1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*68
Decedent and her husband created reciprocal trusts. After amendment there remained in each, at the time of her death, the right to change the trust beneficiaries. The trusts further provided that trust income was to be accumulated for the benefit of the two children of decedent and husband, until attainment by the child of the age of 30 years.
17 T.C. 597">*597 The tax liability involved in Docket No. 19480 is for estate tax deficiency in the amount of $ 840,467.79. In Docket No. 20519, there is involved transferee liability for the same deficiency. The proceedings were consolidated for hearing, and it was stipulated at the hearing that if it be determined in the principal proceeding there is a deficiency in the estate tax, there will be a corresponding liability in the transferee proceeding.
The questions for our determination are whether the value of certain trusts created by the decedent's husband, John J. Newberry, in 1934 and 1935 are includible in the decedent's gross estate and, if so, whether the income accrued thereon and undistributed at the decedent's death is includible in her gross estate. Other issues raised by the1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*70 pleadings have been conceded by the parties.
17 T.C. 597">*598 These proceedings were submitted on a stipulation of facts and oral evidence. The stipulation of facts are so found and are incorporated herein by this reference. They may be epitomized as follows, along with facts that are found from the oral evidence.
FINDINGS OF FACT.
The decedent, Myrtle H. Newberry, died on May 9, 1944, a resident of New Jersey.
On the date of the decedent's death there were in existence eight
The corpus of each of the trusts as originally created consisted primarily of an equal number of shares of stock of the John J. Newberry Co.
The language of the eight trusts was substantially the same, save for the differences in names and certain immaterial variations. Hereinafter when reference is made to the exact language of the trusts, or any1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*71 amendments thereto, it will be taken from the John J. Newberry Trust No. 1.
Trust No. 1, dated July 6, 1934, named John J. Newberry as grantor and John J. Newberry and his wife, the decedent, as trustees. The trust instrument provided, in part, as follows:
WHEREAS the Grantor is desirous of securing an income for his daughter MYRTLE VIRGINIA NEWBERRY during her life by creating a trust for said purpose, * * *
* * * *
SIXTH: The Trustees shall accumulate the entire net income of the Trust Fund * * * for the benefit of MYRTLE VIRGINIA NEWBERRY, the daughter of John J. Newberry, until she shall arrive at twenty-five years of age, at which time the Trustees are directed to pay said accumulated net income and thereafter the entire net income of the Trust Fund in quarterly installments to said Myrtle Virginia Newberry during her life.
* * * *
FOURTEENTH: The Trustee Myrtle H. Newberry shall have the power at any time during her life by instrument in writing delivered by her to the Trustees to modify, alter, amend or revoke this instrument in whole or in part including the right to change the beneficiaries herein, provided, however, she shall not have power to revest the securities deposited1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*72 herein, or which may be hereafter deposited herein or the Trust Fund in John J. Newberry, the Grantor, and provided, further, that she may not revest the principal or income in the Grantor John J. Newberry.
* * * *
17 T.C. 597">*599 EIGHTEENTH: Should any of the Trustees hereinbefore designated resign his or her trust or die before the Trust is completely executed, then the surviving Trustee or Trustees may appoint and nominate a successor Trustee to the one who has resigned, or become incapacitated to carry out the duties of Trustee, or may have died, and the Trustee so nominated upon qualifying by signifying his acceptance in writing to the other Trustee or Trustees, shall succeed to all the rights, powers and discretions of the other Trustee or Trustees hereinbefore granted, excepting that no such succeeding Trustee shall have the power of modifying, altering, amending or revoking this instrument in whole or in part, or of changing the beneficiaries herein, excepting that any succeeding Trustee nominated by the Trustee John J. Newberry to succeed Myrtle H. Newberry as Co-Trustee, or to succeed the Trustee who shall have succeeded Myrtle H. Newberry, shall during the life of John J. Newberry1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*73 have the right to alter, amend, or revoke this instrument in whole or in part, including the right to change the beneficiaries herein, provided, however, that at no time shall such succeeding Trustee have the power to revest the securities deposited herein or which may hereafter be deposited herein, or the Trust Fund in the Grantor John J. Newberry.
