PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.
GOLDBERG,
Respondent determined a deficiency of $ 2,852 in petitioners' Federal income tax for 2005. The sole issue for decision is whether Robert T. Fitzpatrick (petitioner) is subject to self-employment tax on the fee-based income that he received as a bail magistrate.
Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts, the supplemental stipulation of facts, and the attached exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference. Petitioners resided in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (Commonwealth) when the petition was filed.
During 2005 petitioner was employed as a salaried assistant clerk magistrate for the 2009 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 163">*164 West Roxbury District Court in Forest Hills, Massachusetts. Petitioner rightly did not pay employment taxes on this salary income because as an employee of the Commonwealth he participated in its retirement system. At the time of trial petitioner was eligible for maximum retirement benefits under the Commonwealth's retirement system.
As an assistant clerk magistrate, petitioner had the option of also serving as a bail magistrate. Bail magistrates are authorized under
Before 2005 petitioner reported his fee-based income on Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business, of his Federal income tax return and paid self-employment taxes on the net income. 2009 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 163">*165 He stopped paying self-employment tax on this income in 2005 on the basis of a newsletter that he received from an association of clerks. The newsletter stated that fee-based income received by bail magistrates for setting bail might not be subject to self-employment tax.
In order for individuals to be liable for payment of the self-employment tax they must have "'net earnings from self-employment', * * * [which is] the gross income derived by an individual from any trade or business carried on by such individual". Sec. 1402(a). For purposes of self-employment income, the term "trade or business" has "the same meaning as when used in section 162 (relating to trade or business expenses)". Sec. 1402(c).
Those who derive income from the performance of the functions of a public office are generally not subject to self-employment tax because the income is not derived from a "trade or business". See sec. 1402(c)(1);
A public office for this purpose "includes any elective or appointive office of the United States or any possession thereof, of the District of Columbia, of a State or its political subdivisions, or a wholly-owned instrumentality of any one or more of the foregoing."
It is clear that as a bail magistrate petitioner received fee-based income for performing the duties of a public office; however, in order 2009 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 163">*167 for petitioner to be exempt from paying self-employment tax on this income, it is necessary that this position be covered by an agreement between the Commonwealth and the Social Security Administration "pursuant to section 218 of the Social Security Act" (SSA). Although petitioner holds two public offices, each position is treated separately. See
The Commonwealth and the Social Security Administration established an agreement to extend Social Security coverage to employees of instrumentalities of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, pursuant to SSA section 218, on August 13, 1952. This agreement extended the insurance system established by SSA title II to services performed by individuals as employees of specific instrumentalities of the Commonwealth. The original agreement has been amended 11 times.
The instrumentalities covered by the original SSA section 218 agreement and subsequent amendments include: (1) The Greenfield and Montague Transportation Area; (2) the Massachusetts Market Authority; (3) the Mystic River Bridge Authority; (4) the Nashoba Associated Boards of Health; (5) the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (coverage terminated by 2009 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 163">*168 the
We find that petitioner did not work for an instrumentality of the Commonwealth that is covered under the original SSA section 218 agreement and subsequent amendments. Therefore, petitioner is required to pay self-employment tax on the fee-based income that he received as a bail magistrate. See sec. 1402(c)(1).
To reflect the foregoing,