Josephine A. Fulgham - Page 7




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          court determined that petitioner's interest in the net military             
          retirement pension was 20 percent.  Because of this lack of                 
          evidence, we can only assume that the district court followed               
          Texas State law in making its determination.  Based on the                  
          presumption that property possessed by either spouse upon divorce           
          is community property, and the lack of any evidence to rebut such           
          presumption, we conclude that the pension payments received by              
          petitioner represented petitioner's vested community property               
          interest in Col. Fulgham's military retirement pension.  Because            
          Texas is a community property State and petitioner has a vested             
          interest in the pension, the entire pension did not become Col.             
          Fulgham's separate property upon the divorce.  Thus, contrary to            
          petitioner’s contention, the entire pension is not taxable solely           
          to Col. Fulgham.  See Denbow v. Commissioner, supra.                        
               Under section 61(a), gross income includes all income from             
          whatever source derived, including pensions.  See sec. 61(a)(11).           
          Military retirement pay is a pension.  See Eatinger v.                      
          Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1990-310.  If a spouse of a member of              
          the Armed Forces has a vested interest in the community income,             
          then the spouse must pay tax on that share of the income.  See              
          Denbow v. Commissioner, supra.  Because the $10,095 share of                
          disposable retired pay received by petitioner was from a                    
          community property interest in a military pension, the payments             
          constitute income to petitioner under section 61(a)(11).  See               





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