1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 124">*124
1. Funds held by a resident trustee in the general bank account of the trust for the benefit of a nonresident alien, the sole life beneficiary,
2. Value of real estate determined for estate tax purposes.
17 T.C. 60">*60 This proceeding involves an estate tax deficiency of $ 17,436.36. The issues as framed by the pleadings are (1) whether certain United States bonds with accrued interest are excludible from the gross estate under section 4 of the Victory1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 124">*125 Liberty Loan Act of 1919, (2) whether certain funds of an irrevocable trust created by decedent, a nonresident alien, are excludible from the gross estate as bank deposits by or for a nonresident alien within the meaning of
In the circumstances, we regard the issue as to the inclusion of the United States bonds, and accumulated interest thereon, in decedent's gross estate as conceded by respondent and requiring no further consideration in this opinion.
FINDINGS OF FACT.
The decedent, Fredericka Loewenstein, was a nonresident alien and a citizen of Switzerland, domiciled at Lucerne, Switzerland. She died intestate on July 12, 1945. Max S. Lowenstein is her sole heir and 17 T.C. 60">*61 "executor" of her estate under
The decedent, on October 2, 1935, created a trust to receive and hold the assets which she had already received and expected later to receive as a residuary legatee of her deceased brother, Albert Stein, who had died a resident of the State of Illinois in 1920. Another brother, Sigmund Stein of New York, New York, was named as trustee of the trust.
Under the trust agreement the trustee was given broad powers to invest and1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 124">*127 manage the trust fund in any manner he saw fit. The grantor during her lifetime was to receive all of the net income from the trust and in addition thereto such part of the principal, not to exceed 10 per cent in any one year:
* * * as the said trustee in his sole judgment and discretion may deem necessary or advisable (1) to enable the Grantor to live in the comfort to which she has been accustomed, or (2) to afford the said Grantor all necessary care, maintenance and attention in the event of serious or protracted illness or other emergency.
Upon the death of the grantor the trust was to terminate and the remaining trust funds were to be paid over to the grantor's son, Max S. Lowenstein.
The trustee, Sigmund Stein, resigned on or about June 11, 1943, and decedent's son, Max S. Lowenstein, was named successor trustee, in accordance with the provisions of the trust deed.
Included in the corpus of the trust was cash in the amount of $ 4,534.50 in the trust account at the Continental Illinois National Bank and Trust Company, and a two-seventeenths interest in another account known as the "Stein Joint Account," in which were held all of the undistributed assets of the estate of Albert1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 124">*128 Stein. The Stein joint account at the date of decedent's death contained cash in the amount of $ 7,185.20 and several items of real estate located in the City of Chicago. The following table shows the location of each parcel, the values reported in the return, the values determined by the respondent, the approximate assessed valuation, the net income, before depreciation, derived from the property during the calendar year 1944, and the date of sale:
Value determined | ||
Property | Value reported | by respondent |
5447 N. Clark St | $ 10,000 | $ 15,000 |
Green St | 9,000 | 13,500 |
714 Independence Blvd | 11,000 | 15,500 |
5156 N. Leavitt St | 12,500 | 15,250 |
646 W. North Ave | 7,000 | 10,500 |
749 W. North Ave | 7,500 | 15,000 |
Approximate | |||
Property | assessed | Net income | Date sold |
valuation | |||
5447 N. Clark St | $ 10,000 | $ 217.75 | 3- 1-47 |
Green St | 9,000 | Vacant land | 3-18-46 |
714 Independence Blvd | 11,000 | 513.53 | 10-15-46 |
5156 N. Leavitt St | Not shown | 12- 4-45 | |
646 W. North Ave | 6,000 | 723.11 | 9- 5-46 |
749 W. North Ave | 8,300 | 541.28 | 9- 9-46 |
17 T.C. 60">*62 The values determined by the respondent are the prices at which the properties were sold on the dates shown. All of the properties1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 124">*129 except the Green Street vacant lot were acquired by reason of foreclosures on mortgages held by the Stein joint account.
The 5447 North Clark Street property was a three-story brick and stone building with a store on the main floor and two apartments above. It was acquired in 1935. Its fair market value on July 12, 1945, the date of decedent's death, was $ 12,500.
The Green Street property was a vacant lot which had been acquired as an investment. It was sold in connection with a large real estate development in that locality. Its fair market value at July 12, 1945, was $ 11,000.
The 714 Independence Boulevard property consisted of a three-story apartment building acquired by the Stein joint account on April 3, 1937. Its fair market value on July 12, 1945, was $ 13,000.
The 5156 North Leavitt Street property was a three-story apartment building acquired on October 4, 1934. Its fair market value on July 12, 1945, was $ 14,500.
The 646 West North Avenue property was a two-story building with a store on the main floor and a single apartment above. It was acquired in 1936. The fair market value of the property on July 12, 1945, was $ 9,000.
The 749 West North Avenue property consisted1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 124">*130 of a lot with two buildings, one a four-story brick building located on the front of the lot, containing a store and three apartments, and the other a two-story brick building, containing two apartments. The property was acquired May 15, 1935. Its fair market value on July 12, 1945, was $ 12,000.
OPINION.
Our first question is whether the cash deposits held in the bank accounts of the trust are excludible from the gross estate under
The
The petitioner cites
Thus, the cases all seem to be in agreement that funds held in an active trust for the benefit of the nonresident alien are not "monies deposited * * * by or for" him within the meaning of
The final issue relates to the valuation of the six parcels of real estate held in the trust. We have determined the value of each property, as set out in our findings of fact above, in accordance with the evidence before us. The value determined by the respondent in each instance was the price at which the property was sold by the trustee subsequent to the date of decedent's death.
The evidence as a whole shows, we think, that the prices at which the properties were sold, one in 1945, four in 1946 and one in 1947, were somewhat higher than the values at the date of decedent's death, 17 T.C. 60">*64 July 12, 1945. One of the reasons for this, according to the evidence, was a sharp advance in real estate prices, particularly of apartment properties such as most of these were, after the close of the war with Japan in the latter part of the summer of 1945. Taking all the factors1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 124">*134 shown by the evidence into consideration, we have determined the values of the several parcels as set out above in our findings of fact.
1.
The following items shall not, for the purpose of this subchapter, be deemed property within the United States:
* * * *
(b) Bank Deposits. -- Any moneys deposited with any person carrying on the banking business, by or for a nonresident not a citizen of the United States who was not engaged in business in the United States at the time of his death.↩