MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION
MARVEL, Judge: Respondent determined additions to petitioner's Federal income tax for 1982 of $ 7,019.40 under
The issues for decision are: (1) Whether petitioner is liable for the additions to tax under
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*245 FINDINGS OF FACT
Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts is incorporated herein by this reference. Petitioner resided in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, when his petition in this case was filed.
The Plastics Recycling Transactions
This case is part of the Plastics Recycling group of cases. The additions to tax and interest arise from the disallowance of a loss, an investment credit, and an energy credit claimed by petitioner with respect to a partnership known as Madison Recycling Associates (Madison). 7 For a detailed discussion of the transactions involved in the Plastics Recycling cases, see
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*246 In a series of simultaneous transactions, Plastics Industries Group, Inc. (PI), sold 8 four Sentinel EPS Recyclers 9 (recyclers) to Ethynol Cogeneration, Inc. (ECI), for $ 1,520,000 each. ECI paid for the recyclers with $ 481,000 cash and a 12-year nonrecourse promissory note in the amount of $ 5,599,000, which was secured by a lien on the four recyclers.
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*247 ECI simultaneously resold the four recyclers to F&G Equipment Corp. (F&G) for $ 1,750,000 each. F&G paid for the recyclers with $ 553,000 cash and a 12-year promissory note in the amount of $ 6,447,000, 80 percent of which was nonrecourse. The nonrecourse portion of the note was senior to the recourse portion, and the note was secured by a second lien on the four recyclers.
F&G simultaneously leased the four recyclers to Madison, and Madison simultaneously entered into a joint venture agreement with PI and Resin Recyclers, Inc. (RRI), to place the recyclers with end users. Under the joint venture agreement, which was to last 9-1/2 years, Madison received a fixed, monthly joint venture fee equal to the monthly lease payment made to F&G. The fixed monthly joint venture fee also equaled the payments both F&G and ECI were obligated to make under their respective promissory notes. In connection with these arrangements, PI, ECI, F&G, RRI, and Madison entered into offset agreements so that the foregoing payments were bookkeeping entries only and were never in fact paid. 10
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*248 Petitioner's Education and Professional Experience
In 1957, petitioner graduated from the University of Melbourne with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. Petitioner worked for 2 years at Imperial Chemical Industries (Imperial) in Australia and New Zealand as a research post engineer. Petitioner worked on recycling and waste treatment projects while at Imperial; his first project there involved experimental work regarding the waste treatment of an aqueous wetland stream from a chemical plant. Petitioner also participated in projects at Imperial that involved the treatment of internal streams for recycling.
In 1964, petitioner received a master's degree and a Ph. D. degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). While at MIT, petitioner worked intermittently for Monsanto Research Corp. (Monsanto) in Everett, Massachusetts. At Monsanto, petitioner performed experimental work on the treatment of waste products from a polyphenol process 11 and created cost estimates relating to the waste treatment project.
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*249 After graduating from MIT, petitioner worked for the Scientific Design Corp. (SDC), a subsidiary of The Halcon SD Group, Inc. (Halcon), for 22 years. Petitioner worked as a research engineer while at SDC, and his duties included performing experimental work, evaluating the experimental work, using the evaluations for preliminary design plans, and determining preliminary investment costs and operation costs. When valuing equipment for SDC, petitioner initially sketched out a general outline of what equipment he thought would be required for a project and its installation costs, guessing at the cost. If the project appeared viable, petitioner used cost estimators whose job it was to develop a more detailed cost picture and to refine the cost estimates. During 1982, petitioner was SDC's president of research and development.
While at SDC, petitioner participated in a joint venture with Arco Chemical Co. (Arco), called Opstrand Corp. (Opstrand). The venture was based on petitioner's first project at SDC and was dependent on internal recycling. The nature of the recycle stream was relevant to the economics of the project. The recycling process oxidized ethylbenzene and propylene to produce2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*250 propylene oxide as the main product, and dehydrogenated methybenzyl alcohol to produce styrene, the monomer of polystyrene, as a secondary product. SDC performed most of the technical work for the Opstrand venture, and Arco was responsible for the financing.
Petitioner's Investment History
Before 1980, petitioner's investment portfolio consisted of stocks and bonds. In 1980, petitioner became a client of Marcus V. Cole (Mr. Cole), a financial adviser for Merrill Lynch. In 1980, petitioner also purchased rental property on Hilton Head Island.
Petitioner's income increased significantly from 1980 to 1981 because of a $ 1 million bonus. After he received the $ 1 million bonus, petitioner diversified his investments. During 1981, petitioner invested in several limited partnerships, including at least three oil and gas partnerships. Petitioner received documents related to the oil and gas investments, but he did not have anyone else review them. During 1981, petitioner also invested in a bus rental activity. Petitioner incurred losses as a result of the oil and gas investments and the bus and property rental activities.
Petitioner's Introduction to Madison
In 1982, petitioner continued2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*251 to be employed by and receive wages from Halcon. During 1982, petitioner knew that his income for that year would be substantial.
