Campbell v. Comm'r

2008 T.C. Summary Opinion 154, 2008 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 154
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 11, 2008
DocketNo. 18402-06S
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2008 T.C. Summary Opinion 154 (Campbell v. Comm'r) 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
Campbell v. Comm'r, 2008 T.C. Summary Opinion 154, 2008 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 154 (tax 2008).

Opinion

REYNARD CAMPBELL, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Campbell v. Comm'r
No. 18402-06S
United States Tax Court
T.C. Summary Opinion 2008-154; 2008 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 154;
December 11, 2008., Filed

PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.

*154
Reynard Campbell, Pro se.
Shannon Edelstone, for respondent.
Wherry, Robert A., Jr.

ROBERT A. WHERRY, JR.

WHERRY, Judge: This case was heard pursuant to section 7463 of the Internal Revenue Code in effect when the petition was filed. 1 Pursuant to section 7463(b), the decision to be entered is not reviewable by any other court, and this opinion shall not be treated as precedent for any other case.

Respondent determined a $ 14,508 deficiency in petitioner's Federal income tax for 2004. Respondent also determined a $ 2,901.60 accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(a). After concessions, the issues now before the Court are: (1) Whether petitioner is entitled to additional deductions claimed on Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business, for business gifts, contract labor, automobile insurance, meals and entertainment, travel, legal fees, and car and truck expenses; (2) whether petitioner is entitled to additional deductions claimed on Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss, for repairs to two *155 multi-unit dwellings used as rental properties (4319 and 4329 Rilea), 2 automobile and travel expenses, and legal and professional fees; (3) whether petitioner is required to capitalize certain expenditures relating to 4319 and 4329 Rilea; and (4) whether petitioner is liable for an accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(a). 3

Background

Some of the facts have been stipulated, and the stipulated facts and accompanying exhibits are hereby incorporated by reference into our findings. At the time he filed his petition, petitioner resided in California.

Petitioner Reynard Campbell is very industrious. He is a certified public accountant (C.P.A.). In 2004 he was employed by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART). In addition, he *156 maintained his own auditing and accounting business, with respect to which he reported a Schedule C loss of $ 3,191 on his Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, for the 2004 tax year. 4 He also reported a Schedule E loss of $ 4,889 relating to 4319 and 4329 Rilea Way. 5

On August 17, 2006, respondent issued a notice of deficiency principally disallowing many of petitioner's claimed Schedule C and Schedule E deductions. Petitioner filed a timely petition with this Court on September 12, 2006. A trial was held on May 23 and 25, 2007, in San Francisco, California.

At trial petitioner introduced 132 exhibits (including all joint exhibits) many of which included multiple pages. These documents established that many expenses were incurred and paid. However, they frequently failed to demonstrate that the expenses were deductible business expenses rather than nondeductible personal expenses or they did not contain the detailed contemporaneous information necessary *157 to satisfy the heightened substantiation requirements of section 274.

DiscussionI. Burden of Proof

The Commissioner's determination of a taxpayer's liability is generally presumed correct, and the taxpayer bears the burden of proving that the determination is improper. See Rule 142(a); Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111, 115 (1933). However, pursuant to section 7491(a), the burden of proof on a factual issue that affects the taxpayer's tax liability may shift to the Commissioner where the "taxpayer introduces credible evidence with respect to * * * such issue." Petitioner argues that the burden of proof shifts to respondent because petitioner has produced credible evidence to substantiate his expenses and because he "attended an office interview and appeals". Because petitioner has not complied with the requirements to substantiate the remaining disallowed expenses and has not maintained all required records regarding those expenses, that argument is unpersuasive. Consequently, the burden of proof remains on petitioner.

II. General Deduction Rules

Deductions are a matter of legislative grace, and the taxpayer must maintain adequate records to substantiate the amounts of any deductions *158 or credits claimed. Sec. 6001

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Related

Welch v. Helvering
290 U.S. 111 (Supreme Court, 1933)
Deputy, Administratrix v. Du Pont
308 U.S. 488 (Supreme Court, 1940)
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320 U.S. 467 (Supreme Court, 1943)
Commissioner v. Flowers
326 U.S. 465 (Supreme Court, 1946)
United States v. Gilmore
372 U.S. 39 (Supreme Court, 1963)
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389 U.S. 299 (Supreme Court, 1967)
Freytag v. Commissioner
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United States v. W. J. Wehrli and Helen B. Wehrli
400 F.2d 686 (Tenth Circuit, 1968)
Cohan v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
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Norwest Corp. v. Comm'r
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HIGBEE v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE
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Marcello v. Commissioner
43 T.C. 168 (U.S. Tax Court, 1964)
Kroll v. Commissioner
49 T.C. 557 (U.S. Tax Court, 1968)
Sanford v. Commissioner
50 T.C. 823 (U.S. Tax Court, 1968)
Zimmerman v. Commissioner
71 T.C. 367 (U.S. Tax Court, 1978)
Epp v. Commissioner
78 T.C. No. 55 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Bagley v. Commissioner
8 T.C. 130 (U.S. Tax Court, 1947)

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Bluebook (online)
2008 T.C. Summary Opinion 154, 2008 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 154, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/campbell-v-commr-tax-2008.