Jared R. and Naylene M. Nield - Page 12




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               injury or physical sickness. * * *                                     

               The regulations under section 104(a)(2) restate the statu-             
          tory language of that section and further provide:                          

               The term “damages received (whether by suit or agree-                  
               ment)” means an amount received (other than workmen’s                  
               compensation) through prosecution of a legal suit or                   
               action based upon tort or tort type rights, or through                 
               a settlement agreement entered into in lieu of such                    
               prosecution.  [Sec. 1.104-1(c), Income Tax Regs.]                      

               The Supreme Court summarized the requirements of section               
          104(a)(2) as follows:                                                       

                    In sum, the plain language of � 104(a)(2), the                    
               text of the applicable regulation, and our decision in                 
               Burke establish two independent requirements that a                    
               taxpayer must meet before a recovery may be excluded                   
               under � 104(a)(2).  First, the taxpayer must demon-                    
               strate that the underlying cause of action giving rise                 
               to the recovery is “based upon tort or tort type                       
               rights”; and second, the taxpayer must show that the                   
               damages were received “on account of personal injuries                 
               or sickness.” * * *  [Commissioner v. Schleier, supra                  
               at 336-337.]                                                           

               When the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Commissioner v.           
          Schleier, supra, section 104(a)(2), as in effect for the year at            
          issue in Schleier, required, inter alia, that, in order to be               
          excluded from gross income, an amount of damages had to be                  
          received “on account of personal injuries or sickness.”  After              
          the Supreme Court issued its opinion in Schleier, Congress                  
          amended (1996 amendment) section 104(a)(2), effective for amounts           
          received after August 20, 1996, by adding the requirement that,             






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