Also during 1982, Mr. Cole joined the staff of Hamilton Gregg & Co. (HG&C), a personal financial planning firm. After joining HG&C, Mr. Cole proposed the Madison investment to petitioner in part because Mr. Cole thought it would appeal to petitioner given his background.
On or about December 6, 1982, petitioner became a client of HG&C. Hamilton S. Gregg II was the chairman and chief executive officer of HG&C. Hamilton Gregg Securities Corp. (HGSC), an SEC registered broker/dealer, and Hamilton Gregg Capital Corp. (HGCC), an SEC registered investment adviser, were affiliated with HG&C. 12 Mr. Cole was petitioner's financial adviser and primary contact person at HG&C during 1982.
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*252 The Private Offering Memorandum
On or about November 24, 1982, petitioner received Madison's private offering memorandum (POM) and an accompanying cover memorandum from Mr. Cole. The POM informed potential investors that Madison's business would be conducted in accordance with the plastics recycling transactions described above. The POM also stated that
The [partnership] Units are being offered through * * * [HGSC]
as Placement Agent on a best efforts basis. * * * [HGSC] will be
paid a selling commission equal to 10% of the per Unit offering
price for each Unit sold. This selling commission may also be
paid to other qualified broker-dealers as selling agents for
each Unit sold by them.
Additionally, the POM listed significant business and tax risk factors associated with an investment in Madison. Specifically, the POM warned: (1) There was a substantial likelihood of an audit by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); (2) the IRS may challenge the purchase price of the recyclers to be paid by F&G to ECI as being in excess of the recyclers' fair market value; (3) the partnership had a limited operating history; (4) the general2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*253 partner had limited experience in marketing recycling or similar equipment; (5) the limited partners would have no control over the conduct of the partnership's business; (6) there was no established market for the recyclers and they had no history of commercial use; (7) patent protection would not be sought for the recyclers; (8) there were no assurances that market prices for virgin resin would remain at then- current prices per pound or that the recycled pellets would be as marketable as virgin resin pellets; and (9) certain potential conflicts of interest existed. The POM also stated on its first page that "THIS OFFERING INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK" and repeatedly urged potential investors to seek independent advice and counsel before investing in Madison.
The POM stated that the projected tax benefits for the initial year of investment for an investor contributing $ 50,000 would include investment and energy tax credits in the aggregate amount of $ 77,000, plus tax deductions in the amount of $ 38,610. The POM also stated that, assuming each recycler processed an average of 1,872,000 pounds of polystyrene scrap per year and the market price of virgin pellets increased approximately2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*254 11 percent annually over the term of the venture, the net projected profits to the partnership through 1992 would equal $ 2,873,144. 13
The POM included a marketing report by Stanley Ulanoff (Mr. Ulanoff), a marketing consultant and professor, and a technical opinion by Samuel Z. Burstein, a mathematics professor. The POM also included a tax opinion by the law firm of Boylan & Evans concerning the tax issues involved in the plastics recycling program (general partner opinion). The general partner opinion was addressed to Richard Roberts (Mr. Roberts), the general partner of Madison, and stated that it was intended for Mr. 2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*255 Roberts's "own individual guidance and for the purpose of assisting prospective purchasers and their tax advisors in making their own analysis, and no prospective purchaser is entitled to rely upon this letter." The general partner opinion also warned that the projected investment and energy credits would be reduced or eliminated if the partnership could not demonstrate that the price paid for the recyclers approximated their fair market value. The general partner opinion did not purport to rely on any independent confirmation of the fair market value of the recyclers, however. Instead, the opinion relied on Mr. Ulanoff's conclusion that the purchase price to be paid by F&G was reasonable and on representations by PI, ECI, F&G, and Madison that the prices paid by ECI and F&G and the terms of the lease were negotiated at arm's length. The opinion concluded that the basis upon which the partnership's aggregate investment and energy tax credits would be computed would equal the price F&G paid for the recyclers. The opinion was not signed.
Mr. Cole's cover letter specifically directed petitioner's attention to the section of the POM entitled "Tax Benefits" and to the Boylan & Evans opinion. 2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*256 The cover letter also informed petitioner that HGSC had received an additional opinion from Boylan & Evans on behalf of the limited partners (limited partner opinion) that would be available upon request after the closing of the partnership and that Madison's general partner would reimburse HGSC for the expense incurred in obtaining the opinion. Correspondingly, the POM estimated that Madison would use $ 45,000 of the offering proceeds to reimburse HGSC for legal fees. 14
Petitioner read both the cover letter and the POM. Petitioner did not show the POM to his tax return preparer because he considered HG&C to be his tax adviser and because HG&C went over the POM and sought a legal opinion regarding the investment. Petitioner was aware at that time, however, that HG&C did not have a background in chemical engineering. Petitioner was also aware that Mr. Cole2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*257 was neither a plastics recycling expert nor a chemical engineering expert and that Mr. Cole did not have the knowledge required to assess the accuracy of the financial projections contained in the POM.
