Browne v. Commissioner

73 T.C. 723, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 200
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJanuary 22, 1980
DocketDocket No. 4466-77
StatusPublished
Cited by61 cases

This text of 73 T.C. 723 (Browne 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
Browne v. Commissioner, 73 T.C. 723, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 200 (tax 1980).

Opinions

Irwin, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency of $1,253 in petitioner’s 1975 Federal income tax. Due to adjustments agreed to by the parties, the only issues presented are as follows:

(1) Whether expenses in the amount of $3,577 paid by petitioner during 1975 for an education in obtaining a bachelor’s degree, with a major in accounting, are allowable deductions under section 162;1

(2) Whether petitioner should be allowed to deduct under section 162 a portion of her rent as a home office expense in excess of the amount allowed by respondent;

(3) Whether a loss claimed from petitioner’s business should be decreased for failure to prove certain expenses were ordinary and necessary, for a lack of adequate records to substantiate other expenses, and for failure to include in gross income all of the gross receipts; and

(4) Whether petitioner was entitled to a trial by jury before this Court.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated. These facts, together with the exhibit attached thereto, are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner Alice Pauline Brown filed her Federal income tax return for the taxable year 1975 with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Chamblee, Ga. Petitioner resided in Miami, Fla., at the time she filed her petition with this Court.

Since 1937, petitioner has at various times been employed as a bookkeeper and tax return preparer. Petitioner began trying to get her college degree in accounting in 1955 in order to obtain a higher paying job. She attended night divisions at two universities, with her efforts culminating in the receipt of a bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a major in accounting, from the University of Miami in December of 1975. On her return, petitioner claimed an educational expense deduction in the amount of $3,5772 for expenses incurred in connection with the receipt of her bachelor’s degree.

During 1975, petitioner was employed full time as a medical transcriber. Additionally, petitioner was self-employed, rendering services related to craft work, painting, medical and legal transcribing, and tax return preparation.

During 1975, petitioner and her mother occupied a one-bedroom apartment. Of the total area of the apartment, the parties have stipulated that one-half of the space was used as an office by petitioner for business related to her self-employment status. She claimed a home office deduction attributable to rent in the amount of $930. This amount represents one-half of the annual rent paid by petitioner for her one-bedroom apartment.3

On Schedule C of her return, petitioner deducted, and respondent allowed, the following amounts attributable to medical and legal transcribing and tax return preparation.4

Amount Amount claimed allowed Item by petitioner by respondent
Cost of goods sold .$530 $151
Advertising printing . 70 0
Postage . 125 0
Dues and subscriptions . 315 100
Freight . 50 0
Dictionaries . 100 12
Miscellaneous . 150 0
1,340 263

The taxpayer provided no documentation to the examining agent that the amounts claimed were actually paid.

In the notice of deficiency, respondent disallowed the $3,577 claimed for educational expenses on the ground that this expense was incurred to meet the minimal educational requirement of being employed as a certified public accountant or alternatively that such education was part of a course of study leading to qualification for a new trade or business. Respondent also denied $683 of the home office expense deducted by petitioner contending that an expense allocation on the basis of time of actual use of the space as an office is required. Respondent disallowed $1,077 of the amount claimed by petitioner on Schedule C because she failed to furnish any receipts or other documentation in support of the claimed deductions and did not prove that the expenses were ordinary and necessary for carrying on petitioner’s business. Finally, based on a notebook entry by petitioner, respondent asserted that petitioner received $70 more in gross receipts from her trade or business in 1975 than was reported on her 1975 Federal income tax return.

OPINION

The first issue is whether the petitioner may deduct, under section 162(a), educational expenses in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree with a major in accounting.

Section 1.162-5(a), Income Tax Regs., upon which petitioner relies, provides in part as follows:

(a) General rule. Expenditures made by an individual for education (including research undertaken as part of his educational program) * * * are deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses (even though the education may lead to a degree) if the education—
(1) Maintains or improves skills required by the individual in his employment or other trade or business.

However, this general rule does not apply if the expenditures fall within either of two specified categories. Educational expenses which are incurred to meet the minimum educational requirement for qualification in a taxpayer’s trade or business or which qualify the taxpayer for a new trade or business are nondeductible expenditures. Sec. 1.162-5(b), Income Tax Regs. Respondent contends that petitioner’s expense falls within both of these categories, and we agree.

The State of Florida, which was petitioner’s State of residence when she attended the University of Miami, required a bachelor’s degree with a major in accounting before one could qualify to take the examination leading to a license in certified public accounting. Fla. Stat. Ann. sec. 473.08-1(e) (as effective prior to July 1,1978).

In applying section 1.162-5(b), Income Tax Regs., this Court has analyzed the tasks of various occupations to determine whether a given taxpayer has qualified himself for a new trade or business. If the education qualifies the taxpayer to perform significantly different tasks and activities than he or she could perform prior to the education, then the education qualifies him or her for a new trade or business. Diaz v. Commissioner, 70 T.C. 1067, 1074 (1978); Glenn v. Commissioner, 62 T.C. 270, 275 (1974). In Glenn, the taxpayer attempted to deduct the costs of a review course for a C.P.A. examination. This Court, in emphasizing the importance of certification, held that the differences in potential scope of practice between a public accountant and a C.P.A. are significant. Thus, expenditures to meet qualification requirements for a C.P.A. certificate were not deductible.

Petitioner’s main contention is that she undertook course work at college principally to increase her salary as an accountant and improve her skills.

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Bluebook (online)
73 T.C. 723, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/browne-v-commissioner-tax-1980.