The court denied the taxpayer's motion for summary judgment and the motion for partial summary judgment by the IRS.
P and her husband (H) purchased property in 1972 as joint tenants with right of survivorship. P became the sole owner of the property upon H's death in 1991. H's Federal Estate Tax Return reported 100 percent of the date of death value of the property as H's interest therein. P sold the property in 1993 and, pursuant to
HELD: Amendment to definition of "qualified joint interest" in
110 T.C. 140">*140 OPINION
COHEN, CHIEF JUDGE: This 1998 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 13">*14 case was assigned to Special Trial Judge John F. Dean pursuant to section 7443A(b)(4) and Rules 180, 181, and 183. 1 The Court agrees with and adopts the opinion of the Special Trial Judge, which is set forth below.
110 T.C. 140">*141 OPINION OF THE SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE
DEAN, SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE: This case is before us on petitioner's motion for summary judgment and respondent's cross- motion for partial summary judgment. Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner's 1993 Federal income tax in the amount of $ 50,123 and an accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(a) in the amount of $ 10,025.
The issue for decision concerns petitioner's basis in property which had been held by petitioner and her now-deceased husband in joint tenancy with right of survivorship. To resolve this issue, we must decide whether the 1981 amendment of the definition of "qualified joint interest" in
A motion for summary judgment is appropriate "if the pleadings, answers to interrogatories, depositions, admissions, and any other acceptable materials, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that a decision may be rendered as a matter of law." Rule 121(b);
The opposing party cannot rest upon mere allegations or denials but must set forth specific facts showing there is a genuine issue for trial. Rule 121(d). The existence of any reasonable doubt as to the facts will result in denial of the motion for summary judgment.
BACKGROUND
110 T.C. 140">*142 On June 8, 1972, John P. Hahn, petitioner's husband, signed a subscription agreement to purchase shares in Fifty CPW Tenants Corporation (CPW) for a purchase price of $ 44,000. On February 15, 1973, 440 shares of CPW were issued to petitioner and her husband as joint tenants with right of survivorship. These shares were allocated to apartment 10C, located at 50 Central Park West, New York, New York.
On August 19, 1991, Mr. Hahn died, and petitioner became the sole owner of the CPW shares. On July 8, 1993, the estate of John P. Hahn filed a Federal Estate Tax Return reporting 100 percent of the value of the CPW shares on the date of Mr. Hahn's death as the value of his interest in the shares. The value of the shares on the date of Mr. Hahn's death was reported at $ 700,000.
Petitioner sold the CPW shares on September 28, 1993. On a Form 2119 (Sale of Your Home) attached to her 1993 Federal income tax return, petitioner reported a selling price for the CPW shares of $ 720,000 1998 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 13">*17 and a basis of $ 758,412. 2 Accordingly, petitioner reported no gain on the sale.
In a notice of deficiency issued June 17, 1996, respondent determined, inter alia, that, pursuant to
DISCUSSION
Petitioner argues that because the 1998 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 13">*18 joint tenancy was created prior to January 1, 1977, and because she provided no part of the consideration for the purchase, the contribution 110 T.C. 140">*143 rule of
The only evidence petitioner has submitted concerning the original consideration used to purchase the CPW shares is her sworn affidavit that her husband provided the entire consideration. Petitioner also notes that she and her husband resided in New York, a noncommunity property State, at the time of purchase. Assuming arguendo that the contribution rule of
Respondent's motion, however, does not implicate any factual issues. Respondent argues that, pursuant to
In 1976, subsection (b) of
Congress amended
The final relevant amendment to
The issue we face, then, is whether
Before 1977,
This issue was addressed in
In opposing her refund suit, the Government argued, as here, that, pursuant to
The Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit concluded that the 1981 amendment to paragraph (2) of
Next, the Court of Appeals concluded that there had been no implied repeal of the effective date of
Furthermore, the court reasoned that because the two statutes here are not mutually exclusive, it could not be concluded that the later statute fills the entire area of law, thereby rendering the prior statute ineffective. The court dismissed as irrelevant the Government's extensive discussion of legislative history, finding Congress' failure to change
EXPRESS REPEAL
Here, respondent begins by pursuing an express repeal argument. Respondent argues that because
IMPLIED REPEAL
Respondent next argues that there has been an implied repeal of the effective date of
"It is, of course, a cardinal principle of statutory construction that repeals by implication are not favored."
(1) Where provisions in the two acts are in irreconcilable conflict, the later act to the extent of the conflict constitutes an implied repeal of the earlier one; and (2) if the later act covers the whole subject of the earlier one and is clearly intended as a substitute, it will operate similarly as a repeal of the earlier act. But, in either case, the intention of the legislature to repeal must be clear and manifest. 1998 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 13">*33 * * *
1. NO IRRECONCILABLE CONFLICT
Respondent argues that the statutory provisions in issue here are irreconcilably in conflict because under the 1981 amendment the point in time that a joint interest was created is irrelevant, whereas the 1976 amendment applied only to "qualified joint interests" created after December 31, 1976. Respondent asserts that under the 1981 amendment, Congress "created a single, simple rule of universal application and consistent results".
Statutory provisions, however, are not irreconcilably in conflict unless there is a positive repugnancy between them or they cannot mutually coexist.