* * * *
The provision included in the trusts to modify, alter, amend or revoke the instruments was inserted because the named beneficiaries were very young, in school, and neither the decedent nor her husband knew what kind of lifemates they (the beneficiaries) might choose. The trust was to continue until the death of the survivor of Myrtle Virginia, the daughter, and her mother, the decedent. If the mother survived the daughter, on the daughter's death the income was to be paid to the daughter's children and the issue of a deceased child or children in equal shares, but if the daughter died leaving no children or issue of deceased children, the net income was to be paid to the decedent during her life. On the termination of the trust either on the death of Myrtle Virginia or of the decedent, the "principal of the said trust fund" 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*74 was payable to the daughter's children and the issue of deceased children, and if there were none, to the daughter's brother or to his issue, and if he left no issue to the grantor's sisters and the issue of any deceased sister, and if there were no sisters or issue of deceased sisters then "to the next-of-kin of Myrtle Virginia Newberry as determined by the statutes of New Jersey."
On six different dates the decedent and her husband executed 16 pairs of practically identical amendments, or a total of 32 amendments to or partial revocations of the trust instruments. Paragraph Sixth was amended on November 30, 1942, as follows:
SIXTH: The Trustees shall accumulate the entire net income of the Trust Fund * * * for the benefit of MYRTLE VIRGINIA LEACH, the Daughter of John J. Newberry, until she shall arrive at thirty years of age, at which time the Trustees are directed to pay said accumulated net income and thereafter the entire net income of the Trust Funds in quarterly installments, to said Myrtle Virginia Leach, during her life.
17 T.C. 597">*600 Paragraphs Fourteenth and Eighteenth above mentioned were amended on May 31, 1943, as follows:
Fourteenth. Myrtle H. Newberry shall have the1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*75 power at any time during her life, by instrument in writing delivered by her to the Trustees, to change the beneficiaries herein, provided, however, that such beneficiaries shall be either the descendants of Myrtle H. Newberry, spouses of such descendants or donees described in
* * * *
Eighteenth. Should any of the Trustees hereinbefore designated, resign his or her Trust or die before the trust is completely executed, then I appoint WALTER C. BAKER and THOS. L. ZIMMERMAN, JR., as successor Trustees, in the order named, to the one who has resigned or become incapacitated to carry out the duties of the Trust, or may have died, and the Trustees so nominated, upon qualifying by signifying his acceptance in writing to the other Trustee or Trustees, shall succeed to all the rights, powers and discretions of the other Trustee or Trustees hereinbefore1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*76 granted. Should the said WALTER C. BAKER or THOS. L. ZIMMERMAN, JR., resign his trust or become incapacitated to carry out the duties of Trustee, or die before the trust is completely executed, then and in either of those events, I appoint my son, JOHN J. NEWBERRY, JR., in place of the one whose office of Trustee is vacated and upon the death, resignation or incapacity or failure to qualify of the said John J. Newberry, Jr. or his co-trustee, I appoint the Guaranty Trust Company of New York City as co-trustee, with the surviving individual Trustee, and such corporate Trustee shall have all the rights, powers and discretions of the other Trustee. Upon the resignation, death or incapacity to serve, of the said individual Trustee, The Guaranty Trust Company is empowered to act as sole Trustee of this trust. The Trustees are granted and given by the Grantor the amplest and fullest power to enable them to carry into effect and to accomplish the purposes of the trust created herein.
By the May 31, 1943, amendment the life of Myrtle H. Newberry, the decedent, was dropped out as the measure of the duration of the trusts and the contingent life estate of the decedent was eliminated. 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*77 The trusts as amended were to terminate upon the death of Myrtle Virginia plus 21 years, or upon the death of the last survivor of her husband, her brother, and John J. Newberry, the settlor, plus 21 years, whichever event should later occur. If Myrtle Virginia should die prior to the death of the survivor of the three named individuals, the income was to be payable to Myrtle Virginia's children and the issue of any deceased child or children, but if she should leave no issue, the income was to be payable to her brother for his life and upon his death to his issue, and should he leave no issue, then to the grantor's sisters and the issue of a deceased sister. If Myrtle Virginia should survive the 17 T.C. 597">*601 other three, the income was payable for 21 years to Myrtle Virginia's children and the issue of deceased children, or in the absence of such, to the issue of her brother, and should he have no issue to the settlor's sisters and the issue of any deceased sister. On the termination of the trust the "principal of said trust fund" was to be payable to Myrtle Virginia's issue, and should she leave no issue, then to the issue of her brother, John, and should he leave no issue, then 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*78 to the grantor's sisters or the issue of any deceased sister, and should there be none "to the next-of-kin of Myrtle Virginia Newberry as determined by the statutes of New Jersey."
