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20 B.T.A. 41

Smith v. Commissioner

United States Board of Tax Appeals · decided 1930-06-12

1. At and prior to his death, the decedent and his wife held as tenants by the entireties certain property located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The respondent included the value of said property in the gross estate of the decedent for the purpose of the Federal estate tax. The action of the respondent is approved on authority of Tyler v. United States,281 U.S. 497. 2. Prior decisions of the Board inconsistent herewith, overruled.

Cited by 3 later decisions — most recently May 1931

Relies on Tyler v. United States · Hoag v. Hoag · Woodard v. Woodard

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1930-06-12

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¶1*42OPINION.

Trammell :

¶2The single question of law raised in this proceeding is whether the value of certain property, located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and held at the time of his death by the decedent and his wife as tenants by the entireties, may be included in the estate of the decedent in computing his net taxable estate for Federal estate-tax purposes.

¶3The common law doctrine of estates by the entireties is recognized by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, both as to real and personal property. Donahue v. Hubbard, 154 Mass. 537; Woodward v. Woodward, 216 Mass. 1; Hoag v. Hoag, 213 Mass. 50.

¶4Such tenancies being recognized by the laws of Massachusetts, where the property was located, the issue here is governed by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States in- Tyler v. United States, 281 U. S. 497, wherein it was held that the value of property owned by a husband and his wife as tenants by the entireties in a State where such tenancies are recognized by law must be included in the estate of the husband, if he dies first, in computipg his net taxable estate for Federal estate-tax purposes. Accordingly, the determination of the respondent in the instant case is approved.

¶5All prior decisions of the Board inconsistent herewith are overruled.

¶6Judgment will be entered for the respondent.

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