The decedent's estate owns a controlling interest in several closely held businesses. The estate is still awaiting proper validations [sic] of the business interests from a third party valuator. Based upon the results of the valuations, it is contemplated that the estate will make a Section 6166 election computing the deferred and nondeferred portions of the estate tax. As of the date of this extension to pay request, without the valuations, the executor is unable to determine the amount of the tax due in total as well as the deferred and nondeferred potions [sic] under Section 6166.
Based on the above, the executor respectfully requests a six (6) month extension to pay the tax.
We received your notice of election [under section 6166] to make installment payments of tax for the estate of Franklin Z. Adell.
Pending verification of the information you have sent to us and until further review of the particulars of your request, we have established the account as follows:
| Total tax assessed | $15,288,517.00 |
| Tax amount not qualifying for installments | $8,094,551.19 |
| Tax amount qualifying for installments | $7,193,965.81 |
| Annual tax installment | $719,396.58 |
This letter is in response to your correspondence dated September 30, 2009 assessing interest of $369,611.01 through October 12, 2009, for the non-deferred portion of the estate tax * * *. At this point, the estate does not have sufficient liquid assets to pay the required interest balance. The estate made a Code Sec. 6166 election upon filing the return due to illiquidity.
Based upon the above, we respectfully request a one year extension to pay the balance owed. It is understood that interest will continue to accrue. However the estate does not have the ability to pay the amount owed at this time. The estate has made all required payments on the deferred [sic] portion of the tax, so a one year extension on the non-deferred portion of interest would be appreciated.
[T]he granting of an extension of time for payment does not relieve the estate from liability for the payment of interest during the period of extension. Any future request for extension of time to pay the liability must be applied for on or before the date of the expiration of the previous extension.
The following information should be provided with any subsequent extension requests if the estate has not liquidated or borrowed from sufficient assets to pay a substantial portion of the balance of estate tax and interest by the extended due date of 9/13/2010.
Copy of the first three pages of Form 706 and Schedules A through K
[*10]
A detailed accounting of the distribution of any assets of the estate
Verification of the estate's attempts to liquidate assets to pay the IRS
The estate's plan to pay the estate tax liability in full
The matters of the Estate of Franklin Z. Adell (Oakland County Probate File No. 2009-326,045-DA) and the Franklin Adell Trust dated July 17, 2002, (Oakland County Probate File No. 2008-319,178-TV) have been embroiled in protracted litigation for almost two years. All of the Fiduciaries who were acting when the litigation began and many, who were appointed subsequent to the commence-ment of the litigation have either resigned, been removed or continue under a cloud of disputed status pending further Court proceedings. Mr. Ehrlich is the second Temporary Personal Representative. He was not appointed until March 30, 2010 and did not qualify to act in that capacity until April 26, 2010. Mr. Ehrlich was also appointed to act as the Independent Successor Trustee on March 30, 2010 but has been unable to qualify to act in that capacity pending the resolution of two contested Petitions relating to his qualification which remain pending.
On May 3, 2010, the Honorable Eugene Arthur Moore, who had been presiding over the contested matters since their inception recused himself from acting further in this case. This will further delay any potential relief which may resolve many of the pending issues and afford sufficient liquidity within the Estate and/or Trust to pay the taxes that are due and owing.
[*12] As of the date of the preparation of this Extension, Mr. Ehrlich does not have control of the assets, most of which are owned by the Decedent's Revocable Trust. The Special Fiduciary appointed by the Court to review and investigate these matters did indicate, in her report filed with the Court, that various parties who received assets from the Estate and/or the Trust were indebted to the Estate or Trust which may generate sufficient funds to be used for this payment. Additionally, there were several other transactions relating to the businesses which are the subject of the IRC 6166 election that are suspect and subject to challenge, one of which is an inflated salary paid to a former Trustee who was subsequently suspended by the Probate Court.
We have been advised, although Mr. Ehrlich has only had a limited time in which to investigate and verify the facts supporting this suspicion, that a new lawsuit was recently filed in the Macomb County Circuit Court which apparently seeks, amongst other things, to delay the ability of the Successor Temporary Personal Representative to address issues relating to the payment of the tax with the Internal Revenue Service. If the efforts are successful, it could jeopardize the Estate's and Trust's ability to pay the tax and could defeat any attempt by the Internal Revenue Service to collect the full amount owed.
[T]he granting of an extension of time for payment does not relieve the estate from liability for the payment of interest during the period of extension. Any future request for extension of time to pay the liability must be applied for on or before the date of the expiration of the previous extension.
The following information should be provided with any subsequent extension requests if the estate has not liquidated or borrowed from sufficient assets to pay a substantial portion of the balance of estate tax and interest by the extended due date.
