2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 231">*231 Decision for Commissioner, in part, and for taxpayer, in part.
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION
LARO, Judge: Petitioner petitioned the Court to redetermine a $ 2,983 deficiency in his 1998 Federal income tax. Following concessions by respondent, we are left to decide:
1. Whether petitioner may deduct interest paid on his personal income tax liability. We hold he may not.
2. Whether petitioner may deduct charitable contributions claimed for expenditures made to his personal residence which were allocable to space used exclusively by a
3. Whether petitioner may deduct at the standard mileage rate his automobile expenses connected to the determination of his personal income tax liability. We hold he may.
Unless otherwise indicated, section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the years in issue. Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure. Dollar amounts are rounded.
FINDINGS OF FACT
Some facts were stipulated. The2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 231">*232 stipulated facts and the accompanying exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference. We find the stipulated facts accordingly. Petitioner resided in Los Angeles, California, when his petition was filed.
During 1998, petitioner resided in a single family residence (residence). The residence measured 2,085 square feet and was titled in the name of the Stussy Family Trust (Trust). Petitioner's father, Jan Stussy (Dean Stussy), was the Trust's beneficial owner up until his death on July 31, 1990. Dean Stussy was an active professional painter, and he was the Dean of the School of Art at the University of California at Los Angeles. 1 Dean Stussy resided in the residence until his death.
The Foundation is a
Pursuant to a "Deed of Gift and License" dated April 30, 1990, Dean Stussy made two gifts to the Foundation. The first gift was the Dean Stussy artwork. The second gift was a license to the exclusive use of four rooms (collectively, rooms) in the residence. The rooms, none of which during the subject year were used by petitioner for personal purposes, totaled 900 square feet. Petitioner was not entitled to collect from the Foundation any rent on the rooms, and the Foundation was liable for only the payment of insurance.
During 1998, petitioner paid the following expenses with respect to the residence: Insurance of $ 841, utilities of $ 1,729, homeowner's association dues of $ 30, pest control of $ 478, and repairs and maintenance of $ 1,704 (to replace a water heater, to clear brush2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 231">*234 around the perimeter of the residence, and to repair the furnace). Petitioner allocated these expenses to the Foundation using a percentage allocation and claimed a charitable contribution for the portion of the allocated expenses. Petitioner did not receive any written acknowledgment from the Foundation for any contributions purportedly made to the Foundation by petitioner during 1998. Nor did the Foundation report its receipt of any contributions during 1998.
During 1998, petitioner drove 275.1 miles for which he claims a miscellaneous itemized deduction at the standard mileage rate. The breakdown of these miles was: 165.5 miles for petitioner's copying and filing of his personal Federal and State income tax returns, 82.7 miles for petitioner's meetings with Internal Revenue Service personnel related to the examination of his personal income tax returns, 14.5 miles for petitioner's trip to the Santa Monica law library, and 12.4 miles for petitioner's copying of a document entitled "Response to AG of IRS Investigation".
Petitioner's 1998 Federal income tax return included 2 Schedules C, Profit or Loss From Business. One of these schedules was for petitioner's return preparation2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 231">*235 business. This Schedule C reported $ 550 of gross receipts and a net loss of $ 20. The other Schedule C listed the proprietor as "D. Stussy, as successor per
OPINION
1. Burden of Proof
The parties dispute who bears the burden of proof. We need not and do not decide that issue. The record is sufficient for us to decide this case on its merits.
2. Interest
Petitioner claims as a sole proprietorship expense a deduction for interest that he paid with respect to his personal Federal and State income taxes. Petitioner recognizes that the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the court to which this2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 231">*236 case is appealable, held in
We disagree with petitioner that the referenced regulations have expired under
3. Charitable Contributions
Petitioner argues that the expenses connected to the residence are deductible as charitable contributions to the extent that they benefited the Foundation. Respondent argues that petitioner may not deduct any of these expenses in that he does not have a written acknowledgment from the Foundation as to them.
We agree with respondent that none of the expenses are deductible given the absence of a written acknowledgment. Under
4. Mileage
Petitioner argues that he may deduct as a miscellaneous itemized deduction an amount for the 275.1 miles that he drove during the year in connection with the determination of his personal income tax liabilities. Respondent argues that all2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 231">*239 of this mileage is personal and, hence, nondeductible. Respondent also argues that the mileage was not incurred either in connection with the determination, collection, or refund of a tax, or as an ordinary and necessary expense related to the determination, collection, or refund of a tax. Yet, respondent does not dispute (and in fact has stipulated) that the 275.1 miles were driven for the purposes which we have described supra at p. 5.
We hold that petitioner may deduct all of the disputed mileage at the standard mileage rate.
Expenses paid or incurred by an individual in connection with
the determination, collection, or refund of any tax, whether the
taxing authority be Federal, State, or municipal, and whether
the tax be income, estate, gift, property, or any other tax, are
deductible. Thus, expenses paid or incurred by a taxpayer for
tax counsel or expenses2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 231">*240 paid or incurred in connection with the
preparation of his tax returns or in connection with any
proceedings involved in determining the extent of tax liability
or in contesting his tax liability are deductible.
Income Tax Regs.]
We find that all of the disputed mileage was an ordinary and necessary expense paid by petitioner during 1998 in connection with the determination of his Federal and State income taxes. 2 We conclude on the basis of this finding that the mileage is properly deductible as a miscellaneous itemized deduction under
2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 231">*241 Decision will be entered under
1. Dean Stussy painted more than 7,000 paintings.↩
2. Although the 165.5 miles which petitioner claims to have driven for the copying and filing of his personal income tax returns appear to be high considering that petitioner lived in a large metropolis, the parties have stipulated that petitioner incurred all of these miles for the "copying and filing of his personal federal and state income tax returns". Respondent does not claim that the amount of these miles is excessive.↩