On November 30, 1982, petitioner signed MADISON RECYCLING ASSOCIATES SUBSCRIPTION AGREEMENT AND PURCHASER SUITABILITY REPRESENTATIONS (agreement), agreeing to purchase 1-1/2 units of Madison for $ 75,000. Petitioner was aware of the risks addressed in the POM when he signed the agreement. Petitioner was also aware that if he invested in Madison, he would receive tax benefits greater than the amount of his investment.
Petitioner's Investigation of Madison
In addition to reading the POM and cover letter, petitioner performed an economic analysis, using information in the POM, to determine whether it was reasonable for him to invest in Madison. Petitioner calculated the potential return on the investment to both Madison and himself, as well as the financial incentives of the other companies involved in the venture to participate in the investment. Petitioner also calculated the expenses he believed end users would save by disposing of polystyrene foam using Madison rather than transporting2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*258 the foam by truck. Petitioner concluded that there would be a good return for all of the parties he considered, and he hoped for an 18-percent return on his investment. Although petitioner had no expertise in marketing plastics or the recycled resin pellets Madison was supposed to produce, he performed the calculations regarding the investment himself because he believed he could address them better than most people.
Petitioner also attempted to analyze the value of the recyclers because he initially felt that the $ 1.5 million cost per recycler did not make sense. However, he found it difficult to determine the value of the actual recyclers. After looking at the design of the equipment and the process as a whole, however, petitioner believed that the cost of $ 1.5 million per recycler was reasonable. Petitioner also believed that the relationship between the annual rental cost and the value of the recyclers contained in the POM was reasonable because the relationship resembled that in his bus investment. Petitioner did not visit PI or observe a recycler in action before investing in Madison. 15
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*259 In making his calculations, petitioner testified that he did not rely solely on the figures in the POM. Petitioner took what he believed to be a more conservative discount for the "virgin material" and used more conservative estimates for the price of polystyrene and the projected return on the investment. Petitioner believed there was a direct relationship between the price of oil and the price of polystyrene and its components, and he consulted various sources regarding the price of crude oil, polystyrene, and related products. Additionally, petitioner contacted Madison's general partner, Mr. Roberts, about the partnership. Petitioner asked Mr. Roberts about the investment generally, the basis for the polystyrene forecasts contained in the POM, the history of the equipment, and whether and how the equipment was running. Petitioner never spoke with an expert in plastic recycling either before or after he made his investment, however, because he felt he had a better understanding than most regarding the technology of styrene, polystyrene, and recycling.
In performing his research, petitioner considered that Madison had no operating history, and he was aware that the POM stated that2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*260 "[PI] has no experience in the manufacturing and operation of the Sentinel EPS Recyclers, nor does RRI or PI have any experience in using or selling the resin pellets resulting from the second stage of recycling." Mr. Roberts informed petitioner, however, that, contrary to the statements in the POM, PI had been running the recyclers for some time.
Petitioner did not seek independent legal advice regarding Madison between November 24, 1982, the date he received the POM, and November 30, 1982, the date he invested in Madison. Petitioner did request, however, a copy of the limited partner opinion referenced in the HG&C cover letter accompanying the POM. Petitioner received the limited partner opinion sometime after December 21, 1982, the date Mr. Roberts countersigned the agreement, and after petitioner had tendered his money for the investment. The limited partner opinion was nearly identical to the general partner opinion. The only differences were that the limited partner opinion was addressed to the limited partners rather than the general partner, contained no statement that the limited partners could not rely on the opinion, included a section on the impact of the investment2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*261 on State and local taxes, and was signed by Boylan & Evans. Petitioner believed Boylan & Evans worked for Madison at the time it issued the limited partner opinion. Petitioner reviewed the limited partner opinion before he filed his 1982 tax return, compared it to the general partner opinion, and relied on its assessment of the risks described in the POM.
On or around January 12, 1983, petitioner received a letter from Mr. Roberts confirming the close of the partnership on December 21, 1982, and transmitting an executed copy of petitioner's subscription agreement.
Petitioner's Monitoring of the Madison Investment
On or around March 9, 1983, petitioner received a Financial Planning Report (report) and corresponding cover letter prepared by HG&C. Petitioner reviewed the cover letter and report. The report informed petitioner that he had invested $ 850,000 in "limited partnerships with tax advantages" and, among other things, the report promoted HGSC and participation in "tax-sheltered investments". The report further informed petitioner that if he invested in a tax sheltered investment,
[HGSC] will receive a commission on the sale. Also, because
[HGSC] is an2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*262 affiliate of our organization, we cannot act as
your offeree representative. You should seek guidance from a tax
attorney or CPA who is qualified to give you advice in this
matter.
The report also notified petitioner that HG&C would "endeavor to keep * * * [him] informed of developments as they occur with Madison Recycling" so that petitioner believed HG&C would alert him if something went wrong with the Madison investment.