On May 31, 1943, John J. Newberry and his wife, Myrtle H. Newberry, the decedent, resigned as trustees and were replaced by one Walter C. Baker and one Thomas L. Zimmerman, Jr.
John J. Newberry was born September 26, 1877, and Myrtle H. Newberry, the decedent, was born November 14, 1876. John J. Newberry and Myrtle H. Newberry had two children, John J. Newberry, Jr., born July 13, 1914, and Myrtle Virginia Newberry, born June 10, 1918. John J. Newberry, Jr., was married on October 5, 1940, and on May 9, 1944, the date of the decedent's death, he had one child, John J., III, born on November 17, 1941, and another child, Haidee Jane, who was in being but not born until1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*79 November 10, 1944. Myrtle Virginia Newberry (now Mrs. Philip F. Leach) was married on April 19, 1941, and on May 9, 1944, she had two children, Robin Virginia and Suzanne Gene born on March 16, 1942, and August 25, 1943, respectively.
John J. Newberry, as the named settlor of the four John J. Newberry Trusts, filed Federal gift tax returns with the collector of internal revenue at Newark, New Jersey, reporting as a taxable transfer the transfer, respectively, of the corpus of each trust, and duly paid gift taxes in respect to such transfers. Myrtle H. Newberry, the decedent, as the named settlor of the four Myrtle H. Newberry Trusts, filed Federal gift tax returns with the collector of internal revenue at Newark, New Jersey, reporting as a taxable transfer the transfer respectively of the corpus of each of such trusts and duly paid gift taxes in respect to such transfers. The aggregate amount of gift taxes which John J. Newberry paid on account of the transfers made by him was something over $ 80,000.
The idea of creating these trusts was first suggested to John J. Newberry by his brother, his business associate. After discussing the matter with his brother, John J. Newberry called1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*80 in his attorney, with whom he discussed a plan that his brother had suggested. After John J. Newberry had the idea of creating the trusts "pretty well" fixed in his mind and shortly after he had first discussed it with his attorney he discussed it with his wife. He and she usually talked over matters as important as the trusts. They always handled the affairs of the 17 T.C. 597">*602 family mutually. When decedent joined her husband and the attorney in the discussions she said that
* * * if it was a good thing to create these trusts, if John thought it was a good thing to create these trusts for the children, she did, too. She thought it was an excellent idea, and she wanted to do the same thing. She wanted to create the same type of trusts.
He suggested the trust idea to her; she was interested right away and thought it was a good plan. Her purpose in creating her two 1935 trusts was the same as his. The decedent never gave any indication that she might not possibly execute the trusts. John J. Newberry took the initiative in formulating the plans for the trusts. The 1934 trusts were all executed at about the same time at decedent's home. In 1935 she and her husband viewed their1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*81 circumstances and felt they could transfer more stock into trusts. The trust instruments were drawn by the attorney on directions from John J. Newberry. The attorney was acting for Myrtle H. Newberry when he drew the Myrtle H. Newberry Trusts.
The Newberry children at the time of the creation of the trusts in 1934 and 1935 had no independent means of their own. They were very young and the decedent and her husband did not know what kind of lifemates they might choose. They had a great interest in the children and wished to protect their interest. The decedent always wanted to protect the children. That was the main interest of her and her husband. The trusts were made principally to turn over income to the children and the parents wished it to be for their benefit. The purpose of the power given the decedent was to provide against unforeseen contingencies because the children were young and the parents were looking forward to the time when they might be married and wanted to be able to protect their -- the parents' -- interest in the event that the children might marry schemers or ne'er-do-wells. That was the purpose of wanting to control the trusts.
