Case ID: us-ct-cl_153/html/0226-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "MaddeN, Judge,\n    ", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

ESTATE OF HELEN M. McCLURE v. THE UNITED STATES
    [No. 276-59.
    Decided April 7, 1961]
    
      
      J ohn D. Heckert for the plaintiff. John E. McOlure, William P. McClure and McClure <& McClure were on the briefs.
    
      Earl L. Huntington, with whom was Assistant Attorney General Louis F. Cberdorfer, for the defendant. James P. Garland, Lyle M. Turner and George T. Qualley were on the brief.
   MaddeN, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

The plaintiff estate claims that $2,107.47 of the Federal estate taxes which it was required to pay, should not have been assessed and collected from it, and should be refunded. The estate claimed a certain deduction on Schedule K of its estate tax return. The Commissioner of Internal Eevenue disallowed the deduction, and thereby added the $2,107.47 to the tax. Our question is whether the Commissioner was right in disallowing the deduction. The facts have been stipulated.

The decedent, Mrs. Helen M. McClure, a resident of the State of Maryland, died on November 17, 1956, leaving a will in which she named her husband John E. McClure as executor and trustee of her estate. The will was duly admitted to probate and Mr. McClure was appointed executor. On March 22,1957, he filed a joint Federal income tax return for himself and the decedent for the calendar year 1956. The return showed an adjusted gross income of $90,931.96 and a net tax liability of $31,537.74.

Of the income reported for 1956, only $5,850 was income of Mrs. McClure, the other $85,081.96 being income of Mr. McClure. Of the $31,537.74 tax liability shown on the return, $14,500 had been paid as estimated taxes, prior to the filing of the return, and the remaining $16,652.34 was paid out of the funds of the estate.

On February 14, 1958, the Federal estate tax return was filed. It reported a gross estate of $116,500.14. That return listed a deduction of $16,652.34, the amount of the income taxes paid out of the funds of the estate on the joint i’eturn for 1956. The Commissioner, in disallowing all of the deduction except $138.97, took the position that nearly all of the taxes paid on the joint return for 1956 were attributable to the income of Mr. McClure and that only the small part of it attributable to the income of Mrs. McClure could be used as a deduction from the gross estate, for estate tax purposes.

Section 6013 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, in its subsection (a) (2) and (3), permit the filing of a joint return in the circumstances here present. 26 U.S.C. § 6013(a) (2) and (3). Subsection (d) provides:

(3) if a joint return is made, the tax shall be computed on the aggregate income and the liability with respect to the tax shall be joint and several. 26 U.S.C. § 6013(d) (3).

Section 2053 says that the value of the taxable estate shall be determined by deducting from the value of the gross estate, inter alia, such claims against the estate

as are allowable by the laws of the jurisdiction * * * under which the estate is being administered. 26 U.S.C. § 2053.

Article 93, Sec. 6 of the Code of Maryland provides for the allowance to the executor, in his account, of, inter alia, “all taxes due by his decedent.”

Treasury Regulations on Estate Taxes (1954 Code) § 20.2053-6, entitled “Deduction for taxes,” provides, in subsection (f):

* * * If income received by a decedent during his lifetime is included in a joint income tax return filed by the decedent and his spouse, or by the decedent’s estate and his surviving spouse, the portion of the joint liability for the period covered by the return for which a deduction would be allowed is the amount for which the decedent’s estate would be liable under local law, as between the decedent and his spouse, after enforcement of any effective right of reimbursement or contribution. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, the deductible amount is presumed to be an amount bearing the same ratio to the total joint tax liability for the period covered by the return that the amount of income tax for which the decedent would have been liable if he had filed a separate return for that period bears to the total of the amounts for which the decedent and his spouse would have been liable if they had both filed separate returns for that period. Thus, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, the deductible amount equals
decedent’s separate tax
-X joint tax. both separate taxes * * *.

The quoted Treasury Regulation specifically authorizes what the Commissioner of Internal Revenue did in the instant case. The plaintiff says that the regulation contradicts the statute which expressly provides for joint and several liability, and is therefore invalid. It relies upon decisions such as that of this court in Moore v. United States, 93 Ct. Cl. 208, cert. denied, 314 U.S. 619, holding a spouse liable for all the taxes payable on a joint return. It cites cases holding that a spouse who had not participated in fraudulent acts which had given rise to the assessment of a penalty was nevertheless liable for the penalty. See, e.g. Kann v. Commissioner, 210 F. 2d 247, cert. denied, 347 U.S. 967.

One who is jointly liable with another for income taxes and has been compelled to pay them is entitled to contribution from the other person liable for the taxes. Phillips-Jones Corp. v. Parmley, 302 U.S. 233. The estate of a deceased taxpayer would, of course, have this right to contribution which the taxpayer had in his lifetime. If the tax is assessed against a deceased taxpayer’s estate, upon a joint return lawfully made, and including income earned by the deceased taxpayer in his lifetime, the estate must, in fairness, have the same right of contribution. If it did not, the distribution of the estate might be improperly distorted. In the instant case, for example, if the beneficiaries of Mrs. McClure’s will were persons other than Mr. McClure, the use of the estate’s money to pay the taxes which were due on account of Mr. McClure’s income would unfairly diminish the interests of those beneficiaries. The estate would, therefore, have a right of contribution against Mr. McClure which would require him to restore those funds to the estate. That right of contribution would be an asset of the estate, and if it was collectible, would be includible, like any other asset, for estate tax purposes. It is agreed, in the instant case, that Mr. McClure is solvent. If, then, the estate should be held entitled to a deduction for the income taxes on Mr. McClure’s income, which it could have been required to pay, the deduction would be cancelled by the addition to the taxable estate of an exactly equivalent amount. The quoted regulation, which arrives at the proper result by disallowing the deduction in the first instance, rather than by first granting the deduction and then taking it away, is a valid regulation.

