Decision will be entered for respondent.
VASQUEZ,
Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulations of facts and the attached exhibits are incorporated herein 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 127">*128 by this reference. Petitioner resided in Illinois when he filed the petition.
In 2007 petitioner worked for Skokie Motor Sales, Inc. (Skokie). Skokie reported on Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, that it had paid $28,598 in wages to petitioner in 2007 and had withheld Federal income tax. In addition, Interactive Brokers, L.L.C. (Interactive), petitioner's investment broker, reported on Form 1099-DIV, Dividends and Distributions, that it had paid $57 in qualified dividends to petitioner in 2007. Petitioner does not dispute receiving these payments.
In 2007 petitioner paid mortgage interest of $4,658.82 and real estate taxes of $2,190.63 for his primary residence in Illinois. He also paid mortgage interest of $7,694.81 and real estate taxes of $3,707.34 for a second home in Michigan. In addition, petitioner paid mortgage interest of $6,484.64 on a home equity line of credit.
Petitioner timely filed Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, for 2007, on which he reported zero income from wages or qualified dividends and zero taxable income.2 He checked the box for "single" filing status and claimed the corresponding standard deduction—he did not claim any deductions for real estate taxes 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 127">*129 or mortgage interest payments. Petitioner reported $2,187.76 as Federal income tax withheld from Forms W-2 and 1099 and requested a refund in that amount.
As a general rule, the taxpayer bears the burden of proving the Commissioner's deficiency determinations incorrect.
Petitioner does not dispute receiving the wage and dividend income determined by respondent and shown in the notice of deficiency. Rather, petitioner argues, inter alia, that earnings he received from his employer 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 127">*130 for performing services are not taxable because Skokie is not a trade or business paying wages as contemplated by Congress and that the Form W-2 Skokie issued is invalid as a matter of law.3
In his petition, at trial, and on brief, petitioner advanced shopworn arguments characteristic of tax-protester rhetoric that have been universally rejected by this and other courts. See
Although respondent has not moved for a
In 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 127">*132 reaching all of our holdings herein, we have considered all arguments made by the parties, and to the extent not mentioned above, we conclude they are irrelevant or without merit.
To reflect the foregoing,
1. Petitioner argues for the first time in his posttrial brief that he is entitled to itemized deductions for real estate taxes and mortgage interest payments. However, as will be discussed in our findings of fact, petitioner elected the standard deduction on his 2007 Federal income tax return and he did not assert a claim for deductions in his petition. Accordingly, petitioner is deemed to have waived this argument and the deductions are not at issue in this case. See
Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code (Code) in effect for the year in issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
2. Petitioner reported $1,306 of gross income from unemployment compensation.↩
3. We rejected similar arguments by petitioner with respect to the collection of his tax liabilities for 1999 through 2004 in