1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*190
Petitioner's minor daughter and son were the respective life income beneficiaries of two trusts created by her during the tax year. Petitioner's husband, the trustee, was the remainderman and the donee of a power to appoint the remainders in the event he predeceased the life beneficiaries. He also possessed the power to alter, amend, or revoke.
1 T.C. 921">*921 The Commissioner determined a deficiency of $ 190.55 in income tax for the year 1940. The sole question is whether the income of two trusts is taxable to petitioner as grantor.
Petitioner, a married woman, filed her return for 1940 with the collector for the second district of 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*191 New York.
Petitioner's husband is Sydney R. Newman. The relations between petitioner and her husband were cordial during the tax year and it was anticipated by them that they would remain so. The husband is a lawyer of some twenty-six years, experience. His firm has landled tax cases, and he is familiar to an extent with the Federal revenue laws.
1 T.C. 921">*922 On June 28, 1940, petitioner created two trusts, one for the benefit of her daughter Janice, who was then fifteen years of age, and the other for the benefit of her son Robert, who was then twelve years of age. Sydney R. Newman was named trustee in both instruments. Petitioner had discussed with her husband the establishment of the trusts. The corpus of each trust consisted of shares of stock having a value of approximately $ 10,000. The trust instruments were identical except that the income of one was payable to the daughter and of the other to the son.
The trustee was authorized to sell any investments, reinvest the proceeds thereof, collect the income, and pay over the income and principal as follows:
To pay the income annually to Janice R. [in the other instrument, Robert W.] Newman, daughter [son] of the Grantor, during1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*192 her [his] lifetime. Upon the death of said Janice R. [Robert W.] Newman all the rest, residue and remainder of said fund shall be paid over to Sydney R. Newman, husband of the Grantor. If the said Sydney R. Newman shall not then be living, the rest, residue and remainder of said fund shall be paid over to such person or persons as the said Sydney R. Newman by his last will and testament may direct and appoint; upon the death of said Sydney R. Newman without having exercised such power of appointment to pay the rest, residue and remainder of said fund to his distributees.
The trustee was empowered to vote all stocks and securities held by him, and in his sole discretion to cause the securities making up the trust funds "to be registered in his own individual name, or in the name of his nominee, or may take and keep the same unregistered and retain them or any part thereof in such manner that they will pass by delivery * * *."
Each trust instrument contained the following paragraph:
Tenth: Said Sydney R. Newman shall have the power at any time during his life, by an instrument in writing delivered to the Trustee, to revoke this agreement, in whole or in part, or to alter or amend 1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*193 the same or to free any of the property held in trust from the terms of this trust, and upon receipt of such instrument in writing, the Trustee shall turn over to the Grantor any funds or property held by the Trustee hereunder as required by said written notice, and the receipt of the Grantor for such property shall be a full acquittance to the Trustee.
On the day the trusts were created petitioner delivered to the trustee the securities constituting the trust funds, duly endorsed by her in transferable form, with signature guaranteed. All of the securities had been purchased by petitioner with her own funds. The trustee acknowledged receipt of the securities in writing. The trustee has not caused the securities to be transferred on the books of the corporations out of petitioner's name. His reason for not doing so was that he desired to keep the securities in an easily marketable form, which in his opinion would not have been possible if he had had title to the 1 T.C. 921">*923 securities transferred to his name as trustee; and, inasmuch as he was trustee, he did not care to have the securities listed in his own name as an individual. Since the stock remained in petitioner's name on1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*194 the books of the corporations, she continued to receive the dividends thereon, but upon receipt thereof she immediately endorsed them over to the trustee. During 1940 the income of the trust for Janice was $ 700 and of the trust for Robert was $ 535.
Of the dividends received in 1940 by the trust for Janice, $ 150 in amount had been declared on June 4 payable on June 29 to holders of record on June 15. Of the dividends received in 1940 by the trust for Robert, $ 255 in amount had been declared prior to June 28, when the trust was created, and were payable to holders of record on or before June 28.
The trustee opened separate bank accounts, one for each trust, and the income of each trust was deposited therein. No withdrawals from those accounts have been made except to adjust an over-receipt of dividends and to purchase additional property for one of the trusts.