On May 9, 1944, the undistributed1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*82 accumulated income of the John J. Newberry Trusts held by the trustees was as follows:
Trust No. 1 | $ 85,081.47 |
Trust No. 2 | 32,610.56 |
Trust No. 3 | 43,492.98 |
Trust No. 4 | 43,478.11 |
Total | $ 204,663.12 |
On the books of account maintained by the trustees of each of the four trusts the aforesaid accumulated income was not credited to the principal amount of the trusts, but invariably was carried in a special account entitled "Accumulated Income."
By petition dated September 30, 1946, the executors of the decedent's estate instituted a proceeding in the Bergen County Orphans' Court, 17 T.C. 597">*603 New Jersey, asking the court to construe the John J. Newberry Trusts Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4 as to the extent of the powers of Myrtle H. Newberry over the income accumulated under the provisions of the trust agreements, and to enter a decree determining whether or not the accumulated income was corpus or whether it vested in the beneficiary and whether the decedent had power to transfer accumulated income prior to her death, to others than the named beneficiary. The Bergen County Orphans' Court on January 23, 1947, duly appointed a guardian
OPINION.
On July 6, 1934, the decedent as the named grantor executed two instruments of trust, one in favor of her daughter and the other in favor of her son. On the same day her husband as the named grantor executed two instruments of trust, one in favor of his daughter and the other in favor of his son. Each did the same again on December 26, 1935. The language of the eight trusts was substantially the same, save for the differences in names and certain1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*84 immaterial variations. The corpus of the trusts as originally created consisted primarily of an equal number of shares of stock of the John J. Newberry Co. Each of the eight trust instruments named the decedent and her husband as trustees. As originally drawn, the trust instruments provided, in accordance with certain conditions, for a contingent life estate in the net income to be paid to the named grantor's spouse. Paragraph Fourteenth of each trust instrument, as originally drawn, provided that the spouse of the named grantor as "trustee" was given the power to alter, amend or revoke the instrument in whole or in part, including the right to change the beneficiaries.
The respondent argues that trusts which are subject to the grantor's power either to change the beneficiaries or shift their interests because of a reserve power to alter or amend are includible in the gross estate of the grantor under
As to the provisions for contingent life estates the petitioners contend that since these were eliminated, by the amendments in 1943, before death of the decedent, they are not to be considered here. The respondent apparently agrees for he does not touch the point or, in his brief filed after receipt of that of petitioners, reply to petitioners' view on the matter. In any event, we agree with the petitioners in that respect. Obviously "at the date of his [her] death" in the words of
Since1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*86 we conclude that, except for study of the problem whether there was reciprocity of trusts, the date of death is crucial, it follows that in view of the amendments made on May 31, 1943, the only matter left for consideration is whether there lies in the provision, common to the trusts of decedent and her husband, that Myrtle H. Newberry [in her husband's trust as amended] has the right to change beneficiaries (limited to her descendants, their spouses or donees, under
The petitioners contend that the doctrine of reciprocal trusts rests upon the principle that the decedent must have parted with, and received from the other trust, a beneficial property right as an inducement for the creation of the cross trusts, and the power to change beneficiaries, petitioners say, is not such beneficial property right. One simple answer to this proposition is that the decedent parted with her interest in the shares of stock contributed to the trusts created naming her as grantor. It is clear that she parted with this much of her1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*87 estate, for there was included in her trust instruments a provision that such corpus could not be revested in her. Within the same arguments, petitioners go further to contend that each spouse must part with the same amount of property, and in developing this point to their ultimate conclusion eventually get to the view that the power received must be equal to the property right given up. Petitioners cite
* * * The significant factor is that each settlor gave the other the right to alter, amend, or terminate the trust. Such power, though not exercisable for the benefit of the grantor, otherwise seems to be a general one. However, it is argued by petitioners that it was exercisable only in a fiduciary capacity and not to the advantage or benefit of the holder. Even if this be so, it remains that the power did carry with it, at least, the right to increase or diminish the beneficial interests of the respective named1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*89 beneficiaries. As a matter of fact, the respective indentures were altered in that respect. If either grantor had retained such power, along with the right to direct the trustee with respect to the sale, retention, or reinvestment of trust property, although as a trustee, he would have been subject to tax on the income under
While it may be true that neither petitioner had any beneficial interest in either of the trusts and that each of them was motivated to create a trust by a desire to provide for his (her) children, the power and control over the distribution of income and principal and the power to direct the management of the trust properties, although lost to each under his own indenture, were regained under the indenture of the other. In the circumstances of this case, it might well be that such rights were the most satisfying ones to the petitioners. Certainly they are among the important attributes of property ownership.