After the spring of 1983, petitioner received documents from Madison, including reports from RRI on how many pounds of polystyrene were bought, processed, and sold. To monitor his investment, petitioner kept in touch with HG&C and read the reports. From the spring of 1983 through 1987, however, petitioner took no action regarding his investment, even though Madison was performing poorly.
Madison's and Petitioner's Tax Returns
On March 14, 1983, Madison filed its Form 1065, U.S. Partnership Return of Income, for 1982. Madison reported that the four recyclers had an aggregate basis of $ 7 million, or $ 1,750,000 each, for purposes of investment and energy tax credits. Madison also reported a net ordinary loss of $ 704,111. Petitioner's2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*263 allocable share of the bases, credits, and losses was passed through to him and reported on a Schedule K-1, Partner's Share of Income, Credits, Deductions, etc. -- 1982.
Petitioner received his Schedule K-1 from Mr. Roberts on or around February 1, 1983. Petitioner reviewed the Schedule K-1 and provided it to his tax return preparer, who did not question the Schedule K-1 or the Madison investment when preparing petitioner's return. Petitioner reviewed and signed his Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, for 1982, which was filed with respondent on May 6, 1983.
On his 1982 return, petitioner reported gross income of $ 317,784, which was derived from $ 567,723 of wages, dividends, interest, and other income, a $ 24,961 loss from the bus rental activity, a $ 30,010 loss from his Hilton Head rental activity, $ 131,876 of losses from his oil and gas partnerships, and a $ 58,089 loss from Madison. Petitioner also claimed a $ 116,492 investment credit, which consisted of a $ 59,835 regular investment credit and a $ 56,657 business energy investment credit, and he reported a $ 577,500 basis in the recyclers as qualified investment property. Due to his losses and credits, petitioner's2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*264 tax was reduced to $ 3,198, and he reported an overpayment of $ 92,970. Petitioner received a corresponding refund.
Respondent's Examination of Madison
On or about February 19, 1985, respondent issued to Mr. Roberts, as Madison's tax matters partner, a Notice of the Beginning of an Administrative Proceeding at the Partnership Level With Respect to Partnership Items (NBAP), which stated that the IRS was commencing an examination of partnership items reported on Madison's 1982 return. Shortly thereafter, petitioner received a copy of the NBAP from Mr. Roberts. Petitioner also received a letter from Mr. Roberts informing him that Madison would keep him advised of all pertinent developments regarding the audit and related matters. Petitioner showed the letter to his tax return preparer.
On December 24, 1987, respondent issued to Madison a Notice of Final Partnership Administrative Adjustment (FPAA) for 1982 and 1983. Petitioner received a copy of the FPAA.
In the FPAA, respondent adjusted both the investment tax credit and business energy investment credit property basis from the $ 7 million Madison had reported to zero and explained that "The investment tax credit and the business2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*265 energy investment credit in the amount of $ 7,000,000.00 for the year 1982 is disallowed because you have not established the amount, if any, of qualified investment and the extent, if any, of entitlement to the credit." In the Explanation of Partnership Adjustments accompanying the FPAA, respondent further explained:
All items of income, loss deductions and credits reported with
respect to your equipment leasing activities for the years 1982
and 1983 are disallowed. For purposes of federal income taxation
you cannot be considered the owner or lessee of the equipment
with respect to which said items of income, loss, deductions and
credits are reported because, after examination of all of the
facts and circumstances, you are found not to have incurred the
benefits and burdens of ownership or lease of the equipment or
to have made, in substance, a true economic investment in the
equipment. The transactions entered into with respect to you
[sic] nominal equipment leasing activities were either shams or
devoid of the substance necessary for recognition for federal
income tax purposes, 2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*266 and the transactions were not, in
substance, true leases.
Respondent also explained that the partnership's tax benefits were disallowed because the partnership (1) did not engage in or conduct for profit the activity of the acquisition of and transfer of right in the recyclers, (2) failed to substantiate its deductions, and (3) failed to show that the deductions were incurred, constituted ordinary and necessary business expenses, were properly paid or accrued, or were deductible in the year claimed. Respondent also stated that, because the liabilities to which the recyclers were subject were "nonrecourse, contingent and lacking in true economic substance, they cannot be considered a component of the value of the equipment" for purposes of computing tax credits or the value of the equipment for any other reason.
An attachment entitled "INFORMATION REGARDING ADDITIONS TO TAX" was also included with the FPAA. The attachment referenced
Petitioner's2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*267 Post-FPAA Activities
In late 1987 or early 1988, after respondent had issued the FPAA, petitioner performed an analysis of the economics of the Madison investment. Petitioner also sought out other Madison partners and contacted approximately 30 companies to assess the relevant market. Additionally, petitioner contacted PI regarding the investment, went to look at the recyclers, proposed changes to Madison's original business plan, and spent approximately 2 months attempting to have the recyclers at PI placed with end users. However, petitioner discontinued his efforts to resurrect Madison because PI was uncooperative.
