Decision will be entered under
PARIS,
Petitioner conceded certain issues by introducing proposed amended returns into the trial record that align with respondent's determinations. 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*262 2 After concessions by the parties, the issues left for decision are: (1) whether petitioner is entitled to unreimbursed employee expense deductions claimed on Schedules A, Itemized Deductions, for tax years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006; (2) whether petitioner is entitled to additional deductions claimed on Schedules C, Profit or Loss From Business, for tax years 2003, 2004, and 2006; (3) whether petitioner is *231 liable for
Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts and the attached exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference. Petitioner 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*263 resided in Illinois when the petition was filed.
Petitioner, who also uses the stage name Yosef Ben Israel, 3 was a jazz musician and music professor for all the tax years in issue. Petitioner taught various music classes for the City Colleges of Chicago, and he has been involved with music education for over 30 years. Each of his classes had a jazz component or module integrated in the curriculum. Petitioner's method of teaching included weaving firsthand knowledge and experiences into the academic content. He incorporated specific details and knowledge about music into his class lessons. Petitioner's firsthand experience came from playing the upright bass with various ensembles and traveling throughout the United States to participate in jazz conferences.
*232 Through decades of hard work and practice petitioner has become a respected musician and teacher. He has been featured in various music publications alongside well-known performers such as Ella Fitzgerald, Muddy Waters, and many others. Petitioner was pursuing a doctorate degree in music during the tax years at issue—a rarely pursued degree in music academia. Further, petitioner was named a distinguished professor for his work at 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*264 the City Colleges of Chicago.
In order to achieve such prestige, petitioner would travel several days a week to rehearsals and performances (performance activities) to stay abreast of developments in the music profession. 42013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*265 Petitioner's performance activities also helped him maintain the facilities and know-how to perform with other well-known musicians. Petitioner claimed deductions for driving miles in relation to his performance activities both as Schedule C business expenses and as Schedule A unreimbursed employee expenses. Petitioner owned several cars and tracked his miles by logging the date, location visited, and activity at each location. He maintained a mileage log for each of the years in issue, but a flood destroyed the logs for tax years 2002, 2003, and 2004; the mileage log for 2006 was not destroyed. Petitioner used his 2006 log as a backbone to reconstruct the driving *233 logs for his 2002, 2003, and 2004 tax years. Petitioner did not remember whether he had submitted any requests to be reimbursed for these expenses to the City Colleges of Chicago.
Respondent allowed petitioner certain travel expense deductions for music events on his Schedules C, but did not allow any travel expenses as unreimbursed employee expense deductions on his Schedules A.
Petitioner did not timely file returns for 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006. Petitioner filed returns for all four years at issue between May 16 and June 8, 2007. 5 During petitioner's audit, he submitted draft amended returns to respondent for tax years 2003, 2004, and 2006. Respondent did not accept petitioner's legal positions taken on his draft amended returns. The third supplemental stipulation of facts included petitioner's proposed amended returns for tax years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006. The proposed amended returns are the most recent and complete documents outlining petitioner's legal position.
As noted above, petitioner submitted proposed amended returns to the Court at trial. These proposed amended returns were not filed as amended returns with respondent but instead reflect petitioner's tax positions at trial and will be used to extrapolate his legal position. Petitioner variously: (1) maintained positions taken on his originally filed returns; (2) conceded some of respondent's changes; and (3) asserted positions new or different from those originally taken.
Petitioner conceded some of the adjustments for Schedule A unreimbursed employee expense deductions that he had claimed but maintains he is still entitled to Schedule A deductions of $12,032, $12,275, $12,919, and $16,216 for tax years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006, respectively. 6 These amounts are reflected on petitioner's proposed amended returns. For all tax years in issue, petitioner's *235 unreimbursed employee 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*267 expenses were for: (1) vehicle expenses; (2) parking fees, tolls, and transportation costs not involving overnight travel; (3) travel expenses; (4) other business expenses; and (5) meals and entertainment. Petitioner must substantiate his deductions with sufficient evidence.
Petitioner failed to substantiate any parking fees, tolls, and transportation costs not involving overnight travel; travel expenses; other business expenses; or meals and entertainment. Petitioner did not offer any testimony—much less conclusive evidence—to support any of these deductions. Accordingly, respondent's determinations are sustained for deductions relating to: parking fees, tolls and transportation costs not involving overnight travel; travel expenses; other business expenses; and meals and entertainment.