Copy of the first three pages of Form 706 and Schedules A through K
A detailed accounting of the distribution of any assets of the estate
Verification of the estate's attempts to liquidate assets to pay the IRS
The estate's plan to pay the estate tax liability in full
Our records indicate that you have failed to pay the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 6166 installment now due. If you fail to pay the delinquent installment by the payment due date shown above, the IRS will terminate your IRC section 6166 election and the total amount of estate tax deferred under IRC section 6166 will be due. The IRS will impose additional interest and failure to pay penalty on the total estate tax liability, after that time.
We will deny or terminate your IRC section 6166 election within 30 days of the date of this letter because:
The estate defaulted on the IRC section 6166 election because it did not make installment payments as required under the statute. IRC section 6166(g)(3) provides that we may terminate the election and collect the entire amount of estate tax liability if any payment of principal or interest is not made within 6 months of the due date for the payment (plus any extension of time granted). An installment payment was due more than 6 months ago. Notice and Demand for payment of the installment was sent to you and no payment was received within 6 months of the date the payment was due. Therefore, the entire amount of unpaid estate tax, including any applicable penalty and interest, is now due.
* * * * * * *
1. You may file a formal protest and request a conference with the IRS Office of Appeals. * * *
[*18] * * * * * * *
You may not bypass the Office of Appeals and petition the Tax Court directly because IRC section 7479 requires you to exhaust your administrative remedies before the Tax Court may review your case. In addition, certain procedures and rights in court (for example, the burden of proof and potential recovery of litigation costs) depend on you fully participating in the administrative consideration of your case, including consideration by the IRS Office of Appeals.
In general the federal estate tax is due within nine months of a decedent's death [sic] IRC § 6075(a). Under § 6166(a)(1) a qualifying estate may elect to pay the estate tax in installments over an extended period. In this case the estate made a valid election to defer the payment of estate taxes over the period provided in § 6166(a). It made the appropriate interest payments in 2007 and 2008. This election and the payment of the interest payments in the above-mentioned years were made while Kevin Adell was the trustee and representative of the estate.
In 2009, however, Kevin Adell's sisters initiated litigation challenging Kevin Adell's status as a trustee of the Franklin Z. Adell Trust and also his status as a representative of the estate. This litigation is quite contentious and as a result of the actions, Kevin Adell was prevented by court order from making payments on behalf of the estate. As a result, in May 2010 and May 2011, interest payments for the IRC § 6166 election were not made by the current trustees.
[*19] The need to maintain a valid IRC § 6166 election in the management of an estate and the substantial assets of a closely held business should not be minimized. In this case, the probate court at the insistence of the siblings of Kevin Adell needlessly placed in jeopardy the benefits to the estate of the IRC § 6166 installment payment provision.
The history of IRC § 6166 and Code § 7479 which allows judicial review of the disallowance of the application of these provisions is amply explained in the Estate of P. Roski, Sr. v. Commissioner, 128 T.C. 113 (2007). Parenthetically, the importance of the provision has also been discussed in Estate of Abigail R. Parrish v. Ira S. Loeb, 83-1 USTC 13,507 (USDC, Cen. Dist. Ill.1982). The above-cited case of Edward P. Roski, supra[,] establishes that the denial of the installment payment provisions of IRC § 6166 is a matter committed to agency discretion by law and does require the proper administration of that discretion.
Here we have a situation where the maintenance of the IRC § 6166 election has been prevented by a probate court and intervening family members who appear to be unaware or uninformed concerning the importance of maintaining the election in place.
We understand that our clients' predecessor, Kevin Adell, as Trustee of the Trust, elected to defer the payment of federal estate taxes as reported on the return as originally filed in November 2007 in accordance with the provisions of IRC Section 6166. We further [*20] understand that the Trust has failed to make the installment payments as required pursuant to the agreement.
Our clients stand ready and willing to abide by the terms of the agreement in connection with the 6166 election. However, they are unable to do so. Their predecessor trustee, Mr. Adell, has stripped the Trust of all of its assets and our clients continue to diligently pursue recovery of the assets wrongfully converted by Mr. Adell in the various appropriate courts. Currently, there are at least three separate causes of action pending against Mr. Adell in the probate court and numerous cases pending with the Michigan Court of Appeals. If you require any details regarding the current efforts undertaken by our clients to recover the Trust property, we are happy to provide you with the same.
Our records indicate that you have failed to pay the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 6166 installment now due. If you fail to pay the delinquent installment by the payment due date shown above, the IRS will terminate your IRC section 6166 election and the total amount of estate tax deferred under IRC section 6166 will be due. The IRS will impose additional interest and failure to pay penalty on the total estate tax liability, due after that time.
Facade Easement Appraisal Approved
Partial Charitable Deduction Permitted
Estate Denied Refund Payment Not a Deposit