Bassett v. Commissioner

100 T.C. No. 41, 100 T.C. 650, 1993 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 41
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJune 30, 1993
DocketDocket No. 2050-91
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 100 T.C. No. 41 (Bassett v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bassett v. Commissioner, 100 T.C. No. 41, 100 T.C. 650, 1993 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 41 (tax 1993).

Opinion

COLVIN, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies of $5,218 for 1985, $15,503 for 1986, and $3,043 for 1987 for petitioner, and additions to tax as follows:

Additions to tax
Sec. Sec. Sec. Year 6653(a)(1) 6653(a)(2) 6651(a) Sec. 6654
1985 $261 1 $1,149 $253
Additions to tax
Sec. Sec. Sec. Year 6653(a)(1)(A) 6653(a)(1)(B) 6651(a) Sec. 6654
$3,767 $723 1O t> ■m-CD 00 a>
761 Cn to r-i CD 00 <3

The parties have settled all issues except for those pertaining to additions to tax. The following issues remain to be decided:

1. Whether petitioner’s parents were required by section 6012(b)(2) to file returns for her for the years at issue during which she was a minor child and they were her guardians. We hold that they were.
2. Whether petitioner is liable for the addition to tax for failure to file returns under section 6651(a) because her parents did not have reasonable cause for failing to file for her. We hold that she is.
3. Whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax for negligence under section 6653(a) because of her parents’ negligent failure to file her returns. We hold that she is.
4. Whether petitioner is liable for the addition to tax for failure to pay estimated tax under section 6654 for 1985 and 1986. We hold that she is.

Unless otherwise stated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect during the years in issue. All Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Petitioner and Her Family

Petitioner was born on June 10, 1973. She resided with her parents in New York City during the years in issue and when the petition was filed. She was a professional child actress in 1985, 1986, and 1987, when she was 11, 12, 13, and 14 years old.

Petitioner’s grandfather was a vaudeville circuit performer. Petitioner’s father graduated from Bucknell University. He had been a television director and producer and was employed at the National Broadcasting Co. during the years in issue. Petitioner’s mother was not employed outside the home. Petitioner’s parents had prepared and filed their own Federal income tax returns in the past.

Petitioner is the oldest of four children. All three of her siblings were pursuing acting careers during the years in issue. Petitioner’s mother took them to their auditions and accompanied them on some of their jobs. Petitioner and her siblings had more than 500 auditions and other acting employment appointments from August 1984 through 1987.

2. Petitioner’s Acting Employment From 1984 to 1987

Petitioner began auditioning for acting jobs on or before August 8, 1984. Her parents signed her first professional acting contract on August 20, 1984, for a part in “Brighton Beach Memoirs”. She was scheduled to begin work in September 1984. She toured in “Brighton Beach Memoirs” for 5 or 6 months, including Toledo, Ohio, in November 1984.

Petitioner’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” contract provided that, beginning with rehearsals, she was to be paid $800 per week for 1 year plus $434 per week for out-of-town expenses. Rehearsals were scheduled to begin no more than 6 weeks before the first performance. The first performance was scheduled for September 1984.

Petitioner performed in a Broadway play road company, two made-for-television movies, and several episodes of a television series at times not specified in the record.

Petitioner’s parents were highly supportive of her acting. One or both of petitioner’s parents did the following: (1) Signed petitioner’s employment contracts, (2) usually traveled with her while she worked, (3) handled her income and bank accounts, including writing checks for all other employment-related expenses, and (4) kept daily journals and travel logs of her auditions, callbacks, bookings, and employment.

Barbara Jarrett was petitioner’s manager during the years in issue. Mrs. Jarrett handled most of petitioner’s career matters, such as auditions, training, and appearances. Mrs. Jarrett did not tell petitioner or her parents whether or not to file income tax returns for petitioner.

3. Petitioner’s Income

Petitioner earned gross income of $28,643 in 1985, $56,262 in 1986, and $21,829 in 1987. She is entitled to business expense deductions of $6,102 for 1985, $20,709 for 1986, and $6,202 for 1987. Petitioner’s employers sent Forms W-2 for the years in issue to her residence. Petitioner earned $20,290 from “Brighton Beach Memoirs” in 1985, as stated on a Form W-2 sent to her home. Petitioner’s parents knew that she was earning a substantial amount of income from acting.

Petitioner did not file income tax returns for the years in issue and none were filed on her behalf. Petitioner did not know that income tax returns were required to be filed on her behalf during the years in issue.

OPINION

1. Petitioner’s Parents’ Obligation To File Her Returns

Amounts received for the services of a child are included in the child’s gross income and not in the gross income of the parent. Sec. 73(a). For this purpose, “parent” includes an individual who is entitled to the services of a child by virtue of having parental rights and duties in respect of the child. Sec. 73(c). Any income tax assessed against a child attributable to amounts includable in the child’s gross income solely because of section 73(a) shall, if not paid by the child, be considered as having also been properly assessed against the parent. Sec. 6201(c).

The parties agree that petitioner was required to make returns but was unable to do so. Respondent contends that petitioner’s parents were obligated to file her returns for her. Section 6012(b)(2) provides:

(2) Persons under a disability. — If an individual is unable to make a return required under subsection (a), the return of such individual shall be made by a duly authorized agent, his committee, guardian, fiduciary or other person charged with the care of the person or property of such individual. The preceding sentence shall not apply in the case of a receiver appointed by authority of law in possession of only a part of the property of an individual.

A guardian, fiduciary, or other person charged with the care of a person (or the person’s property) who is unable to file a required return is required to file the return for the person. Sec. 6012(b)(2). In New York State, the parents of a child are their child’s joint guardians. N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law sec. 81 (West 1988).1 Therefore, petitioner’s parents were required to file petitioner’s returns. Sec. 6012(b)(2).2

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

OM P. Soni & Anjali Soni
U.S. Tax Court, 2021
Cherizol v. Comm'r
2014 T.C. Memo. 119 (U.S. Tax Court, 2014)
Zaklama v. Comm'r
2012 T.C. Memo. 346 (U.S. Tax Court, 2012)
Shah v. Comm'r
2010 T.C. Summary Opinion 6 (U.S. Tax Court, 2010)
Hodges v. Comm'r
2005 T.C. Memo. 168 (U.S. Tax Court, 2005)
Benson v. Comm'r
2004 T.C. Memo. 272 (U.S. Tax Court, 2004)
Martin Ice Cream Co. v. Comm'r
110 T.C. No. 18 (U.S. Tax Court, 1998)
Martin Ice Cream Company v. Commissioner
110 T.C. No. 18 (U.S. Tax Court, 1998)
Columbus v. Commissioner
1998 T.C. Memo. 60 (U.S. Tax Court, 1998)
KANTOR v. COMMISSIONER
1997 T.C. Memo. 112 (U.S. Tax Court, 1997)
Geftman v. Commissioner
1996 T.C. Memo. 447 (U.S. Tax Court, 1996)
Skye Bassett v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
67 F.3d 29 (Second Circuit, 1995)
Bassett v. Commissioner
100 T.C. No. 41 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
100 T.C. No. 41, 100 T.C. 650, 1993 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 41, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bassett-v-commissioner-tax-1993.