Opinion

Keitel v. Commissioner

  • 15 B.T.A. 903
  • 1929 BTA LEXIS 2763
Court
United States Board of Tax Appeals
Filed
Mar 18, 1929
Status
Published
Author
Sternhagen
On the bench
Moekis, Teammell, Smith, Phillips, Trussell, Sternhagen, Agree, Milliken
Cited by
11 cases

purchase of life estate

How later courts described this case

  • purchase of life estate

Written by the judges who cited it.

The opinion

SterNhageN,

concurring: There are several weaknesses in the petitioner’s case which clearly support the judgment for respondent, but I regard the prevailing opinion as unsound. In any event it is obiter and can not serve as a precedent.

The petition alleges and the answer admits that—

the partnership business was not a success and his mother’s income from the business being insufficient to meet her immediate needs, Elmer agreed to guarantee her an adequate income in the amount of $200 per month during life, if she would consent to a reorganization of the business that they might convert the partnership into a corporation.

In the absence of any other evidence to the contrary than is in this record, this stipulation indicates that some part or perhaps all *910 of Elmer’s payments are “personal, living, or family expenses” which are among the items enumerated in section 215, Revenue Act of 1921, as not deductible. Gifts are also not among the statutory deductions.

Furthermore, the lack of evidence of actual payments or of a system of accounting justifying the deduction of items incurred, whether paid or not, deprives the issue of any factual basis and requires a judgment for respondent, notwithstanding the apparent willingness of counsel to argue the abstract question.

Smith, Teammell, Moekis, and Murdock agree with this opinion.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

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