The Partnership Litigation
On May 17, 1988, a partner other than Madison's tax matters partner filed a petition in this Court (docket No. 10601-88) to challenge the determinations made in the FPAA. On April 9, 2001, we filed an opinion in docket No. 10601-88, see
Respondent's Affected Items Adjustments
On October 6, 2003, respondent issued a notice of deficiency (notice) for 1982 to petitioner. Respondent determined that petitioner was liable for additions to tax under
On December 29, 2003, petitioner's petition disputing respondent's adjustments, denying that petitioner had acted negligently in the preparation of his tax return or in the valuation of the assets on the underlying return, and denying that he had engaged in a tax-motivated transaction was filed. The resulting case was tried on September 9, 2004, and both parties submitted post-trial briefs.
OPINION
We have decided many Plastics Recycling cases. Most of these cases, like the present case, raised issues regarding additions to tax for negligence and valuation overstatement. See, e.g.,
In
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*272 A.
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*273 Negligence is defined as the failure to exercise the due care that a reasonable and ordinarily prudent person would exercise under the circumstances. See
A taxpayer may avoid liability for the addition to tax for negligence under
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*275 A taxpayer's reliance on representations by insiders, promoters, or offering materials is not sufficient to establish that a taxpayer reasonably relied on competent professional advice.
Petitioner contends that he acted with due care and did not fail to do what a reasonable or ordinarily prudent person would do under the circumstances because: (1) His background was in the fields necessary2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*276 for him to have conducted a thorough analysis of the scientific and economic merits of the investment, and he conducted such an analysis; (2) he relied on his tax return preparer, HG&C, and Boylan & Evans; and (3) he invested in Madison primarily to earn a profit and only secondarily for its tax benefits. Petitioner also contends that respondent's determination of negligence is not entitled to a presumption of correctness in this case and that petitioner, therefore, should not bear the burden of proof on the issue of negligence.
1. Petitioner's Burden of Proof Argument
Petitioner contends that because the inquiry into an individual's negligence is highly individualized and turns on the surrounding circumstances, respondent's determination should not be entitled to a presumption of correctness "if he has not made any inquiry into those individualized circumstances before asserting the penalty". Petitioner also contends that respondent should bear the burden of proof on the issue. Petitioner concedes, however, that
It is well established that a determination of negligence by the2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*277 Commissioner is entitled to a presumption of correctness and that the burden is on the taxpayer to establish that the Commissioner's determination is incorrect. See, e.g.,
2. Petitioner's Reasonableness Argument
a. Petitioner's Analysis of Madison
Petitioner contends that he exercised the due care of a reasonable and ordinarily prudent person by performing a scientific and economic analysis of Madison. Petitioner supports his contention by arguing that his reasonableness is evidenced by his review of the POM, his review of Government and2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*278 private sector publications that predicted oil prices would continue to rise, his analysis of the incentives for the parties to the venture, and his projected 18- percent return for himself over the life of the venture. Petitioner, however, has failed to establish that he gave due consideration to the numerous caveats and warnings in the POM, that he was qualified to value the recyclers and related equipment, or that he otherwise acted reasonably in performing his analysis of Madison.
In determining that Madison was an economically viable investment, there is no evidence that petitioner considered Mr. Roberts's lack of relevant experience, the lack of market and patent protection for the recyclers, or the uncertainty of future virgin resin prices and the marketability of recycled pellets. Petitioner also ignored the inconsistency between the POM's warnings that PI had no experience in manufacturing or operating the recyclers and Mr. Roberts's statement that PI had been running the recyclers for some time. Although this inconsistency should have alerted petitioner that further investigation was warranted, he did not investigate further. Petitioner also failed to show that his efforts2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*279 to evaluate the economics of the Madison transaction were reasonable or that he relied on reasonable assumptions. 21 An examination of petitioner's arguments in relationship to the record in this case demonstrates why.
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*280 Although petitioner testified that, in addition to his reliance on the POM, he made his own more "conservative estimates" in performing his economic analysis, he provided no explanation of how he arrived at these estimates. We are unable to determine from the record whether petitioner's estimates were reasonable under the circumstances.
Petitioner also argues that the cost per recycler was reasonable based on his examination of the recyclers' design and "the process as a whole". However, petitioner did not visit PI, he did not inspect a recycler, and he did not observe the recycling process before making his investment in Madison or filing his 1982 return. Although petitioner claimed that he requested a copy of the recycler manual, petitioner did not introduce any evidence that he actually received or reviewed the manual before making his investment. Petitioner also admitted he had difficulty ascertaining the actual value of the recycler. Even if we accept petitioner's assertion that he had the requisite education and experience to conduct a reasonable evaluation of the Madison recyclers and the recyling process, petitioner has not established that he had the factual information2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*281 necessary to evaluate the recyclers' design or the merits of the recycling process as a whole.
Petitioner's argument is also based on a faulty premise. In
Finally, petitioner failed to prove that his reliance on his bus rental activity, another investment that was reaping large tax benefits for petitioner, to validate his Madison investment was reasonable. Petitioner did not introduce any evidence to establish that there was any legitimate economic or legal reason for comparing the two investments, that he had adequately and reasonably investigated the2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*282 bus rental activity before investing in it, or that the bus investment had itself withstood scrutiny by respondent.
