Thomas v. Feldman
Dissenting Opinion
(dissenting).
Although the creation of the trust and partnership was legal in form, I am of opinion that there was but a re-shuffling of the family property for the purpose of reallocating family income to avoid federal tax consequences. The creation of the trust and limited partnership was part of a plan of taxpayers by which they sought
The trial court found the facts for taxpayers, but I feel as did Mr. Justice Rutledge in the Tower
I respectfully dissent.
Commissioner v. Tower, 66 S.Ct 532.
Lusthaus v. Commissioner, 66 S.Ct. 539.
Opinion of the Court
This appeal involves federal income taxes for the years 1940 and 1941. It was taken by the Collector from a judgment of the district court against him. The notice of appeal was filed within three months of the date of the judgment, in accordance with the provisions of 28 U.S.C.A. § 230.
By a series of transactions the taxpayers transferred to a trust created by them for the benefit of their children certain shares of stock in two family corporations. Then they dissolved the corporations and had the assets transferred to the respective shareholders, who organized two limited partnerships with the taxpayer J. Feldman as general and managing partner, the trust and other stockholders being special partners. The question is whether the partnership income that was allocated to the trust is taxable to the donors under Section 22(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C.A. Int.Rev.Code, § 22(a).
The court below found the facts as stipu-uated by the parties and as disclosed by the oral testimony on behalf of the appellees. We agree, as found by the trial court, that the gifts creating the trusts were bona fide, valid, and irrevocable, and that, since the execution of the trusts, the appellees have not been the beneficial owners of the trust property or the recipients of the income therefrom. Since the creation of the trusts, J. Feldman as never borrowed from the trusts, nor has he purchased property from the trusts or sold property to the trusts, and none of the income or corpus of the trusts has been used to support, maintain, or educate his children, or for his personal benefit or economic gain. J. Feldman’s only dealings with the trusts have been in his capacity as general partner of the limited partnerships.
The government urges the application of the so-called Clifford Rule,
The governmeht also relies on the Tower and Lusthaus cases,
There is no question of the invalidity of the partnership in this case so far as the wife is concerned because, under the Texas community-property law, one-half of the income of the husband belongs to the wife without regard to the partnership agreement. The question here is whether the trust is a fictitious device created for income tax purposes. The distinction between this case and the three cases above mentioned is that here the trier of fact found in favor of the taxpayer and in all the others the findings were against the taxpayer.
We think our decision in this case is governed by Commissioner v. Greenspun, 5 Cir., 156 F.2d 917.
The judgment appealed from is affirmed.
Helvering v. Clifford, 309 U.S. 331 60 S.Ct. 554, 557, 84 L.Ed. 788.
Commissioner v. Tower, 66 S.Ct. 532, 538; Lusthaus v. Commissioner, 66 S.Ct. 539.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- THOMAS, Collector of Internal Revenue, v. FELDMAN
- Cited By
- 8 cases
- Status
- Published