No. 18-664

Cynthia Bauerly, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Revenue v. William Fielding, Trustee of the Reid and Ann MacDonald Irrevocable GST Trust for Maria V. MacDonald, et al.

Lower Court: Minnesota
Docketed: 2018-11-21
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Relisted (2)
Tags: conflict-of-laws constitutional-law due-process family-business income-tax income-taxation resident-trust resident-trusts state-taxation trustee-location
Key Terms:
DueProcess
Latest Conference: 2019-06-27 (distributed 2 times)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does the Due Process Clause prohibit states from imposing incomes taxes on statutory 'resident trusts' that have significant additional contacts with the state, but are administered by an out-of-state trustee?

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTION PRESENTED Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia classify trusts as residents throughout their existence if the grantor was domiciled in-state at the time the trust became irrevocable. A resident trust in these jurisdictions is subject to income taxation on capital gains and other income from intangibles such as interest and dividends. Deepening a conflict among the state high courts, however, the Minnesota Supreme Court held that the Due Process Clause prohibits Minnesota from applying its income tax to resident trusts that are administered by an out-of-state trustee. That is so, ruled the court, even though the trusts were funded by stock in a closely held family business headquartered in Minnesota; the capital gains being taxed resulted from the sale of stock in that Minnesota business; the trust documents were drafted and signed in Minnesota; the trust agreements incorporate Minnesota law; and one of the beneficiaries resides in Minnesota. The question presented is: Does the Due Process Clause prohibit states from imposing incomes taxes on statutory “resident trusts” that have significant additional contacts with the state, but are administered by an out-of-state trustee?

Docket Entries

2019-06-28
Petition DENIED.
2019-06-26
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 6/27/2019.
2019-02-06
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/22/2019.
2019-02-06
Letter of February 4, 2019, from counsel for petitioner received. (Distributed)
2019-02-04
Reply of petitioner Cynthia Bauerly, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Revenue filed.
2019-01-22
Brief of respondents William Fielding, Trustee, et al. in opposition filed.
2018-12-14
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including January 22, 2019.
2018-12-12
Motion to extend the time to file a response from December 21, 2018 to January 22, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
2018-11-15
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 21, 2018)
2018-10-04
Application (18A364) granted by Justice Gorsuch extending the time to file until November 15, 2018.
2018-10-02
Application (18A364) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from October 16, 2018 to November 15, 2018, submitted to Justice Gorsuch.

Attorneys

Cynthia Bauerly, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Revenue
John Mitchell O'MahoneyMinnesota Attorney General's Office, Petitioner
William Fielding, Trustee, et al.
Walter A. PickhardtFaegre Baker Daniels LLP, Respondent