2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*8 PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.
PAJAK, Special Trial Judge: This case was heard pursuant to the provisions of
Respondent determined deficiencies of $ 10,929 and $ 9,778 in petitioner's 1996 and 1997 Federal income taxes, respectively. This Court must decide (1) whether petitioner engaged in a bed and breakfast activity for profit within the meaning of
Some of the facts in this case have been stipulated and are so found. Petitioner resided in Killbuck, New York, at the time he filed his2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*9 petition.
In 1977, petitioner built a house at 6161 Sullivan Hollow, Killbuck, New York, 14748 (Sullivan Hollow residence). The Sullivan Hollow residence has six bedrooms, three full baths, a living room, kitchen, dining room, deck, hot tub, and two satellite television systems. Petitioner and his then-wife jointly held title to the Sullivan Hollow residence and lived there with their four children. Petitioner and his then-wife divorced in 1992. In 1993, petitioner purchased his former wife's interest in the Sullivan Hollow residence.
During the taxable years in issue, petitioner worked full- time as an elementary school principal. Petitioner's job as a principal required him to work for 11 months annually.
In 1994, petitioner started what he termed The Camelot Inn Bed & Breakfast (Camelot Inn) at the Sullivan Hollow residence. During 1996 and 1997, petitioner and his then-fiance, Mary Ann Hughes (Ms. Hughes), worked at the Camelot Inn. During the taxable years in issue, Ms. Hughes worked full-time as a school psychologist. Ms. Hughes had a house in Allegany, New York, and resided in the house with her son. Petitioner lived in Ms. Hughes' Allegany house during the years in issue.
2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*10 Petitioner reported income and expenses from the bed and breakfast activity on his individual Federal tax returns for the taxable years 1994 through 1997 on Schedules C, Profit or Loss From Business, as follows:
Gross Income Total Expenses Total Losses
Tax Year Reported Claimed Claimed
________ ________ _______ _______
1994 $ 152 $ 26,284 $ 26,132
1995 3,872 38,909 35,037
1996 2,325 57,457 55,132
1997 5,254 53,223 47,969
[8] Additionally, for the taxable years 1996 and 1997 petitioner reported zero income in each year and claimed losses of $ 1,384 and $ 1,065, respectively, on Schedules F, Profit or Loss From Farming, with respect to beef cattle activity. Petitioner did not own any cattle in either 1996 or 1997. Petitioner also claimed losses for the taxable years 1994 and 1995 of $ 3,198 and $ 4,040, respectively, with respect to beef cattle activity, on his Schedules F. Petitioner also reported income of $ 2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*11 185 and claimed a loss of $ 824 in 1997 with respect to a woodworking activity. The record is otherwise silent about this activity.
On his 1996 and 1997 Federal tax returns, petitioner claimed head of household filing status based on his claim that he provided a household for his daughter Jamie. Jamie was born on April 16, 1977. During 1996 and 1997, Jamie was a full-time student at Penn State University. During these years, Jamie remained at Penn State University for the summer months as a participant in the ROTC program.
Respondent determined that the Camelot Inn was not an activity engaged in for profit within the meaning of
On his Schedules C, petitioner claimed total deductions, as follows:
1996 1997
Advertising $ 3,324 $ 2,849
Car and truck 6,673 5,772
Depreciation 13,303 13,176
Insurance 2,791 1,374
Interest
Mortgage 6,744 6,368
Other 3,726 3,442
Legal and professional
services 3,686 4,047
Office expense 1092003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*13 396
Repairs and maintenance 8,720 -0-
Supplies -0- 2,510
Taxes and license 1,810 4,568
Travel/Meals 1,103 917
Utilities 3,643 6,008
Other expenses 1,825 1,796
Total $ 57,457 $ 53,223
It appears from an examination of these deductions that many of them were personal, nondeductible expenses. Sec. 262. For instance, petitioner admitted that he did not use an attorney in the day-to-day operations of the bed and breakfast. Petitioner claimed that there were a "lot of other issues that came up where my ex-wife was attacking my use of the property as a bed and breakfast." As stated, petitioner had purchased his former wife's interest in the property prior to the start of the bed and breakfast activity. He deducted part of these legal expenses on his Schedules2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*14 C.
At trial, respondent asserted that "petitioner's bed and breakfast activity was a homegrown tax shelter to shelter his W-2 income." A review of the record proves this to be an accurate assessment. In addition, during 1996 and 1997, petitioner owned no beef cattle, reported no income from beef cattle, yet claimed losses of $ 1,384 and $ 1,065 from beef cattle on his Schedules F. For 1997, petitioner claimed $ 824 additional losses on a second Schedule C from an alleged wood working activity. Petitioner's use of various schedules on his returns shows that he had learned to use them as a tax cash cow.
The basic standard for determining whether an expense is deductible under
In determining whether petitioner was engaged in the bed and breakfast activity with the requisite intent to make a profit, all of the facts and circumstances of his2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*17 situation must be taken into account.
Petitioner generally bears the burden of proof with respect to this determination.
We first consider the manner in which the taxpayer carries on the activity. The fact that a taxpayer carries on the activity in a businesslike manner and maintains complete and accurate books and records may indicate a profit objective.
Petitioner maintained a separate bank account for the Camelot Inn. Petitioner had some books and records of his activity. Petitioner filed a "Business Certificate" with the Cattaraugus County Clerk to certify that he was doing business as the Camelot Inn. While the maintenance of accurate records is necessary for the purpose of substantiating deductions, record keeping alone is not enough.
