1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*132
Petitioners paid a fee for legal services in connection with the development and implementation of their estate plan.
60 T.C. 187">*187 The respondent determined a deficiency of $ 1,136.32 in the petitioners' 1967 Federal income tax. The only issue for decision is whether the petitioners have shown what portion of a $ 2,144 attorney's fee was allocable to tax advice.
FINDINGS OF FACT
Some of the facts have been stipulated, and those facts are so found.
The petitioners, Dr. Sidney Merians and Susan Merians, are husband and wife, who maintained their legal residence in Edison, N.J., at the time the petition was filed in this case. They filed their 1967 joint Federal income tax return with the district director of internal revenue, Newark, N.J.
In 1967, Dr. Merians retained a law firm to prepare an estate plan for him and his wife. The legal services provided by the firm included conferences between Dr. Merians and the1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*134 attorney in charge of their account. During those conferences, the attorney prepared a worksheet with respect to the petitioners' present taxable estate. The legal services also included the preparation of wills for Dr. and Mrs. Merians, taking into consideration current requirements with respect to qualification for the marital deduction; the establishment of an irrevocable trust for the primary benefit of Mrs. Merians; the transfer to that trust of certain corporate stock; the dissolution of the corporation; and the creation of a partnership, with the trust as a limited partner, to hold the real estate which the corporation had owned. In addition, they included the creation of an irrevocable life insurance trust for the primary benefit of Mrs. Merians and the transfer of life insurance policies to such trust. In connection with the transactions concerning 60 T.C. 187">*188 the life insurance trust, a conference was held, which included a second attorney. Gift tax returns were prepared by the principal attorney with respect to the transfers to the trusts.
The petitioners received a bill of $ 2,144 for the aforementioned legal services, based on 42.8 hours of legal services at the rate1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*135 of $ 50 per hour. On their joint Federal income tax return for 1967, the petitioners claimed a deduction for the $ 2,144 which they paid to the law firm.
OPINION
The issue for decision is whether the petitioners have shown what portion of the legal fee was allocable to tax advice. They contend that the fee pertained solely to services and advice on tax matters and that it is, therefore, deductible in its entirety under
The petitioner has the burden of proof in establishing what portion of the fee was allocable to tax advice.
A complete analysis of an estate involves more than a consideration of tax consequences; in fact, it is basically concerned with transferring the client's property to the persons he wishes to receive it. The client's financial condition, the nature of his property, the extent to which he wants various persons to share in his estate, the needs and capacity of each intended beneficiary, the details of State law, and the need for flexibility are among the multitude of factors which are considered in establishing a plan to dispose of a client's wealth. Casner, Estate Planning, ch. 1 (3d ed. 1961); Holzman, Estate Planning, ch. 1 (1967); Trachtman, Estate Planning, ch. 1 (rev. ed. 1968). Although the attorney testified that the discussion as to who would 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*138 be the beneficiaries of the estate was very brief, he did not testify as to the time which was spent in evaluating such factors as each beneficiary's ability to manage funds, the state of the title to Dr. Merians' property, the amount of control which Dr. Merians desired to maintain over his property during his life, Dr. Merians' present and future financial needs, the reliability of potential trustees, or the State law difficulties which might be encountered in disposing of Dr. Merians' property. It is apparent, however, that such considerations and similar ones took more than 5 minutes of the attorney's time and that they involved substantial nontax considerations. Indeed, the mere drafting of Dr. Merians' will as an "instrument of the conveyance" took 2 hours, and there is no indication as to how long it took to draft the trust instruments or to arrange for the transfer of the life insurance policies and corporate stock or to dissolve the corporation and form the partnership. The testimony of the attorney that he generally spent a "great deal of time" doing tax work is vague, and it clearly does not show the amount of time which he spent on tax considerations in preparing Dr. 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*139 and Mrs. Merians' estate plan. We realize that in establishing the estate plan, the attorney considered the tax implications of his actions, but we cannot accept the proposition that he considered only such implications, especially since his client did not retain separate counsel for advice on the nontax aspects of the estate plan. We also recognize that in establishing an estate plan, choices made for personal nontax reasons may have tax implications, but the consideration of such implications does not convert into tax advice the advice given concerning nontax problems.
