Eugene Amos, Jr. - Page 9

                                        - 9 -                                         
          subtitle, gross income means all income from whatever source                
          derived".  Not only is section 61(a) broad in its scope, Commis-            
          sioner v. Schleier, 515 U.S. 323, 328 (1995), exclusions from               
          gross income must be narrowly construed, id.; United States v.              
          Burke, 504 U.S. 229, 248 (1992).                                            
               Section 104(a)(2) on which petitioner relies provides that             
          gross income does not include:                                              
                     (2) the amount of any damages (other than puni-                  
                tive damages) received (whether by suit or agreement                  
                and whether as lump sums or as periodic payments) on                  
                account of personal physical injuries 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 ex-                     
                cluded under � 104(a)(2).  First, the taxpayer must                   
                demonstrate that the underlying cause of action giv-                  
                ing 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.           





Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011