Cox v. Commissioner

1977 T.C. Memo. 360, 36 T.C.M. 1435, 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 79
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 11, 1977
DocketDocket No. 7792-75.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1977 T.C. Memo. 360 (Cox 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
Cox v. Commissioner, 1977 T.C. Memo. 360, 36 T.C.M. 1435, 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 79 (tax 1977).

Opinion

ROBERT L. COX, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Cox v. Commissioner
Docket No. 7792-75.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1977-360; 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 79; 36 T.C.M. (CCH) 1435; T.C.M. (RIA) 770360;
October 11, 1977, Filed

*79 Held, the amount of allowable deductions for child care, medical care, business expenses, and personal exemptions, determined. Held, further, the addition to tax of sec. 6653(a), I.R.C. 1954, for negligence, imposed.

Robert L. Cox, pro se.
Milton J. Carter, Jr., for the respondent.

SIMPSON

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

SIMPSON, Judge: The Commissioner determined a deficiency of $2,400.50 in the petitioner's 1972 Federal income tax and an addition thereto of $120.03 under section 6653(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. 1 Due to concessions by the petitioner, the only issues remaining for decision are: (1) Whether he is entitled to claim Robert and Shannon Cox and Traci Easter as dependents; (2) whether he is entitled to deduct the costs of child care provided to Lisa and Kenneth Cox and Traci Easter; (3) whether he is entitled to deduct the medical expenses he claims to have paid on behalf of Edith Easter; (4) whether the petitioner is*82 entitled to a deduction for business expenses in excess of the amount allowed by the Commissioner; and (5) whether any part of the petitioner's underpayment was due to negligence or intentional disregard of the rules and regulations within the meaning of section 6653(a).

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated, and those facts are so found.

The petitioner, Robert L. Cox, resided in Phoenix, Ariz., when he timely filed the petition herein. He filed his 1972 Federal income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service, Ogden, Utah.

During 1972, the petitioner was an insurance agent affiliated with the New York Life Insurance Company. In April 1972, he purchased a Hermes typewriter, which he believes cost $492. In May 1972, he had personal stationery printed, which he used in his insurance business. He estimates that such stationery cost $375, and such price apparently included the cost of the plates. During the trial of this case in December 1976, the petitioner still had some of the stationery. The petitioner paid a part-time typist to set up*83 and type certain standard letters on his new stationery. From May through December 1972, he employed a typist 2 or 3 days a week at an hourly rate of $1.25 or $1.50 an hour. He usually paid such amounts by check, but he did not save his cancelled checks, nor did he use them in computing the deduction he claimed for such expense. During 1972, the petitioner also incurred advertising expenses in connection with his insurance business. Seventy-five percent of such advertising expenses was paid by New York Life Insurance Company. The total cost of such advertising was approximately $225. Finally, the petitioner paid dues of $35 to NALU, a professional organization.

Sometime prior to 1970, while the petitioner was in the military, he began dating Edith Easter. After they had dated for about 3 months, the petitioner decided to end the relationship, but within 3 weeks thereafter, Edith told him shw was pregnant. In 1970, Edith gave birth to their daughter, Lisa Cox. Although the petitioner had been living with Edith, he moved out sometime prior to October 1970 because of certain difficulties, but he returned in October 1970. Shortly thereafter, Edith became pregnant again and, *84 in June 1971, gave birth to their son, Kenneth. Between June and September 1971, Edith was having medical problems requiring her to have major surgery in September 1971. After the surgery, Edith was found to have cancer, and during the latter part of 1971 and January of 1972, she received cobalt treatments. The petitioner estimates Edith's medical costs to total $2,700, in addition to a surgeon's fee of $500, all of which was paid in 1972 except for $100 paid in 1971 to secure her release from the hospital. In 1971, Edith was employed by a legal aid office until May when she took a leave of absence in preparation for the birth of her child. She resumed working in April or May 1972.

Until August 1972, the petitioner lived with Edith Easter and their children Lisa and Kenneth Cox in Phoenix, Ariz. Also residing in that household was Traci Easter, a child Edith had with another man. Although the petitioner considered Edith to be his common law wife prior to and throughout the year in issue, he never married her in a religious or civil ceremony. Nothing of record suggests that the petitioner and Edith Easter ever lived together in any State other than Arizona. Due to various*85 difficulties, in August 1972, the petitioner left the home he shared with Edith and the three children and moved into an apartment. He continued to see all three children; they spent about 25 percent of the time with him and 75 percent of the time with Edith.

Throughout 1972, Lisa and Kenneth Cox and Traci Easter were sent to a nursery. The petitioner paid the cost of such child care through August 1972 and thereafter frequently reimbursed Edith for the cost of such care. The total cost of child care for the three children was $2,220.

The petitioner was also the father of two other children--Robert and Shannon Cox.

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Bluebook (online)
1977 T.C. Memo. 360, 36 T.C.M. 1435, 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 79, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cox-v-commissioner-tax-1977.