The bill for the legal services did not include an itemization of the services performed and the time spent on each activity, nor did the attorney's testimony provide such information. The petitioners' failure to provide such information makes it difficult for us to determine 60 T.C. 187">*190 how much of the fee was allocable to tax advice. However, contrary to the respondent's contention, such failure does not render the record completely devoid of any evidence on which to make an allocation. We do have the attorney's testimony, and it convinces us that a significant portion of his services consisted of tax advice. 1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*140 Yet, because of the vagueness of such testimony and the lack of specificity, the allocation must be weighted heavily against the petitioners. We find that 20 percent of the fee was for tax advice.
Scott,
Fay,
Having once decided that a portion of the attorney's fee is allocable to estate-planning tax advice, we should examine the possibility of allowing a deduction for that fee under1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*143
It is clear that
Tannenwald,
60 T.C. 187">*192 Sterrett,
This is not to say that an additional portion of the fee may not be deductible under
Withey,
The primary issue thus avoided is1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*146 whether or not attorney fees for services rendered in estate planning are deductible as expenses paid or incurred for the determination, collection, or refund of any tax.
Having presided at the trial of this case, I would find the facts (other than jurisdictional) herein as follows:
Petitioners claimed a deduction in the amount of $ 2,144 for legal services on their Federal income tax return for 1967, which deduction was disallowed by the respondent.
The fee for legal services included fees for conferences between petitioners and their attorney, Benjamin Weiner (hereinafter called Weiner), with respect to their present taxable estate.
The fee also included fees for preparation of a last will and testament for each spouse, taking into consideration current requirements with respect to assurance that property passing to either spouse qualifies for the marital deduction.
60 T.C. 187">*193 The fee also included a charge for creation of an irrevocable trust for the benefit of Susan and the transfer of certain corporate stock to the trust.
Subsequent to the transfer of corporate stock to the irrevocable trust, the corporation was dissolved and the trust became a limited partner in real estate formerly1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*147 held by the corporation.
The fee also included a fee for transferring life insurance policies from Sidney Merians to his wife and for creation of an irrevocable life insurance trust for the benefit of Susan.
The fee also included a fee for reconveying the insurance policies from Susan to Sidney and thence to the trust.
With respect to the life insurance aspect of the case, the fee included a charge for conferences with Robert Hendler, an attorney.
The fee also included fees for the preparation of gift tax returns with respect to gifts to the irrevocable trusts.
Weiner did not give petitioners an itemized bill for the aforementioned legal services. The legal fee represented 42.8 hours of legal services at $ 50 per hour.
My rationale in meeting the issue and disposing of it is as follows:
Respondent contends that attorney's fees in the amount of $ 2,144 paid by petitioners during the taxable year 1967 represent nondeductible personal expenses 1 since petitioners have not shown what portions, if any, are deductible under
Respondent's determination is presumptively correct and the burden of proof is upon the petitioners to establish by a preponderance of the evidence what amount, if any, was expended for legal services that would qualify for deduction within the intendment of
During the taxable year 1967, petitioners paid the law firm of Weiner and Schoifet a fee of $ 2,144 for 42.8 hours of legal services for estate planning, including the preparation of two wills and two irrevocable trusts for the benefit of the petitioner wife, Susan. Petitioner 60 T.C. 187">*194 then made gifts to each of the trusts for the benefit of Susan. Weiner also prepared gift tax returns. There was no allocation of the bill between a deductible portion, if any, and the nondeductible. Weiner, who received the principal portion of the fee, allocated $ 100 of the total fee to the nondeductible preparation of the wills. There was, however, no allocation to the two gifts in trust for the benefit of Susan. Petitioners contend that all of the expenses for these legal services are deductible under
1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*150 Respondent agrees that legal expenses incurred or paid for "tax counsel," as that term is used within the context of
With respect to the two wills involved herein, petitioners concede that the fee for the preparation of their wills is not deductible.
