2001 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 115">*115 PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.
PANUTHOS, CHIEF SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE: This case was heard pursuant to the provisions of
Respondent determined deficiencies, additions to tax, and penalties in petitioner's 1995 and 1996 Federal income taxes as follows:
Addition to Tax Penalty
Year Deficiency
____ ___________ _______________ ____________
1995 $ 12,222 $ 378 $ 2,157
1996 13,809 2001 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 115">*116 1,209 1,798
The issues for decision are: (1) Whether a distribution in 1995 to petitioner from the individual retirement account (IRA) of petitioner's deceased father is taxable to petitioner; (2) whether petitioner is entitled to deductions for contributions in 1995 and 1996 to a simplified employer pension-individual retirement account (SEP); (3) whether petitioner is entitled to deductions for amounts paid for self-employed health insurance; (4) whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax for failure to file timely returns for 1995 and 1996 pursuant to
Some of the facts have been stipulated, and they are so found. The stipulation of facts and the attached exhibits are2001 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 115">*117 incorporated herein by this reference. At the time of filing the petition herein, petitioner resided in Fort Washington, Maryland.
During the years in issue petitioner was employed full- time as an engineer for Greenhorne & O'Mara, Inc. Petitioner received a bachelor of science degree in engineering and master's degrees in public policy and business. In 1995 petitioner accepted the position at Greenhorne & O'Mara, Inc., of Director of Marketing for Federal Land Development and Infrastructure.
In 1986 petitioner filed a certificate of incorporation for Synergetics Engineering Corp. (SEC). According to a business plan dated March 1988, the mission of SEC was as follows:
Synergetics has as its core mission to seek unique
profitable business opportunities in the technical services
market by focusing its total efforts on the high growth
environmental quality segments of the overall market. The
venture will always be market-driven, with primary attention to
client needs. The management team will always nurture a direct
personal relationship with each major client, within mutually
shared objectives of unquestioned2001 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 115">*118 long-term technical
reliability and uncompromised attention to long-term service
needs.
For the taxable year ending July 31, 1987, SEC filed a Form 1120S, U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation. The return reflects that petitioner, his wife, and other family members owned 100 percent of the shares of SEC. The return also reflected total income of $ 6,991, expenses of $ 9,313, and an ordinary loss of $ 2,322.
For the years in issue, no Forms 1120S were filed on behalf of SEC. The record is unclear to what extent SEC conducted any business during the years 1988 through 1994. Apparently during 1995 and 1996, petitioner, as a representative of SEC, contributed his services as a consulting engineer to nonprofit organizations such as Christian Fellowship Ministries. Neither SEC nor petitioner billed or received any money for such services. SEC did not receive taxable income during the years in issue, nor did SEC pay petitioner any sums as either salary or self-employment income during the years in issue.
Petitioner maintained an account at Charles Schwab titled in his name "UTA Charles Schwab & Co Inc, SEP-IRA DTD 11n2093". Contributions were made to the account2001 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 115">*119 in the amounts of $ 27,500 for 1995 and $ 30,000 for 1996. Petitioner also paid $ 3,079 and $ 4,570 for self-employed health insurance for 1995 and 1996.
Petitioner's father, Peter J. Spuler, Sr. (Mr. Spuler), died in 1995. During that year petitioner received a distribution in the amount of $ 10,906 from Mr. Spuler's estate representing petitioner's share of an IRA owned by Mr. Spuler and held by the South Jersey S&L Association. The record is unclear as to whether petitioner was listed as a beneficiary of the IRA and/or whether the distribution was paid directly to petitioner or passed through the estate. Mr. Spuler's will provided that his estate would be liable for all Federal, State, and other taxes arising from the transfer of property under the will.
Petitioner received automatic extensions to file his 1995 and 1996 Federal income tax returns. The due date of the 1995 and 1996 returns as extended were August 15, 1996, and August 15, 1997, respectively. Petitioner's 1995 and 1996 tax returns were received by respondent on August 21, 1996, and October 22, 1997, respectively.
Respondent mailed a notice of deficiency to petitioner on February 12, 1999. The notice determined that2001 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 115">*120 petitioner failed to report income of $ 10,906 in 1995 received as a distribution from Mr. Spuler's IRA. The notice also disallowed petitioner's deductions for contributions to a simplified employee pension plan and payments for self-employment health insurance, as petitioner failed to satisfy the requirements of each deduction. Respondent also determined that petitioner was liable for an addition to tax for failure to file a timely return under
After the trial of this case, the Court held a teleconference with the parties. The Court expressed concern over the inconclusive evidence regarding the IRA distribution. The Court provided petitioner an opportunity to submit additional documents regarding the IRA. We reopened the record and admitted into evidence a letter from petitioner and a copy of Mr. Spuler's will.
IRA DISTRIBUTION FROM MR. SPULER
Generally, any amount paid or distributed to a taxpayer from an IRA is included in gross income in the manner provided by
The parties agree that petitioner received $ 10,906 in 1995 from Mr. Spuler's IRA. Petitioner contends that Mr. Spuler had basis in the IRA for the following reason:
However, given the history of the contributions as made
subsequent to my father's retirement from his lifetime primary
employer, Public Service Gas & Electric, it is reasonable to
assume that they were non-deductible contributions. He was
earning minor wages working part-time during those years, and
would not have needed and or required deductible contributions.
We do not find petitioner's unsupported self-serving statement to be sufficient2001 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 115">*122 to support the assertion that the IRA included nondeductible contributions. See
Petitioner additionally argues that he is not liable for tax on the IRA distribution. Mr. Spuler's will provides that all Federal, State, and other death taxes associated with the transfer of property from his estate to his beneficiaries will be paid by his estate, and that none of the beneficiaries are liable for the taxes.
State law determines the legal rights and interests in property and transfers thereof. However, Federal law determines the manner and extent to which such rights and interests2001 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 115">*123 will be subjected to Federal tax. See
DEDUCTIONS FOR A SEP
A SEP plan is described in
SELF-EMPLOYED HEALTH INSURANCE DEDUCTIONS
ADDITIONS TO TAX FOR FAILURE TO FILE TIMELY UNDER
Petitioner's 1995 and 1996 Federal income tax returns were not timely filed. Petitioner does not assert, nor did he present any evidence, that the returns for the years in issue were received or mailed prior to the due date as extended.
ACCURACY RELATED PENALTIES UNDER
Based on this record, we conclude that petitioner is liable for the accuracy-related penalties under
Reviewed and adopted as the report of the Small Tax Case Division.
To reflect the foregoing,
Decision will be entered for respondent.
1. There are also adjustments to personal exemptions, itemized deductions, and the alternative minimum tax, which result from the above adjustments and are otherwise not in issue.↩
2. As a result of our conclusions, we need not consider whether petitioner had a basis in the IRA arising from nondeductible contributions made by his father.↩