Although petitioner is a highly educated man with substantial experience in chemical engineering, petitioner did not exercise the kind of due diligence that a reasonable and prudent person with his education and experience should have exercised under the circumstances. He did not visit or inspect the recyclers, he did not observe and evaluate the recycling process, he did not obtain a professional appraisal of the value of the recyclers even though he had doubts about their value, and he did not obtain an independent evaluation of the tax aspects of the Madison transactions despite the warnings contained in the POM. Consequently, we conclude that petitioner's investigation of the Madison investment was not reasonable.
b. Petitioner's Reliance on Advisers
Petitioner also contends that he acted reasonably, in part, because (1) he heeded the warnings in the POM and delegated his tax return preparation to his longstanding tax return preparer, (2) he relied on HG&C to monitor his investment, and (3) he requested and reviewed the Boylan & Evans limited2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*283 partner opinion. Petitioner argues that "Not one of these three professionals ever advised Petitioner that anything was amiss. * * * What more could a reasonable and prudent person, not versed in tax law, do to fulfill his duty to the Commissioner? Infallibility is not required." We are not persuaded that petitioner's reliance was reasonable.
i. Petitioner's Tax Return Preparer
The warnings about the potential for an audit and the promises of large tax benefits contained in the POM should have caused a prudent investor to question the legitimacy of the promised tax benefits. Petitioner, however, did not provide his tax return preparer with a copy of the POM or ask him to evaluate the Madison investment before petitioner invested in it. Petitioner nevertheless argues that relying on his return preparer was reasonable because petitioner provided him with Madison's Schedule K-1 and because petitioner's return preparer prepared petitioner's 1982 return using the Schedule K-1 without questioning the investment. Petitioner's argument does not persuade us.
Petitioner admitted that he did not give the POM to his return preparer, and he did not ask his return preparer2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*284 to evaluate the Madison investment before he made it. These facts alone are enough to reject petitioner's argument. Petitioner also failed to present any evidence that the return preparer had the necessary experience, training, or information to evaluate the Madison investment, even if petitioner had asked him to perform an evaluation. Petitioner has not carried his burden of proving that his claimed reliance on his return preparer was credible or reasonable.
ii. HG&C
Petitioner contends that he did not provide the POM to his tax return preparer because he believed HG&C was his tax adviser and because HG&C went over the POM in detail and obtained the Boylan & Evans limited partner opinion. Petitioner's reliance on HG&C was not reasonable, however, because he knew that HG&C had no background in plastics recycling technology and that Mr. Cole, his primary contact at HG&C, not only lacked expertise in plastics recycling technology but also lacked the knowledge necessary to assess the accuracy of the financial projections contained in the POM.
Petitioner's claimed reliance on HG&C was also unreasonable because petitioner should have known HG&C had a conflict2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*285 of interest in advising petitioner to invest in Madison. On November 24, 1982, petitioner received Madison's POM from Mr. Cole, an HG&C employee. The POM informed petitioner that HGSC and any other qualified broker- dealer would receive a 10-percent commission for Madison units sold by them. On or around December 6, 1982, petitioner became a client of HG&C, and HG&C informed petitioner that it was affiliated with HGSC, that it relied on HGSC in providing investment advice, and that the two entities shared some principals and employees. On or around March 9, 1983, HG&C provided petitioner with a report that promoted the use of HGSC and tax-sheltered investments and informed petitioner that HGSC would receive a commission if petitioner participated in a tax- sheltered investment.
Petitioner's claimed reliance on HG&C was neither credible nor reasonable.
iii. Boylan & Evans
Petitioner also claims he reasonably relied on the Boylan & Evans limited partner opinion. However, petitioner admitted that he believed Boylan & Evans worked for Madison when it issued the opinion. Furthermore, the limited partner opinion prepared by Boylan & Evans made clear that Boylan2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*286 & Evans had not independently investigated the Madison transactions. These facts should have alerted petitioner that the limited partner opinion was more like offering material than independent advice and that it was unreasonable to rely on the limited partner opinion in claiming Madison-related tax benefits.
An additional reason to reject petitioner's claim of reliance is that petitioner did not receive the limited partner opinion until after he had already invested in the Madison partnership. Although petitioner had read the general partner opinion contained in the POM, the opinion clearly stated that no one but the general partner could rely on it. Petitioner could not have relied on the limited partner opinion in deciding to invest in the Madison partnership because he did not see it until after he had invested.
c. Profit Motive
Petitioner also contends that he acted reasonably in investing in Madison because he intended to make a profit from his investment and considered the tax benefits secondary. Petitioner supports this contention by arguing that he (1) lacked employment security, (2) had other energy-related investments, (3) "did not know his tax status" 2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*287 until his return was complete in May 1983, (4) did not use the investment to carry back losses and credits to prior tax years, and (5) attempted to monitor and resurrect the investment. Again, we must reject petitioner's argument.