Petitioners, who have the burden of proof, have made no effort to allocate the remaining $ 2,044 to the various elements of legal services under review.
As to the two trusts involved herein, I would hold that the cost attributable to their creation and the preparation of the related documents, along with the arrangements for the gifts thereto, is not deductible under
As to the balance of the fee in question ($ 1,894), I do not believe that this portion was paid or incurred by petitioners during the taxable year 1967 "for the management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for the production of income" within the intendment of
I find no merit in petitioners' contention that the fee in controversy pertains "solely to services and advice on tax matters" and is therefore deductible from their gross income for 1967 under
The legislative history clearly indicates the congressional intent to limit the provisions of the new paragraph (3) 41973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*157 added to
Existing law allows an individual to deduct expenses connected with earning income or managing and maintaining income-producing property. Under regulations costs incurred in connection with contests over certain tax liabilities, such as income and estate taxes, have been allowed, but these costs have been disallowed1973 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 132">*156 where the contest involved gift-tax liability. A new provision added by your committee allows a deduction for expenses connected with determination, collection, or refund of any tax liability.
* * * *
Paragraph (3) is new and is designed to permit the deduction by an individual of legal and other expenses paid or incurred in connection with a contested tax 60 T.C. 187">*197 liability, whether the contest be Federal, State, or municipal taxes, or whether the tax be income, estate, gift, property, and so forth. Any expenses incurred in contesting any liability collected as a tax or as part of the tax will be deductible.
The remarks of the Senate Finance Committee are almost identical to the second paragraph quoted from the House report. See S. Rept. No. 1622, 83d Cong., 2d Sess., p. 218. 5
In my opinion, the words of
Petitioners rely on
60 T.C. 187">*198 Quealy,
The respondent disallowed the full amount claimed by the petitioner. At the trial, the petitioner sought to prove that some amount was deductible as an expense relating to the "determination" of a tax within the meaning of
1. All statutory references are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954.↩
1. SEC. 262. PERSONAL, LIVING, AND FAMILY EXPENSES. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this chapter, no deduction shall be allowed for personal, living, or family expenses.↩
2. In the case of an individual, there shall be allowed as a deduction all the ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred during the taxable year -- (1) for the production or collection of income; (2) for the management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for the production of income; or (3) in connection with the determination, collection, or refund of any tax.↩
3.
(1) Expenses paid or incurred by an individual in connection with the determination, collection, or refund of any tax, whether the taxing authority be Federal, State, or municipal, and whether the tax be income, estate, gift, property, or any other tax, are deductible. Thus, expenses paid or incurred by a taxpayer for tax counsel or expenses paid or incurred in connection with the preparation of his tax returns or in connection with any proceedings involved in determining the extent of his tax liability or in contesting his tax liability are deductible.↩
4. In 1952, the Supreme Court held that an individual taxpayer could not deduct for Federal income tax purposes, attorneys' fees paid for contesting a gift tax deficiency.
5. We note one suggestion in the legislative history that the new subsection should be applied in cases where there was no actual contest of tax liabilities in the statement made to the Senate committee by the American Bar Association's Section on Taxation. The association thought that the language of the House committee report "appears to confine expenses in connection with tax matters to contested tax liabilities," possibly even for the income tax (which previously had been governed by the existing provisions of the Code). To avoid this result, the Senate committee was asked to add "computation" before "determination" in
1.
In the case of an individual, there shall be allowed as a deduction all the ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred during the taxable year -- (1) for the production or collection of income; (2) for the management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for the production of income; or (3) in connection with the determination, collection, or refund of any tax.↩
2. H. Rept. No. 1337, to accompany H.R. 8300, 83d Cong., 2d Sess., pp. 29, A59 (1954).↩