Clifton v. Commissioner

1995 T.C. Memo. 528, 70 T.C.M. 1175, 1995 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 522
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 7, 1995
DocketDocket No. 6047-93.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1995 T.C. Memo. 528 (Clifton 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
Clifton v. Commissioner, 1995 T.C. Memo. 528, 70 T.C.M. 1175, 1995 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 522 (tax 1995).

Opinion

GRETA ANN CLIFTON, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Clifton v. Commissioner
Docket No. 6047-93.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1995-528; 1995 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 522; 70 T.C.M. (CCH) 1175;
November 7, 1995, Filed

*522 Decision will be entered under Rule 155.

Greta Ann Clifton, pro se.
Yolanda R. Garcia, for respondent.
PARR, Judge

PARR, Judge

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

PARR, Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency in and additions to petitioner's Federal income tax as follows:

Additions to Tax
Sec.Sec.Sec.
YearDeficiency6653(a)(1)6653(a)(2)6661(a)
1985$ 10,398$ 5201$ 2,600

After concessions, 1 the issues for decision are: (1) Whether petitioner had unreported Schedule C income. We hold that she did to the extent set out below. (2) Whether petitioner may deduct claimed Schedule C expenses in excess of the amounts allowed by respondent. We hold that she may not except as set out below. (3) Whether petitioner may deduct claimed employee business expenses. We hold that she may not. (4) Whether petitioner may deduct a claimed capital loss. We hold that she may not. (5) Whether petitioner had additional self- employment income. We hold that she did. (6) Whether petitioner is liable for the additions to tax for negligence under section 6653(a)(1) *523 (2). 2 We hold that she is liable. (7) Whether petitioner is liable for an addition to tax for substantial understatement of tax under section 6661(a). We hold that she is liable.

FINDINGS OF*524 FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated. The stipulated facts and the accompanying exhibits are incorporated into our findings by this reference. Petitioner, Greta Ann Clifton, resided in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on the date the petition was filed.

Petitioner is an accountant. During 1985, petitioner was the Controller of Knappco, Inc. (Knappco), a company located in Kansas City, Missouri. While working for Knappco, petitioner lived at 599 Highway 224, Wellington, Missouri.

While petitioner was working at Knappco, Cheryl Daro (Daro) babysat petitioner's child. During April of 1985, petitioner and Daro formed Cena Enterprises (Cena). Cena was formed to provide computer data entry services for Knappco. Cena was licensed to do business in Napoleon, Missouri. Petitioner and Daro opened a joint checking account at Napoleon Bank, Napoleon, Missouri, in the name of Cena (Cena account). During 1985, both petitioner and Daro made deposits to and withdrawals from the Cena account.

Petitioner and Daro, doing business as Cena, prepared letters, mailing lists, and inventory tables for Knappco. More specifically, petitioner would bring a computer to Daro's home in Napoleon, Missouri, and*525 Daro would type the letters, mailing lists, etc. while petitioner was working at Knappco.

Cena did not file a Form 1065, U.S. Partnership Return of Income, for the year 1985. Cena had gross receipts of $ 24,463 for the year 1985. Petitioner and Daro each reported $ 12,216 of Cena's gross receipts on their 1985 individual Federal income tax returns. 3

On May 9, 1985, petitioner and Daro opened a joint bank account at Norbank, North Kansas City, Missouri (Norbank), in the name of petitioner and Daro doing business as "Orad Associates" (Orad account and Orad). The signature cards for the Orad account bear the signatures of both petitioner and Daro. Included in the records of the Norbank account was a document entitled "Partnership Certificate" for the "General Co-partnership known as Orad Associates."

Although Daro signed the aforementioned partnership*526 certificate, she testified that she was not a partner in Orad. Furthermore, she testified that she had nothing to do with Orad, and that petitioner operated Orad exclusively.

During 1985, $ 20,971 was deposited into the Orad account. With the exception of a $ 500 deposit (which was made from petitioner's personal bank account at Norbank) and a $ 2,000 deposit (which was made by Cena), all the remaining deposits into the Orad account were from Knappco, payable to Orad. The checks from Knappco, payable to Orad, were all signed by petitioner, presumably in her capacity as controller of Knappco. Every check drawn on the Orad account was endorsed by petitioner. There was no activity in the Orad account from August 1985 until May 1986, when petitioner endorsed a check payable to herself for $ 1,300, leaving a balance in the account of $ 13.69. Thereafter, there was no activity from June 1986 through January 1987, when the account was closed by the bank for failure to pay service charges.

Orad did not file a Form 1065, U.S. Partnership Return of Income, for tax year 1985.

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1995 T.C. Memo. 528, 70 T.C.M. 1175, 1995 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 522, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clifton-v-commissioner-tax-1995.