Public-domain · open source
OpenJurist

1 T.C. 228

Johnston v. Commissioner

United States Tax Court

Decided December 10, 1942

United States Tax Court · decided 1942-12-10

1. Petitioners are life income beneficiaries of inter vivos trusts created by their mother in 1921. Held: the portion of the proceeds so allocated to petitioners should be included in computing the net income of petitioners under section 162 (b) of the Revenue Act of 1936. Theodore R. Plunkett, 41 B. T. A. 700; affd., 118 Fed. (2d) 644, followed. 2.

Cited by 11 later decisions — most recently February 1959

2 federal appellate ·

Relies on Brant v. Commissioner

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decision will be entered under Rule 50 · Decided 1942-12-10

View the full empirical analysis of this case →

Opper, J.,

¶1dissenting in part: I agree that petitioners received income to the extent of the cash distributed in the tax year and that they are taxable on it under both sections 162 and 22. But it seems to me highly questionable that the unliquidated share in the mortgage was “currently distributable” under 162 or constructively received under 22.

¶2Income was to be distributed semiannually, pursuant to the trust instrument, only to the extent that the trustees found it “practical and convenient.” The parties have stipulated that no part of the mortgage allocated to income was “paid or credited to either petitioner,” except for an installment received, and distributed, in cash. It is easy to understand why the trustees did not find it either practical or convenient to distribute the balance, but I have difficulty in ascertaining that the trust instrument made income “currently distributable” if they did not. Whether this also follows where the trustees insist that the distribution can and should take place, as in Estate of Austin C. Brant, 44 B. T. A. 1306, need not be disposed of here.

¶3In Theodore R. Plunkett, which the Court follows, the Massachusetts decree had ordered a distribution “forthwith,” and this was made in cash, most of it immediately. No one could say that this was not a current distribution. That is what I conceive to be the distinction from the present facts.

¶4This reasoning would, of course, require an opposite conclusion on the last point.

Smith, agrees with this dissent.Murdoch, J., I agree with the dissent except for the first sentence thereof.
/1/tc/228 · .json · Public domain