The right to contribution, in a proper case, is well known in the law of Maryland. Cunningham v. Cunningham, 158 Md. 372, 148 Atl. 444; Brady v. Brady, 110 Md. 656, 73 Atl. 567.

The plaintiff’s petition is dismissed.

It is so ordered.

Durfee, Judge; and Jones, Chief Judge, concur.

Laramore, Judge, and Whitaker, Judge, took no part in the consideration and decision of this case.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The court makes findings of fact, based upon the stipulation of the parties, and the briefs and argument of counsel, as follows:

1. This is an action arising under the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. The plaintiff seeks to recover from the United States the amount of $2,169.85, representing Federal estate taxes of $2,107.47 and assessed interest thereon of $62.38 which was paid by the Estate of Helen M. McClure on October 7,1958.

2. The jurisdiction of this Court is invoked under 28 U.S.C. § 1491.

3. Helen M. McClure (hereinafter referred to as Mrs. McClure) died a resident of Montgomery County, Maryland, on November 17, 1956, leaving a Last Will and Testament wherein she named her husband, John E. McClure (hereinafter referred to as Mr. McClure) as executor and trustee of her estate. The will was duly admitted to probate and Mr. McClure was appointed executor of Mrs. McClure’s estate.

4. On March 22, 1957, Mr. McClure filed a joint Federal income tax return on behalf of Mrs. McClure and himself for the calendar year 1956 reporting thereon an adjusted gross income of $90,931.96 and a net tax liability of $31,537.74.

5. Of the $90,931.96 adjusted gross income thus reported, $5,850 represented the income of Mrs. McClure and $85,081.96 represented the income of Mr. McClure. Mrs. McClure’s income consisted entirely of dividends from securities which had been transferred to her by Mr. McClure during their marriage. Mr. McClure’s income consisted primarily of receipts from his law practice and from various securities.

6. Of the $31,537.74 net tax liability thus reported, $14,500 had been previously paid in connection with a joint declaration of estimated tax for 1956 filed by Mr. and Mrs. McClure. The balance of $16,652.34 was paid at the time of filing the return by a check drawn on an account of the Estate of Mrs. McClure.

7. An individual state income tax return for the State of Maryland was filed on behalf of Mrs. McClure for the calendar year 1956 and there was reported thereon income in the amount of $5,850 and among the deductions claimed were:

Medical Drugs_$1,257. 81
Contributions_ 570.40
Sales, Gas Tax_ 75.00
Interest — Liberty Bank_ 1,243.48

No exemptions were claimed by Mrs. McClure on that return.

8. On February 14, 1958, the Federal estate tax return for the Estate of Mrs. McClure was filed and there was reported thereon a total gross estate of $116,500.14 and a net estate tax due of $766.22 which tax was paid on February 24,1958.

9. Subsequently, and within the time prescribed by law, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue disallowed $16,513.37 of the $16,652.34 claimed as a deduction on Schedule K of the estate tax return and, based on such disallowance, he determined and assessed against the Estate a deficiency of estate taxes in the amount of $2 J 07.47 plus interest of $62.38 which assessment was paid on October 7, 1958.

10. The Commissioner disallowed the deduction of $16,513.37 on the ground that only $138.97 of the amount paid by the Estate of Mrs. McClure as Federal income tax was attributable to her income. Using the deductions claimed on her Maryland state income tax returns for the year 1956 the Commissioner determined the deficiency on the basis of the following computations:

Wife’s income_ $5, 850. 00 (All dividend income)

Less_ 50. 00 Credit

$5, 800. 00

Allowable deductions:

Medical & Drugs_ $1, 433. 31

Less_ 175.50

$1, 257. 81

Contributions_ 570. 40

Sales, gas tax_ 75. 00

Interest-Lib Bk_ 1, 243. 48

$2, 653.31

Wife’s tax claiming no ex-

543. 73 emptions _

234.00 Dividend Received Credit Less_

$309. 73

Total adjusted gross income

$90, 931. 96 (H & W)_

5, 850. 00 Less income attributable to wife_

$85, 081.96 Deductions:

Medical_$2, 892. 27

Less 3%_ 2, 552.46

$339. 81 339. 81

P/S Contributions_ 1, 425. 34

Sales, gas tax etc_ 1, 745.49

$3, 755. 50 Interest paid

50.00 Child care_

4,171.06 $11,487.20 Mise. Exp_

$73, 594. 76

3,000.00 (5 exemptions)

$70, 594. 76 20, 747. 87 Cap. Gains

$49, 846. 89

Tax based on $49,846.89_$37, 083. 69

Less Dividend Bee. Credit_ 279.40

$36, 804.29 Husband’s tax computed separately

Wife’s tax if filed separately_ $309. 73

Husband’s tax if filed separately_ 36, 804.29

$37,114. 02

309.73 X 16,652.34 = 16,652.34

37,114.02 .00834536382

$138.97 Allowable deduction

11. There is no controversy between the parties with respect to the accuracy of the foregoing facts and figures. The sole question for decision in this case is whether the estate is entitled to a deduction in the amount of $16,652.34 for income taxes paid to the Internal Revenue Service for the calendar year 1956.

12. On October 29,1958, plaintiff duly filed a claim for refund of the aforesaid $2,169.85 and more than six months had elapsed prior to the filing of this action.

CONCLUSION or law

Upon the foregoing findings of fact, which are made a part of the judgment herein, the court concludes as a matter of law that the plaintiff is not entitled to recover and the petition is therefore dismissed.