2. LATER ACT DOES NOT COVER WHOLE SUBJECT
Moreover, it cannot be said that "the later act covers the whole subject of the earlier one and is clearly intended as a substitute". It is clear that this was not a comprehensive revision of the estate tax treatment of joint interests, designed to totally displace all prior enactments. Rather, the 1981 amendment merely changed the definition of "qualified joint interests" contained in
3. NO CLEAR AND MANIFEST INTENT 1998 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 13">*35 TO REPEAL
a. LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Respondent further argues that the legislative history of the 1981 amendment demonstrates that Congress intended to repeal the effective date of
In view of the unlimited marital deduction adopted by the committee bill, the taxation of jointly held property between spouses is only relevant for determining the basis of property to the survivor (under
Respondent attempts to use this language to demonstrate that Congress intended for the 1981 amendment to repeal the effective date of
This argument must necessarily fail because it does not demonstrate an irreconcilable conflict or that the later act covers the whole subject of the earlier one. Furthermore, 1998 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 13">*36 we find nothing in this language indicating that Congress meant to alter or eliminate the effective date of
b. POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE
Respondent also speculates about the potential for abuse in the situation where the surviving spouse furnished the entire consideration for the jointly held property. Respondent posits that the estate of the deceased joint tenant has an "election" to purposely fail to carry its burden of proving that the survivor furnished any of the consideration for the joint interest. This would result in 100 percent of the property being included in the decedent's gross estate under
Again, respondent's argument fails to establish either an irreconcilable conflict or that the later act covers the whole subject of the earlier one. Moreover, respondent simply misapprehends the operation of the burden of proof in this situation. For estate tax purposes,
c. EXPRESS REPEAL OF SUBSECTIONS (c), (d), AND (e)
Finally, respondent fails to address the most important indication of congressional intent concerning the implied repeal issue. In addition to modifying the definition of "qualified joint interests" in
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, we hold that 1998 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 13">*39 the "new" definition of "qualified joint interests" in
To reflect the foregoing,
Appropriate orders will be issued.
1. Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
2. On a statement attached to her return, petitioner calculated her basis as follows: $ 700,000 date of death value, $ 572 of transfer fees, $ 43,200 of commissions, $ 13,140 of transfer taxes, and $ 1,500 for asbestos removal.↩
3. Respondent did not include the $ 572 of transfer fees and $ 1,500 for asbestos removal in petitioner's basis.↩
4. Losses attributable to the sale of a family residence, however, are nondeductible personal losses. Sec. 262;
5.
The value of the gross estate shall include the value of all property (except real property situated outside of the United States) to the extent of the interest therein held as joint tenants by the decedent and any other person, or as tenants by the entirety by the decedent and spouse, or deposited, with any person carrying on the banking business, in their joint names and payable to either or the survivor, except such part thereof as may be shown to have originally belonged to such other person and never to have been received or acquired by the latter from the decedent for less than an adequate and full consideration in money or money's worth: PROVIDED, That where such property or any part thereof, or part of the consideration with which such property was acquired, is shown to have been at any time acquired by such other person from the decedent for less than an adequate and full consideration in money or money's worth, there shall be excepted only such part of the value of such property as is proportionate to the consideration furnished by such other person: PROVIDED FURTHER, That where any property has been acquired by gift, bequest, devise, or inheritance, as a tenancy by the entirety by the decedent and spouse, then to the extent of one-half of the value thereof, or, where so acquired by the decedent and any other person as joint tenants and their interests are not otherwise specified or fixed by law, then to the extent of the value of a fractional part to be determined by dividing the value of the property by the number of joint tenants.
6. As enacted in 1976
(b) Certain Joint Interests of Husband and Wife. --
(1) Interests of spouse excluded from gross estate. -- Notwithstanding subsection (a), in the case of any qualified joint interest, the value included in the gross estate with respect to such interest by reason of this section is one-half of the value of such qualified joint interest.
(2) Qualified joint interest defined. -- For purposes of paragraph (1), the term "qualified joint interest" means any interest in property held by the decedent and the decedent's spouse as joint tenants or as tenants by the entirety, but only if --
(A) such joint interest was created by the decedent, the decedent's spouse, or both,
(B)(i) in the case of personal property, the creation of such joint interest constituted in whole or in part a gift for purposes of chapter 12, or
(ii) in the case of real property, an election under section 2515 applies with respect to the creation of such joint interest, and
(C) in the case of a joint tenancy, only the decedent and the decedent's spouse are joint tenants. ↩
7. A "qualified joint interest" was defined as a joint tenancy between husband and wife, or a tenancy by the entirety, where (1) such interest was created by the decedent, the decedent's spouse, or both, and (2) the creation of the joint interest must have been a gift subject to Federal gift tax.↩
8. By way of a "clerical amendment", sec. 2002(c)(3) of the Tax Reform Act of 1976 (TRA 76), Pub. L. 94-455, 90 Stat. 1520, 1856, redesignated the original
9. Although the effective date was not codified in the U.S. Code, it was enacted as a section of the public law that was subsequently codified at
10.
11. As enacted in 1981,
(2) Qualified joint interest defined. -- For purposes of paragraph (1), the term "qualified joint interest" means any interest in property held by the decedent and the decedent's spouse as --
(A) tenants by the entirety, or
(B) joint tenants with right of survivorship, but only if the decedent and the spouse of the decedent are the only joint tenants. ↩
12. Even if it did support respondent's argument, we would hesitate to resort to legislative history to discern Congress' intent, as we find no ambiguity in the statute as written. See