Petitioner's household expenses and the cost of support and education of the children beneficiaries since June 28, 1940, have been paid by petitioner's husband, who is well able from a financial standpoint to pay such expenses. Petitioner did not file a gift tax return for either trust, nor did the trustee file a donee's1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*195 return for either trust.
OPINION.
Respondent on brief has run the full gamut of provisions and theories under which trust income may be taxed to a grantor. Since we are of opinion that the income of the present trusts, with the exception hereinafter noted, is not taxable to petitioner, it is necessary to state briefly our reasons why we consider each provision inapplicable.
1.
1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*197 We conclude that by reason of the husband's adverse interest in the corpus
2. The Commissioner contends, however, that
We think it may indeed be questioned whether paragraph tenth may properly be construed to permit, while the trusts continue, the channeling of the income away from the minor beneficiaries, for whose benefit the trusts were primarily1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*198 established. In
* * * The same principle seems to prevail in all jurisdictions both state and federal. See
This principle prevails in New York. See Scott on Trusts, vol. 2, sec. 185;
We need not, however, rest our decision upon a finding that under New York Law the husband could not by amendment of the trust give the income to petitioner. If paragraph tenth is broad enough to permit that, there is nothing in the paragraph that would preclude the husband from amending in his own favor. Respondent's argument tends to support such a conclusion, for he contends that the power was vested in the husband as an individual and not as trustee; therefore, it was not a power in trust and no claim of fiduciary duty could validly be advanced against its exercise. If the husband could amend in his own favor, his interest in the income is adverse to petitioner. This was squarely held in
* * * If the wife and brother had the power under this provision ["to alter, change or amend * * * in any other respect"] to substitute the grantor as sole or part beneficiary, they likewise would1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*200 have the same power to substitute themselves, or any one else, as beneficiaries. In either event it is not necessary that such event should have transpired. If the wife and brother had the power to name themselves, or others than the grantor, as beneficiaries, that power or right was certainly adverse to the grantor's interests. * * *
We conclude that petitioner is not taxable under
3. While
4. The Commissioner argues next that petitioner was liable for the support of her children, that the income of the trusts may have been used to discharge that liability, and that consequently the income is taxable to her under the Supreme Court's recent decision in
The other reason is that, notwithstanding the New York statute relied upon by the Commissioner, 3 the rule in that state appears clearly to be that the primary duty to support and educate minor children rests upon the father.
1943 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 190">*204 5. The Commissioner contends that no gifts were made or trust created because there was lacking a donative intent. The circumstances that are said to support this argument are that (a) the securities were not transferred from petitioner's name on the books of the corporations and (b) no gift tax return was filed. The evidence, however, is clear that there were gifts completed by delivery and acceptance. The shares comprising the trust funds were endorsed in blank. The trustee retained them in that form for easy marketability. This is a valid and understandable explanation. That he might have done otherwise does not cast doubt upon the
6. Respondent contends, finally, that dividends declared prior to the time the trusts were established should be taxed to the grantor, citing
Disney,
1.
Where at any time the power to revest in the grantor title to any part of the corpus of the trust is vested -- (1) in the grantor, either alone or in conjunction with any person not having a substantial adverse interest in the disposition of such part of the corpus or the income therefrom, or (2) in any person not having a substantial adverse interest in the disposition of such part of the corpus or the income therefrom,↩
2.
(a) Where any part of the income of a trust --
* * * *
(2) may, in the discretion of the grantor or of any person not having a substantial adverse interest in the disposition of such part of the income, be distributed to the grantor;
* * * *
then such part of the income of the trust shall be included in computing the net income of the grantor.↩
3. Domestic Relations Law, art. 6, entitled "Guardians," sec. 81, under the heading "Appointment of guardians by parents," begins with the following sentence: "A married woman is a joint guardian of her children with her husband, with equal powers, rights and duties in regard to them." The section obviously deals with questions of guardianship, and the New York courts do not appear to have regarded the use of the word "duties" as modifying the recognized primary obligation of the father to support minor children.↩