Petitioner also provided a document titled "The Camelot Inn Bed and Breakfast Business Plan". This is not a business plan. This is more accurately titled on the second page as a "History and Description of the Business". Petitioner's so- called "business plan" established no business goals for the Camelot Inn. Petitioner did not keep the type of records which could be used to increase the profitability of a business. Petitioner never prepared budgets or market projections which would outline strategies for ensuring a profitable business venture and making informed business decisions on a periodic basis. Such lack of information upon which to make educated business decisions tends to belie a taxpayer's contentions that an activity was pursued with the primary objective of making a profit.
Petitioner never ascertained how or when he would make a profit or how he could change his operating methods to improve his profitability. To begin with, petitioner stated that his location "was one mile off Route 417 on a side road called Sullivan Hollow, which pretty much meant that I wasn't going to get drive by business." Petitioner testified that he "cut back quite a bit on advertising" and reduced the price charged for the rooms. Petitioner's ads were attractive but did not display his building, apparently because his bed and breakfast building would not compare favorably with other bed and breakfast buildings which were pictured in the other ads he offered into evidence. We note that none of the changes made by petitioner, in essence to reduce losses and control costs, had any material effect. Petitioner continued to incur sizeable losses. Thus, we find petitioner did not carry on the activity in a businesslike manner. We conclude that this factor is not indicative of the requisite profit objective.
We consider the expertise of the taxpayer. A taxpayer's expertise, research, and study of an activity, 2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*20 as well as his consultation with experts, may be indicative of a profit objective.
We consider the time and effort expended by the taxpayer in carrying on the activity. An intent to derive a profit2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*21 may be demonstrated by a taxpayer who devotes much of his personal time and effort to the activity, a taxpayer who withdraws from another occupation to devote most of his energies to the activity, or a taxpayer who devotes a limited amount of time but employs competent and qualified people to carry on the activity.
During the taxable years in issue, petitioner worked as an elementary school principal. Petitioner's official workday was from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Petitioner would also have early morning meetings and after-school activities. Petitioner stated that his work days as principal varied but that there were "times I'd feel like I was putting in a 16 hour day." During the 1997 taxable year, petitioner also claimed he operated a woodworking business. Ms. Hughes was also employed full-time as a school psychologist. Petitioner does not contend that any other individuals were employed by the Camelot Inn. Most important is that petitioner generally participated in the bed and breakfast activity only when he was not at his full-time job as a school principal. On the whole, in addition to petitioner's full-time occupation and2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*22 other business activities, petitioner expended only minimal time and effort on the bed and breakfast activity. We conclude that this factor is not indicative of a profit objective.
We consider the taxpayer's expectation that assets used in the activity may appreciate in value. The term "profit" encompasses appreciation in the value of assets used in the activity.
Petitioner argues that he expects the Camelot Inn's primary asset, the residence, to appreciate in value. Petitioner offered a residential appraisal that the market value of the Sullivan Hollow residence was $ 115,000 as of August 31, 1994. Petitioner offered no evidence of the market value of the residence as of the years in issue. Based on an appraisal, the market value of the Sullivan House residence as of April 18, 2002, was $ 260,000. Petitioner's accumulated2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*23 losses from 1994 through 1997 year total $ 164,270. Assuming that the residence appreciated in value each year from 1994 through 2002, then the accumulated losses of the Camelot Inn through 1997 exceeded the residence's appreciation in value at that time. The goal must be to realize a profit in the entire operation.
We consider the taxpayer's success in carrying on other similar or dissimilar activities. We have recognized that a taxpayer's success in other business activities may indicate a profit objective.
We consider the taxpayer's history of income or losses with respect to the activity. A history of losses over an extended period of time may indicate the absence of a profit objective.
We consider the amount of occasional profits, if any, which are earned. If an activity generates only small, infrequent profits and typically generates large losses, the taxpayer conducting the activity may not have a profit objective.
We consider the financial status of the taxpayer. Substantial income from sources other than the activity2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*26 in question, particularly if the losses from the activity generate substantial tax benefits, may indicate that the activity is not engaged in for profit.
Given due consideration to the record as a whole, we find that during the taxable years in issue petitioner did not operate the bed and breakfast activity with an intent to make a profit. Accordingly, we sustain respondent's disallowance of petitioner's Schedule C deductions.
We next consider whether petitioner is entitled to head of household filing status for 1996 and 1997. Petitioner contends that he maintained a2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*27 household for his daughter Jamie during the taxable years 1996 and 1997. Respondent determined that petitioner's proper filing status for the taxable year at issue is single.
During the taxable years at issue, Jamie was a full-time student at Penn State University. In 1996 and 1997, Jamie remained at college during the summer months as a participant in the ROTC program. Petitioner testified that "for the most part [Jamie] wasn't in the2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 8">*28 area at all. She was away at college." Petitioner, although unmarried during the taxable years in issue, has not met the requirements to file as head of household. Petitioner lived in Ms. Hughes' residence during the years in issue. Petitioner testified that he paid weekly child support to his former wife during the taxable years in issue. Petitioner did not offer evidence that he provided more than one-half the costs of maintaining a household for himself and Jamie. Petitioner did not provide any evidence of the total annual costs of maintaining a household for himself and Jamie. Accordingly, we sustain respondent's determination with respect to this issue.
To the extent that we have not addressed any of the parties' arguments, we have considered them and conclude they are irrelevant or without merit.
Reviewed and adopted as the report of the Small Tax Case Division.
Decision will be entered for respondent.