We find it incredible that someone with petitioner's education and experience would rely on an investment in Madison to ease immediate employment concerns. Madison did not offer sufficient cashflow to petitioner to operate as a substitute for petitioner's salary, even if the representations in the POM were accepted at face value.
We also find incredible petitioner's claim that he did not know his "tax status" before he invested in Madison. Even if petitioner was unaware of the exact amount of his 1982 tax liability when he invested in Madison, he admitted at trial that he knew his income from Halcon in 1982 would be substantial. A person with petitioner's education and experience who knew his 1982 income would be substantial would certainly have reason to believe that he was facing a significant tax liability for 1982.
Petitioner's argument that his choice not to invest more than $ 75,000 in Madison demonstrates a secondary concern about tax benefits also2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*288 defies logic. Claiming large tax benefits rather than even larger tax benefits does not evidence a profit motive. Furthermore, if petitioner truly had a profit motive, the argument could just as easily be made that he would have invested a larger amount in Madison to get a larger profit.
Finally, petitioner's attempts to monitor and salvage his Madison investment do not demonstrate that petitioner made his investment in Madison primarily to make a profit. His attempts are consistent with a concern about losing his $ 75,000 investment but do not disprove a concern about tax benefits.
d. Conclusion
When petitioner filed his 1982 return, he had some investment experience and the knowledge and experience associated with a successful career as a chemical engineer. However, petitioner has failed to establish that he reasonably investigated or analyzed Madison, or that he reasonably relied on competent and informed professional advice in deciding to invest in Madison and in claiming Madison's tax benefits on his 1982 return. We hold, therefore, that petitioner is liable for the
B.
Under
Petitioner claimed an investment tax credit based on a purported basis in the recyclers of $ 577,500, petitioner's allocable share of Madison's purported $ 7 million basis in the recyclers. In the FPAA, however, respondent determined that Madison's actual basis in the recyclers was zero, in part because Madison was a sham and lacked economic substance. Respondent adjusted petitioner's return in accordance with Madison's examination results, 2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*290 reducing both his basis of $ 577,500 in the recyclers to zero and his Madison-related credits to zero. If the disallowance of petitioner's claimed tax benefits is attributable to the valuation overstatement of his basis in the recyclers, he is liable for the
Petitioner contends that
1. The Grounds for Petitioner's Underpayments
Petitioner contends that the
In Heasley, the taxpayers had not graduated from high school (although one of the taxpayers had earned a G.E.D.), held blue collar jobs, and had no significant investment experience.
On appeal, the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit held that the taxpayers were not subject to the
On facts similar to the facts in this case, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the court to which this case is appealable, has distinguished
In arriving at its decision, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit relied on
Where a transaction is not respected for lack of economic
substance, the resulting underpayment is attributable to the
implicit overvaluation. A transaction that lacks economic
substance generally reflects an arrangement in which the basis
of the property was misvalued in the context of the transaction.
While this interpretation of underpayment "attributable to a
valuation overstatement" represents a less common application of
representations that Congress intended to penalize.
The Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reasoned that the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit's decision in Heasley was based on "understandable sympathy" for the Heasleys and highlighted the facts that the Heasleys were blue-collar workers without a high school education who relied completely on an investment adviser out of concern for their family's future and awareness that they were not knowledgeable enough to invest on their own.
In this case, respondent reduced petitioner's reported basis in his investment property, the recyclers, from $ 577,500 to zero so that the corresponding credits he had claimed were also reduced to zero. Petitioner's basis was reduced to zero in accordance with respondent's determination at the partnership level that Madison's basis in the recyclers was zero because Madison had not incurred the benefits and burdens of ownership of the recyclers, it had not made a true economic investment in the recyclers, the liabilities to which the recyclers were subject lacked economic substance and could not be considered a cost of the equipment, and the recycler leasing activities were shams without economic substance. The underpayment in this case thus flows from respondent's determination at the partnership level that Madison did not have an economic investment2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*298 in the recyclers, a determination petitioner may not challenge here.
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*299 A determination of whether
2.
Under
Respondent contends that petitioner may not challenge the
Petitioner has failed to persuade us that he requested a waiver before trial as he alleges. Petitioner did not request a waiver in his petition, nor did he allege that he had requested a waiver or that he had reasonable cause for the valuation of the partnership's assets claimed on his return. Petitioner did not introduce any evidence at trial to prove that he had requested a waiver or that he submitted any information to respondent in support of a waiver. See, e.g.,
Because petitioner's underpayment is the result of an overvaluation of more than 250 percent and because petitioner did not prove that he requested a waiver of the
C.
Petitioner contends that he should not be held liable for the increased interest rate under
1. Affected Item Jurisdiction
An affected item is any "item to the extent such item is affected by a partnership item."
Additional interest is an affected item that requires a partner- level determination.
In
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*307 Petitioner is in the same procedural posture as the taxpayer in White, and our holding in
2.
