2006 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 142">*142 PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.
POWELL, Special Trial Judge: This case was heard pursuant to the provisions of section 7463. 1 The decision to be entered is not reviewable by any other court, and this opinion should not be cited as authority.
Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners' 2000 and 2001 Federal income taxes and accuracy-related penalties as follows:
Years | Deficiency | Sec. 6662 Penalty |
2000 | $ 22,221 | $ 4,444.20 |
2001 | 20,892 | 4,178.49 |
The issues are (1) whether petitioners are entitled to various deductions claimed on Schedule C, Profit or Loss From2006 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 142">*143 Business, for the years in issue, and (2) whether petitioners are liable for the penalties under
Background
The facts may be summarized as follows. Petitioners filed Federal income tax returns for the taxable years 2000 and 2001. Each return included a Schedule C for Common Sense Consultants, Inc. (CSCI), 2 and Galaxy 6 (Galaxy). Petitioners reported gross receipts, cost of goods sold, and deductions for the two entities as follows:
2000 | 2001 | |
Galaxy 6 | ||
Gross receipts | $ 3,883 | $ 8,240 |
Cost of goods sold | 5,755 | -0- |
Expenses: | ||
Advertising | 82 | 424 |
Bad debt | -0- | 926 |
Travel | -0- | 198 |
Other expenses: | ||
Mountain View | -0- | 6,500 |
Bank service charge | -0- | 50 |
Bank tracing costs | -0- | 598 |
CSCI | ||
Gross receipts | $ 31,265 | 25,850 |
Cost of goods sold | 15,157 | -0- |
Expenses: | ||
Advertising | 2,100 | -0- |
Car | 15,382 | 17,062 |
Depreciation | 763 | 3,944 |
Insurance | 3,493 | 3,768 |
Legal | -0- | 1,544 |
Office | -0- | 3,398 |
Rental | 203 | -0- |
Repairs | 8,977 | 10,049 |
Supplies | 3,467 | 4,495 |
Taxes & licenses | 427 | 137 |
Travel | 2,450 | 579 |
Meals & entertainment | 2,631 | 2,516 |
Utilities | 6,939 | 8,275 |
Equipment & upgrades | 6,503 | 768 |
Work clothes | 3,319 | 957 |
Lodging | 3,384 | 936 |
Publications | 606 | 423 |
Political contributions | 220 | -0- |
Donations | -0- | 224 |
Postage | 307 | 141 |
Training, etc. | 487 | 1,227 |
Expenses (boat) | -0- | 6,531 |
Dry Cleaning | 195 | -0- |
Equipment | -0- | 5,260 |
Materials | -0- | 4,168 |
Galaxy appears to have been a conduit for credit card payments for rents on cabins in Washington State that were owned by the mother and brother of petitioner Douglas L. Maxfield (petitioner). The reason for this arrangement is unclear.
CSCI is, using petitioner's words, "an umbrella business that deals in legal issues, construction issues, any [sic] advice." While petitioner allegedly gives legal advice, he does not practice law. Apparently, the construction aspect of CSCI during the years before the Court involved property belonging to the parents of petitioner Nancy H. Maxfield. Petitioner also was a "hearing officer for section 8 assistance and terminations" in Prince George's County, Maryland, for which he was paid $ 4,987.50.
Petitioner's records for the deductions listed above consisted of credit card monthly statements. With respect to the expenses for car, repairs, and a portion of the insurance the deductions allegedly relate to petitioner's expenses for local transportation. 2006 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 142">*145 Petitioner claimed deductions for both alleged mileage and actual expenses. The travel and lodging expenses relate to trips to California, Florida, and Texas by automobile, and to Alaska and Washington State by airplane. Petitioner did not maintain any logs or similar type records concerning the automobile or travel expenses. The deductions for insurance include insurance for automobiles, a boat, homeowners insurance, and life insurance on petitioner.
At trial respondent was willing to allow the following cost of goods sold and deductions for trade or business expenses:
2000 | 2001 | |
1 Cost of goods sold | $ 2,100 | -0- |
Deductions | ||
Car | 7,634 | $ 10,284 |
Insurance | 33 | 33 |
Legal | -0- | 772 |
Supplies | 626 | 1,001 |
Utilities | 763 | 900 |
Publications | 100 | 100 |
Postage | 154 | 71 |
Training, etc. | 244 | 614 |
2 Advertising | 82 | -0- |
These deductions are based on the assumption that petitioner operated a trade or business2006 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 142">*146 of being a housing hearing officer for the county under CSCI. During the trial, the parties agreed that Galaxy was a conduit; the income should not have been reported, and the deductions claimed, other than those stated for the year 2000 and the amounts paid to petitioner's mother, were not allowable.
Discussion
Petitioner claims to have two separate businesses operating under the names of Galaxy and CSCI. Petitioner's testimony concerning both was confusing. It is axiomatic that a taxpayer must be engaged in a trade or business if any expense is deductible under
Most of the deductions claimed for expenses are patently without legal bases. 3 Petitioner claimed deductions for boat expenses, but he has no records to support any business use of the boat. He has no logs or any other documentation showing the business use of any automobiles that satisfy the requirements of
Reviewed and adopted as the report of the Small Tax Case Division.
To reflect respondent's concessions at trial,
Decision will be entered under Rule 155.
1. Unless otherwise indicated, subsequent section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect during the years in issue, and Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
2. CSCI was not incorporated.↩
1. Claimed with respect to Galaxy.↩
2. Claimed with respect to Galaxy.↩
3. The provisions of sec. 7491(a)(1) do not apply. Petitioners have not satisfied the record-keeping requirements of sec. 7491(a)(2).↩
4. Respondent, however, did allow a deduction for automobile expenses based on mileage that includes an element of the cost of insurance.↩
5. Respondent allowed a portion of the utilities and homeowners insurance based on petitioner's use of a portion of his home for business purposes.↩
6. Respondent has met his burden of production with respect to the penalties, sec. 7491(c), and petitioners bear the burden of proof,