Petitioner incurred the vehicle expenses while traveling to rehearsal sessions, performances and music conferences. Petitioner also claimed an unreimbursed employee expense deduction 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*268 of $464 for union dues for tax year 2003. This same amount was included in petitioner's 2003 Schedule C under the other expenses category. Petitioner cannot deduct the same expense twice, and the union dues shall be allowed only as a Schedule C deduction.
*236 In general, an individual may not deduct his or her personal, living, or family expenses.
Petitioner's claimed vehicle expense deductions were all for performance activities, and most of the trips were around the Chicago area. He claimed miles for rehearsals, performances, and conferences but not the miles he drove from home to the City Colleges of Chicago where he taught. Petitioner was not deducting personal commuting expenses, but only expenses that he considered to be connected with 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*269 his professional activities. 7
Whether education maintains or improves skills required by the taxpayer in his business is a question of fact.
Petitioner could have claimed his mileage as deductible business expenses or as deductible unreimbursed employee expenses. Petitioner's reporting of these expenses on each Schedule A shows that he considered the expenses to be in furtherance of his trade or business as a college professor pursuing an advanced *238 music degree, not as expenses incurred in the trade or business of a musician. As a result, petitioner must show the expenses are directly and proximately related to the skills required in his business as a college professor.
Petitioner's performance activities were directly and proximately related to his skill as a professor because he translated his specific experiences as a performer into classroom lessons. Petitioner showed that his performance activities went beyond merely being helpful for his profession; he showed a 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*271 direct correlation between the costs expended to learn more about music and teaching music to students. For example, he could teach his students about influential musicians from firsthand knowledge because he had played in the same group or at the same venue. Petitioner was capable of creating these experiences only because he traveled to rehearsals and performances to hone his skill. The experiences not only helped petitioner as a music professor in general, but helped him create unique and specific teaching content. His ability to pinpoint exact stories or interactions to demonstrate an academic concept was directly and proximately related to his skill as a professor.
Petitioner could provide his students with nearly real-time updates about current developments in music because he was receiving a constant stream of new information through participating in the subject matter he taught. Accordingly, *239 petitioner's performance activities were directly and proximately related to his skill as a professor and were ordinary and necessary expenses for his trade or business under
The deduction for educational expenses is not limited to formal or institutional education.
Respondent contends that petitioner's unreimbursed employee expenses were not ordinary and necessary to his employment as a music professor. In *240 support of this position respondent points out: (1) petitioner generally enjoys performing, and (2) performance activities 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*273 were not in petitioner's job description.
Similarly,
As noted above, certain educational expenses 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*274 are not deductible whether or not they maintain or improve skills required by the taxpayer in his employment, or *241 meet the express requirements of the taxpayer's employer.
An employee cannot 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*276 deduct expenses to the extent that the employee is entitled to reimbursement from his or her employer for expenditures related to his or her status as an employee.
Petitioner and respondent disagree on the number of miles driven for the same trips: petitioner claimed 8,504 miles as Schedule A deductions for the same trips for which respondent allowed 7,392 miles as Schedule C travel expense deductions. Respondent did allow petitioner to claim some miles he drove in the 2002 tax year for Schedule C expenses. Respondent allowed a $2,698 travel expense deduction for 7,392 miles and a $602 car and truck expense deduction for *244 1,650 miles for the 2002 tax year. 92013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*278 Petitioner conceded that respondent's Schedule C adjustments were correct for the 2002 tax year and he cannot deduct expenses for the same mileage on his Schedule A. Therefore, regardless of substantiation, expenses for 10,154 miles are disallowed as Schedule A deductions because they were already allowed as Schedule C deductions for petitioner's 2002 tax year. 10
Respondent disallowed all of petitioner's claimed vehicle expense deductions on each Schedule A. A taxpayer may deduct vehicle expenses on the basis of actual cost or by using the standard mileage rate, provided that he or she substantiates the amount of business mileage and the time and purpose of each use.
Petitioner testified credibly that he contemporaneously created mileage logs during the 2002, 2003, and 2004 tax years but those records were later destroyed when his basement flooded. Flooding is one of the enumerated circumstances where
*246 Fortunately for petitioner, the mileage log for tax year 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*280 2006 was not destroyed in the flood. Petitioner's 2006 mileage log showed that he traveled nearly every day of the year. His schedule may have been extreme, but the extremity is not a bar to deducting the expenses if properly substantiated. Petitioner had several recurring musical commitments, and he used his 2006 mileage log to reconstruct the mileage logs for tax years 2002, 2003, and 2004. He could accurately estimate the date of occurrence and distance traveled to specific locations. For example, if he had a standing rehearsal with the same group every Tuesday at the same location, he could carry that information from his 2006 mileage log to past years. Petitioner credibly testified that he was conservative and did not overestimate the reconstructions. Petitioner has therefore substantiated the vehicle expenses for mileage reported in the mileage logs for tax years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006.