In the case of any proceeding in the Tax Court for a
redetermination of deficiency, the Tax Court shall also have
jurisdiction to determine the portion (if any) of such
deficiency which is a substantial underpayment attributable to
tax motivated transactions.
The Tax Court, therefore, has jurisdiction in a deficiency proceeding to determine the portion of such deficiency that is a substantial underpayment attributable to tax-motivated transactions. The language "such deficiency" refers to the deficiency that the Court is redetermining.
In
2005 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 243">*309 In this case, the only items at issue other than additional interest are additions to tax, and the additions to tax are imposed by subtitle F, not subtitle A. No portion of the deficiency involves an underpayment of tax imposed by subtitle A. Because no portion of the deficiency before the Court is attributable to tax imposed by subtitle A, no portion of the deficiency before the Court can be a substantial underpayment attributable to tax-motivated transactions.
We have carefully considered all remaining arguments by the parties for results contrary to those expressed herein and, to the extent not discussed above, conclude that those arguments are without merit.
To reflect the foregoing,
Decision will be entered for respondent.
1. All section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the year in issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
2. Respondent concedes that the notice of deficiency incorrectly refers to
3.
4.
5. In this opinion, the term "additional interest" means the interest prescribed by
6. Petitioner also claimed in his petition that "The deficiencies as determined by the Commissioner are in income taxes for the calendar year 1982 in the amount of $ 140,388.00 of which at least $ 37,500.00 are in dispute." The $ 140,388, however, represents petitioner's allocable share of the adjustments respondent made to the items on Madison Recycling Associates' (Madison) Federal income tax return for 1982, and the notice of deficiency reflects only additions to tax under
Petitioner also claimed in his petition that respondent did not issue the required notices in connection with the partnership-level proceeding. See
7. Madison was formed on Oct. 1, 1982, by Richard Roberts (Mr. Roberts), as general partner, and Denise Sausa, as limited partner, and sold 18 limited partnerships at $ 50,000 per unit.↩
8. Terms such as "sale" and "lease", as well as their derivatives, are used for convenience only and do not imply that the particular transaction was a sale or lease for Federal tax purposes. Similarly, terms such as "joint venture" and "agreement" are also used for convenience only and do not imply that the particular arrangement was a joint venture or agreement for Federal tax purposes.↩
9. Sentinel EPS Recyclers were used in a process designed to transform scrap polystyrene into resin pellets that could be sold on the open market.
Although the transactions in
10. The parties have stipulated that the relationships between Madison's general partner and the shareholders and officers of PI, ECI, F&G, and RRI are the same as those described in
11. Petitioner described the "polyphenol process" as follows:
Polyphenols were used as coolants for nuclear reactors, and as
these coolants pass through the reactors, they are exposed to
quite high temperatures and degrade to a certain extent unless
they form higher polymers, which what we did with them is really
to hydrogenate so they could basically break them down again
into lower molecular polyphenols which could be reused in the
process.↩
12. On or about Dec. 6, 1982, petitioner received and reviewed a document entitled "Hamilton Gregg & Company, Inc. SEC/ADV Brochure". The brochure informed petitioner that when an HG&C client's financial situation warranted advice concerning securities or private placement investments, HG&C would rely upon the advice of HGCC and HGSC and that such advice from an affiliated company would be disclosed to the client. The brochure also informed petitioner that HGSC was owned by the Gregg Group, Inc., that Hamilton S. Gregg II and the officers of HG&C were dually registered as investment adviser agents with HG&C and as registered representatives of HGSC, that proper disclosure was given to the client when an agent was acting in dual capacity, and that all of the affiliated subsidiaries shared some principals and employees with HG&C.↩
13. The POM projected net profits over the life of the venture as follows:
1982 -0-
1983 $ 40,365
1984 185,679
1985 213,531
1986 245,560
1987 282,394
1988 324,754
1989 373,467
1990 429,487
1991 493,909
1992 283,998↩
14. The parties stipulated that HG&C, rather than HGSC, paid Boylan & Evans $ 45,000 to obtain the limited partner opinion and was reimbursed by Madison.↩
15. Petitioner did ask for a recycler manual. The record does not disclose, however, whether petitioner ever received or reviewed such a manual.↩
16. By the time we issued our opinion in
17. In
18. See also, e.g.,
19. Effective for court proceedings arising in connection with examinations commencing after July 22, 1998,
20. Petitioner relies on
21. For example, petitioner argued that the "so-called oil crisis" of the late 1970s and early 1980s provided the historical backdrop for his investment in Madison and that his calculations were dependent on his assumption that the price of polystyrene and oil were connected and that the price of oil would rise. The argument that it was reasonable for a taxpayer to invest in a plastics recycling partnership because of the "so-called oil crisis" and the belief that the price of plastic would increase because it is an oil derivative has been made in more than 20 Plastics Recycling cases. See, e.g.,
22. Because Madison is a TEFRA partnership, the tax treatment of any partnership item is determined at the partnership level pursuant to the TEFRA provisions. See
23. In
24.
25. If petitioner had paid some or all of the additional interest that was determined by respondent under