pertinent statutes in Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated (Supp.1968) are as follows:

§ 9262-06.5. When intangibles of nonresident are exempt — section is part of Estate Tax Law.
1. The tax imposed under the estate tax law of this state in respect of personal property (except tangible personal property having an actual situs in this state) fehalfriotbe payable1(a) if the transferor at the time of his death was a resident of a state or territory of the United States, or the District of Columbia, which at the time of his death did not imposta death tax of any character in respect of personal property of residents of this state (except tangible personal property having an actual situs in such state, territory or district), or (b) if the laws of the state, territory or district of the residence of the transferor at the time of his death contained a reciprocal exemption provision under which nonres[700]*700idents were exempted from said._dea.th, taxes of every character in respect of personal _propérty (except tangible personal property having an actual situs therein), provided that the state, territory or district of the residence of such nonresident decedents allowed a similar exemption to residents of the state, territory or district of such decedent.
§ 9262-10. Situs of property.
For the purpose of this tax, all tangible property, real, personal or mixed, located within the State of Mississippi at the date of decedent’s death shall be deemed property within this state and shall he reported unless otherwise exempt.

The Texas inheritance tax law has a substantially similar provision. 20A Tex. Ann.Civ.St. art. 14.01 (Vernon 1969).

J. S. Bridwell, a resident of Wichita Falls, Texas, died in 1966 leaving a gross estate of $29,729,101.81. Included in his gross estate was “Bridwell Plantations,” a partnership in which decedent owned a 75% interest, with his daughter owning the remaining 25% interest. The properties owned by the partnership within this state were: livestock, $174,660.00; real estate (8210 acres), $1,981,877.00; farm machinery, $59,691.56; and automobiles and trucks, $4,754.23. The total value of the properties of the partnership in Mississippi was $2,215,982.79, with decedent’s 75% interest therein being valued at $1,661,987.09.

In July 1967 appellants, C. G. Tinsley and others, co-executors of the estate of J. S. Bridwell, deceased, filed a Mississippi estate tax return showing that the decedent owned an interest in Mississippi properties valued at $1,661,987.09. However, in the return, appellants took the position that all property located within Mississippi is owned by the above-named partnership and as such is considered to be partnership property, and that the capital interest of J. S. Bridwell, deceased, is considered to be intangible personal property and taxed to the decedent for state inheritance or estate tax purposes by the State of Texas, in which decedent was domiciled at the date of his death.

The Mississippi State Tax Commission assessed estate taxes of $54,436.57 against the decedent’s estate and, in making its calculations, included the above-stated properties valued at $1,661,987.09 in decedents gross estate in Mississippi. Subsequently the State of Texas assessed a “pick-up” inheritance tax upon the property of decedent’s estate, including the property in Mississippi, in the amount of $54,436.57.

It is settled that more than one state may impose an estate or inheritance tax on the same transfer of intangible property without violating the United State's Constitution. State Tax Commission of Utah v. Aldrich, 316 U.S. 174, 62 S.Ct. 1008, 86 L. Ed. 1358 (1942); Curry v. McCanless, 307 U.S. 357, 59 S.Ct. 900, 83 L.Ed. 1339 (1939). After these decisions all states enacted statutes designed in varying degrees to avoid double taxation. Mississippi Code 1942 Annotated sections 9262-06.5 and 9262-10, quoted above, were adopted in 1960. Miss. Laws 1960, Ch. 462; Miss.Laws 1960, Ch. 459.

Appellants argue that all interests of the estate of J. S. Bridwell, deceased, in the partnership “Bridwell Plantations” within the State of Mississippi are intangible assets within the meaning of the Mississippi and Texas reciprocity statutes, and are therefore, taxable solely by the State of Texas. They assert that Mississippi has adopted the English rule of “out and out” conversion, meaning that real and personal property of a partnership, constituting a part of the firm property and treated as belonging to the firm, are regarded as being converted into intangibles for all purposes.

Mississippi has not enacted the Uniform Partnership Act, Section 26 of which defines a partner’s interest in a partnership as “his share of the profits and surplus” and states that “the same is personal property.” Concededly, the decisions interpret[701]*701ing section 26 hold that it converts partnership realty into personalty for all purposes, and that the intent of that section was to establish the English doctrine of “out and out” conversion. Annot., 80 A. L.R.2d 1107 (1961).

However, since Mississippi has not adopted this uniform act, the rule in this State may be summarized as follows: Although partnership real estate is regarded in equity as personal property so far as is necessary for the purpose of settling and paying the debts of the partnership, and adjusting the equities of the partners, the residue, if any, after satisfying such obligations, resumes or retains its former character as real estate and, for purposes of descent and distribution, is treated as realty and goes to the devisees or heirs at law, rather than as personalty, which would pass to the personal representatives of the deceased partner.

For example, Scruggs v. Blair, 44 Miss. 406 (1870), was a suit by creditors on a promissory note. Holding that there was a remedy in equity as to the partnership property, the Court said:

The land in controversy is averred in the bill to have been purchased with the joint funds, and to be held in the joint name. This converts the real estate into equitable assets; so that in equity, it will be dealt with and disposed of as joint effects and credits. * * * Upon a dissolution of the firm, by the death of one of its members, the credits and personal effects vest, by operation of law, in the survivors, and under judgment against them, the effects of the firm may be sold, and the credits garnisheed. The real estate, however, preserves its distinct qualities, and descends to the heir, who holds in common with the survivors, in trust, for the purposes of the partnership; first, for the benefit of creditors, and second, for the members of the firm and their representatives, according to their several interests as fixed by the articles of copartnership.

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Related

Curry v. McCanless
307 U.S. 357 (Supreme Court, 1939)
State Tax Comm'n of Utah v. Aldrich
316 U.S. 174 (Supreme Court, 1942)
Barry v. Mattocks
125 So. 554 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1930)
Scruggs v. Blair
44 Miss. 406 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1870)
Whitney v. Cotten
53 Miss. 689 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1876)

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Bluebook (online)
235 So. 2d 698, 1970 Miss. LEXIS 1459, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/tinsley-v-state-tax-commission-miss-1970.