Estate of MacElhenny v. Commissioner – Claims against decedent didn’t reduce the estate’s value

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Abstract: The U.S. Tax Court recently ruled that an estate couldn’t deduct the value of two consent judgments entered against the decedent. This article explains why the U.S. Tax Court sided with the IRS, ruling that the judgments didn’t qualify as “bona fide” claims against the estate. A sidebar highlights the Tax Court’s rejection of the estate’s argument that entry by a state court makes judgments bona fide claims. Estate of MacElhenny v. Commissioner, Nos. 12981-19, 12982-19 (Tax Ct. March 15, 2023).