In sum, petitioner's Schedule A vehicle expenses for performance activities are ordinary and necessary for his job as a music professor. As discussed below, petitioner conceded that he should have claimed some of the miles for business deductions on his Schedules C. Petitioner cannot claim 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*281 two deductions for the same expense, and he is entitled to deduct for mileage on his Schedule A only to the extent that he did not deduct for it as Schedule C expenses. Accordingly, *247 petitioner adequately substantiated the miles for his 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006 tax years to the extent he did not deduct them as Schedule C expenses.
Respondent reclassified some of petitioner's Schedule A expenses as Schedule C expenses. Through his proposed amended returns, petitioner accepted all of respondent's Schedule C changes for tax year 2002, which included $4,826 for travel expenses, $602 for car and truck expenses, and $1,180 for other expenses. For tax years 2003, 2004, and 2006 petitioner and respondent disagree on the deductions. Respondent reclassified some of petitioner's Schedule A deductions as Schedule C deductions in the amounts of $2,295, $5,112, and $1,957 for tax years 2003, 2004, and 2006, respectively. 11 Petitioner did not concede respondent's Schedule C reclassifications and instead claimed different Schedule C deductions of $1,998, $4,861, and $500 for the 2003, 2004, and 2006 tax years on his proposed amended returns. 12 Petitioner did not offer any 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*282 evidence to substantiate his proposed deductions. Petitioner did not show any receipts or *248 canceled checks or testify in support of his tax positions on the Schedule C deductions; he merely presented his proposed amended returns to the Court and asked the Court to accept his version. Petitioner has failed to show that he is entitled to the Schedule C deductions he claimed on his proposed amended returns. Accordingly, respondent's reclassifications of petitioner's Schedule A expenses as Schedule C expenses are sustained for tax years 2003, 2004, and 2006.
Petitioner also claimed Schedule C deductions for the business use of his home for tax years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006 on his proposed amended returns. Petitioner did not claim these deductions on any of his originally filed tax returns and first asserted them on his proposed amended returns.
Under 2013 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 261">*283
The Commissioner has the burden of production with respect to the liability of an individual for any penalty, addition to tax, or additional amount.
*251 Generally,
Similarly,
The exact amount of the understatement for each year shall be computed as part of the
*253 Once the Commissioner meets his burden of production under
We have considered the remaining arguments made by the parties and, to the extent not discussed above, conclude those arguments are irrelevant, moot, or without merit.
To reflect the foregoing,
1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure, and all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the years in issue.↩
2. Through the positions taken on petitioner's proposed amended Federal tax returns, the following issues reflected agreement with the notice of deficiency and are deemed conceded: wage and nonemployee compensation in tax years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006; capital gain from the sale of real estate in the 2002 tax year; interest income in the 2002 and 2006 tax years; and a State income tax refund in the 2004 tax year.↩
3. Petitioner legally changed his name to Yosef Ben Israel after the years at issue.↩
4. Petitioner was compensated for some, but not all, of his jazz performances.
5. Respondent determined additions to tax for failure to timely file tax returns under
6. Petitioner originally claimed Schedule A deductions of $20,937.50, $28,387.78, $29,557.13 and $21,792.22 on his filed tax returns for tax years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006, respectively.↩
7. As discussed below, some of the miles claimed on petitioner's Schedules C are business expenses, and some miles claimed on his Schedules A are unreimbursed employee expenses.↩
8. Petitioner has been featured in several prestigious publications and selected as a distinguished professor.↩
9. The travel expense deduction is for trips petitioner drove to: Atlanta, Ga; Toronto, Can.; St. Paul, Minn.; and St. Louis, Mo., and two trips to New Orleans, La.
10. The 8,504 miles that petitioner reported for some trips are excluded from his Schedule A because he was already allowed a travel deduction for the same trips on his Schedule C. Similarly, 1,650 of the miles are not allowed because they were allowed as Schedule C car and truck expenses.↩
11. The other Schedule C deductions respondent allowed are for fees, musical supplies, conference costs, and band costs.↩
12. Again, the Court stresses that these numbers reflect the positions that petitioner expressed at trial through his proposed amended returns. Petitioner did not claim any Schedule C deductions on his originally filed returns.↩
13. Although petitioner substantially changed his proposed reporting positions during the course of the trial, the
14.