Blum v. Higgins, 346.

Decision Date20 June 1945
Docket NumberNo. 346.,346.
Citation150 F.2d 471
PartiesBLUM v. HIGGINS, Collector of Internal Revenue.
CourtU.S. Court of Appeals — Second Circuit

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn, of New York City (Norman S. Goetz and Wilbur H. Friedman, both of New York City, and Gerald Silbert, of Brooklyn, N. Y., of counsel), for plaintiff.

John F. X. McGohey, of New York City (Stanley H. Lowell, of New York City, of counsel), for defendant.

Before L. HAND, AUGUSTUS N. HAND, and FRANK, Circuit Judges

FRANK, Circuit Judge.

1. Since the taxpayer did not receive any of the proceeds of the insurance policy in 1936 and since he was on a cash basis, he realized no taxable gain on the policies in that year unless the doctrine of constructive receipt is applicable. The taxpayer is considered in constructive receipt of income if it is available to him "without any substantial limitation or restriction as to the time or manner of payment or condition upon which payment is made." Treas. Reg. 94, Art. 42-2.

2. The taxpayer contends that the constructive receipt doctrine is inapplicable here because the taxpayer would have had to surrender valuable rights in order to obtain the proceeds of the policies in 1936. We do not agree. The taxpayer's rights, after electing Option A, were to leave the moneys on deposit with the company at three per cent interest during the taxpayer's lifetime, and he could withdraw the principal on any interest day — once a month. We think this does not differ from a sum of cash. True, the insurance company did maintain the practice of permitting an insured who had elected one option to change to another. And if the policy had given such a right, we should probably say that the insured had not constructively received the proceeds of the policy, for this right to change the options B and C would have presented a valuable legal privilege which would have to be surrendered if cash were chosen instead of Option A. But that possibility of conversion from one option to another is not part of the insurance contract; it is not even a revocable offer on the part of the company. At any time, even after the insured had requested a change from one settlement form to another, the insurance company could refuse to permit the change. It would seem therefore that the taxpayer would be called upon to surrender no legal right or privilege in order to take cash instead of Option A.

3. The taxpayer argues that our decision in Commissioner of...

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15 cases
  • US v. Weiner, Crim. A. No. 89-80883-01 to 89-80883-03.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Western District of Michigan
    • 17 Enero 1991
    ...drawn upon it during the taxable year if notice of intention to withdraw had been given. Treas. Reg. § 1.451, 1.451-2; Blum v. Higgins, 150 F.2d 471 (2d Cir.1945); Helvering v. Horst, 311 U.S. 112, 119, 61 S.Ct. 144, 148, 85 L.Ed. 75 (1940). From the evidence presented at trial, the jury co......
  • First National Bank of Kansas City v. CIR
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Eighth Circuit
    • 8 Noviembre 1962
    ...(1) expressly characterizes such as gross income. See also Chapin v. McGowan, 2 Cir., 1959, 271 F.2d 856, 858; Blum v. Higgins, 2 Cir., 1945, 150 F.2d 471, 474, 160 A.L.R. 1093; Avery v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 9 Cir., 1940, 111 F.2d 19; Arnfeld v. United States, Having decided th......
  • Beall v. Pinckney
    • United States
    • U.S. Court of Appeals — Fifth Circuit
    • 6 Julio 1945
    ... ... Cipperly v. Rhodes, 53 Ill. 346; Peake v. Cameron, 102 Mo. 568, 15 S.W. 70; Kennedy v. First National Bank, 107 Ala. 170, and on ... ...
  • Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe, Inc. v. United States, 69 Civ. 1303.
    • United States
    • U.S. District Court — Southern District of New York
    • 8 Enero 1971
    ...States, 306 U.S. 436, 59 S.Ct. 607, 83 L.Ed. 855 (1939); or the receipt of monies on maturity of an endowment policy, Blum v. Higgins, 150 F.2d 471 (2d Cir. 1945); or the acquisition of a promissory note by the maker, Bingham v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 105 F.2d 971 (2d Cir. 1939);......
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2 books & journal articles
  • Barriers to the application of the constructive receipt doctrine.
    • United States
    • Tax Executive Vol. 41 No. 2, January 1989
    • 1 Enero 1989
    ...acq., 1967-2 C.B. 2. (32)72 T.C. 284 (1979). (33)40 T.C.M. 654 (1980). (34)Treas. Reg. [subsection] 1.451-2(a)(2). (35)Blum v. Higgins, 150 F.2d 471 (2d Cir. 1945); Treas. Reg. [subsection] 1.451-2(a). (36)Blum v. Higgins, 150 F.2d 471 (2d Cir. 1945). (37)51 T.C. 46 (1968). (38)See also Est......
  • Using nonqualified deferred compensation to attract and keep employees.
    • United States
    • The Tax Adviser Vol. 26 No. 9, September 1995
    • 1 Septiembre 1995
    ...(13)George C. Martin, 96 TC 814 (1991). (14)Young Door Co., Eastern Division, 40 TC 890 (1963). (15)See, e.g., Henry L. Blum v. Higgins, 150 F2d 471 (2d Cir. 1945)(34 AFTR 24, 45-2 USTC (16)Dillis C. Knapp, 41 BTA 23 (1940). (17)Est. of W.T. Hales, 40 BTA 1245 (1939). (18)Florence H. Griffi......

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