The
The essential consideration here is that, if the power to change beneficiaries had been reserved in decedent's own trust, there could be no doubt that the case would fall under
The petitioners also argue that the transfers here in question have been held to be outright gifts by this Court in
Significant also is the fact that the respective pairs of trusts, in point of time, were executed on the same day and were similar in terms. The decedent and her husband on six different dates executed 16 pairs of practically identical amendments, or a total of 32 amendments to or partial revocations of the trust instruments. It is evident that the decedent and her husband were acting as a unit.
As was said in
The petitioners next argue that the named grantor's spouse must have been the generating force in initiating the creation of the cross trust in order to justify its inclusion in the decedent's gross estate. They argue that this is purely a factual question and that courts have recognized and applied this limitation upon the doctrine of reciprocal trusts, citing
In
* * * Not only were those respective reasons strikingly similar but none of them sufficed or purported to explain why each of the trusts set up a life estate; nor did the expression of those reasons at all negative the existence of an intent to make the trusts reciprocal. * * *
Here, too, we do not think the evidence relied on by petitioners explains why each set up the provisions which were reciprocal. The
* * * Taxpayer may not by merely pointing to the fact that; the trusts were created at the same time; were in equal amounts; and contained reciprocal provisions, claim a discharge of the burden resting on him to show that the transfers were made in consideration of each other. * * *
In other words, there the taxpayer failed to prove his case. It appears that petitioners, in the instant case, would have us use that case as an authority for the principle that if consideration is not proved then the trust agreements cannot be considered reciprocal but1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*98 such a conclusion, in our view, would merely be relieving the petitioners of the burden of 17 T.C. 597">*609 proving their case. It is clear that the case does not stand for the principle that the named grantor's spouse must have been the generating force in initiating the creation of the cross trust in order to justify its inclusion in the decedent's gross estate. Petitioner also cites
* * * Further, "* * * with few exceptions the law attaches legal consequences to1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 68">*100 what parties do, quite independently of their private purpose or intent."
The parties here involved did create trusts with reciprocal provisions.
The petitioners' final argument is that where the testimony of record contains unrebutted evidence negativing a state of facts on which the respondent's case must be based, mere speculation will not be allowed to do duty for probative facts. But the testimony on the point is by no means the whole record. It is our view that under all of the evidence, and not merely the testimony petitioners rely on, the trusts in question were a part of an interdependent reciprocal arrangement and that the decedent in substance and reality was the grantor of the trust in which her husband was the named grantor. Having concluded that the decedent 17 T.C. 597">*610 was in substance the grantor, it follows that the value of the corpus of the trusts is includible in her gross estate under the provisions of
The above conclusion requires us to answer the second question propounded: Whether certain income from the trust corpus, accumulated "for the benefit of" Myrtle Virginia Newberry [or John J., Jr.] until she arrived at 30 years of age, at which time the trustees were to pay it to her, vested, as the petitioners argue, at the time of accumulation in her, though it was not to be paid until later, so that the decedent having died before Myrtle Virginia became 30 years of age, decedent died with no such power over such accumulated income as to cause it to be included in gross estate. The respondent argues,
The petitioners further argue, however, that as a matter of law the income when accumulated vested immediately in decedent's daughter, the beneficiary thereof, and thus was not subject at the time of decedent's death to her power under the trust as amended to change the beneficiaries. The cases cited fail to lay down such rule as to
Because of concessions made
1. Since there is no