Decision will be entered for respondent.
GUY,
Respondent determined a deficiency of $23,294 in petitioners' Federal income tax for 2013 and an accuracy-related penalty of $4,267 pursuant to
After concessions,2 the issues remaining for decision are whether petitioners are: (1) entitled to deductions for moving expenses and unreimbursed employee business expenses and (2) liable for an accuracy-related penalty under
In 2013 petitioners were residing in southern California. Mrs. Beckey was employed in an administrative role at a law firm, and she voluntarily participated in professional2017 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 80">*81 organizations. Mrs. Beckey did not maintain a mileage log or a similar record of vehicle or other expenses related to her employment.
Mr. Beckey managed Teknocracy, a small business that provided manufacturing automation and software development services. One of Teknocracy's clients was the Northern California Golf Association (NCGA). In April 2013 NCGA hired Mr. Beckey as a full-time employee. Mr. Beckey successfully completed a three-month probationary period and worked for NCGA until November 2014.
On April 3, 2013, Mr. Beckey signed a one-year lease on a three-bedroom house near Monterey, California. Mr. Beckey hired a moving company to assist him in moving some furniture from petitioners' home in southern California to Monterey. Mrs. Beckey continued to reside in southern California.
While working for NCGA Mr. Beckey drove his own vehicle between a temporary office in Livermore and a permanent office in Monterey. Mr. Beckey also occasionally traveled to NCGA's clients' offices at different locations in northern California.
Mrs. Beckey's employer maintained a reimbursement policy under which employees who obtained prior approval could normally request2017 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 80">*82 reimbursement for business expenses, including vehicle expenses, travel, and meals and entertainment. There is no objective evidence that Mrs. Beckey requested reimbursement for any of the employee business expenses in dispute.
Although Mr. Beckey acknowledged that NCGA maintained an employee reimbursement policy, he failed to produce a copy of the policy. There is no objective evidence that Mr. Beckey requested reimbursement for any of the employee business expenses in dispute.
Petitioners filed a joint Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, for 2013, reporting combined wage income of $286,294. In computing their adjusted gross income, petitioners claimed an "above the line" deduction of $51,500 for moving expenses. On Schedule A, Itemized Deductions, petitioners claimed a deduction of $99,379 for unreimbursed employee business expenses (before the application of the 2% floor prescribed in
Petitioners attached to their tax return a Form 3903, Moving Expenses, reporting transportation and storage of household goods expenses of $8,500 and "travel expenses" of $43,000. Mr. Beckey explained at trial that the deduction2017 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 80">*83 for moving expenses included the rent and utility charges that he paid on his Monterey house, and he conceded that the claimed deduction was exaggerated.
Petitioners attached to their tax return a Form 2106, Employee Business Expenses, for Mr. Beckey, reporting vehicle expenses of $12,024, parking fees, tolls, and transportation expenses of $1,212, travel expenses of $14,300, and other business expenses of $53,247.
Petitioners likewise attached to their tax return a Form 2106-EZ, Unreimbursed Employee Business Expenses, for Mrs. Beckey, reporting vehicle expenses of $3,673, travel expenses of $5,526, meals and entertainment expenses of $1,013, and other business expenses of $8,384.
Mrs. Beckey did not appear at trial but instead signed and submitted to the Court a written statement authorizing Mr. Beckey to represent her interests. Mr. Beckey appeared at trial, testified, and offered into evidence credit card statements and schedules purporting to re-create his and Mrs. Beckey's employee business expenses, including vehicle expenses.
As a general rule, the Commissioner's determination of a taxpayer's liability2017 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 80">*84 in a notice of deficiency is presumed correct, and the taxpayer bears the burden of proving that the determination is incorrect.
When a taxpayer establishes that he or she paid or incurred a deductible expense but fails to establish the amount of the deduction, the Court normally may estimate the amount allowable as a deduction.
Petitioners claimed a deduction of $51,500 for moving expenses, including transportation and storage of household goods expenses of $8,500 and travel expenses of $43,000. Mr. Beckey conceded that the amount of the deduction claimed for moving expenses was exaggerated and included rent and utility charges that he paid on his Monterey house. Neither item qualifies as a deductible moving expense.2017 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 80">*86 Although we have no doubt that petitioners paid some moving expenses when Mr. Beckey moved to northern California, they did not provide the Court with persuasive evidence of the amount they paid for expenses described in
Under
The term "trade or business" includes performing services as an employee.
Petitioners' employers both maintained employee reimbursement policies. Under Mrs.2017 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 80">*87 Beckey's employee reimbursement policy, employees normally could request reimbursement for business expenses, including vehicle expenses, travel, and meals and entertainment. To be eligible for reimbursement, employees were required to obtain prior approval for business expenses. Mr. Beckey failed to produce a copy of NCGA's employee reimbursement policy.
Petitioners failed to show by objective evidence that either of them requested reimbursement for any of the expenses underlying the deduction in dispute or that any particular request for reimbursement was denied. Moreover, neither petitioner maintained a log, a calendar, or a similar record required to properly substantiate or demonstrate the business purpose of various vehicle, travel, and meals and entertainment expenses. Most of the expenditures in question appear to be personal. Therefore, we sustain respondent's disallowance of the deduction that petitioners' claimed for unreimbursed employee business expenses.
With respect to a taxpayer's liability for any penalty,
Respondent met his burden of production. Petitioners were negligent in failing to maintain adequate records to substantiate the expenses in dispute. Moreover, the understatement of income tax for the year in issue is substantial within the meaning of
Petitioners did not offer a defense to the imposition of an accuracy-related penalty in this case other than to assert that respondent had erred in determining a deficiency. That matter having been resolved against them, respondent's determination that petitioners are liable for an accuracy-related penalty under
To reflect the foregoing,
1. Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code (Code), as amended and in effect for 2013, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure. Monetary amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.↩
2. Petitioners concede that they failed to include in taxable income a distribution of $9,791 from an individual retirement account and that they are liable for the 10% additional tax prescribed by
3. Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found.↩
4. Petitioners do not contend, and the record does not suggest, that the burden of proof should shift to respondent pursuant to
5.
6. The record includes an executed Civil Penalty Approval Form with respect to the