Cullen v. Commissioner

1992 T.C. Memo. 516, 64 T.C.M. 673, 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 551
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 8, 1992
DocketDocket No. 14690-90
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1992 T.C. Memo. 516 (Cullen 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
Cullen v. Commissioner, 1992 T.C. Memo. 516, 64 T.C.M. 673, 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 551 (tax 1992).

Opinion

BILLY B. CULLEN, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Cullen v. Commissioner
Docket No. 14690-90
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1992-516; 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 551; 64 T.C.M. (CCH) 673;
September 8, 1992, Filed

*551 Decision will be entered for respondent.

For Billy B. Cullen, pro se.
For Respondent: Derek Matta.
GUSSIS

GUSSIS

MEMORANDUM OPINION

GUSSIS, Special Trial Judge: This case was heard pursuant to the provisions of section 7443A(b)(3) and Rules 180, 181, and 183. All section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the year in issue. All Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure, unless otherwise indicated.

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner's Federal income tax for 1987 in the amount of $ 3,083 and additions to tax under section 6653(a)(1)(A) in the amount of $ 154 and under section 6653(a)(1)(B) in the amount of 50 percent of the interest due on that portion of the deficiency attributable to negligence. The issues presented are: (1) Whether an $ 8,675 payment made to petitioner in 1987 represented compensation for services; (2) whether petitioner is liable for self employment tax; (3) whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax under section 6653(a)(1)(A) and (B); and (4) whether petitioner is subject to the section 6673 penalty.

Some of the facts have been stipulated and they are so found. The stipulation of facts*552 and attached exhibits are incorporated by this reference. Petitioner resided in Corpus Christi, Texas, at the time the petition herein was filed.

During the 1987 tax year petitioner was employed by both Oxford Services, Inc. (Oxford), and Sunrise Vending Co. (Sunrise). He received $ 5,790.41 in gross wages from Oxford and $ 3,060 in gross wages from Sunrise. Petitioner also received an $ 8,675 payment from his father for work performed on his ranch. Although petitioner included his wages from Oxford and Sunrise on his 1987 Federal income tax return, he did not include the payment he received from his father.

Section 61(a)(1) provides, in pertinent part, that gross income includes compensation for services. Section 102(a) excludes from income the value of property acquired by gift. Respondent determined that the $ 8,675 payment made to petitioner by his father was includable in petitioner's gross income as compensation for services performed on his father's ranch. Petitioner maintains that although he performed work for his father, for which he was paid, the payment was a gift. The controlling factor in determining whether a payment is a gift or compensation is the transferor's*553 intent. Commissioner v. Duberstein, 363 U.S. 278, 285-286 (1960). Petitioner bears the burden of proof. Rule 142(a); Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111 (1933). There is nothing whatever in the record that even remotely would suggest that the payment at issue was intended as a gift. In fact, it readily appears that petitioner's father regarded this payment as nonemployee compensation and it was so reported to the Internal Revenue Service. Moreover, petitioner even describes the payment of $ 8,675 as wages for labor. We conclude on this record that the payment of $ 8,675 is includable in petitioner's taxable income for 1987 as compensation. We further conclude on this record that the compensation paid to petitioner represents self-employment income subject to the self-employment tax imposed by section 1401(a). Respondent is sustained.

Petitioner also makes several arguments which are in the tax protester category. Petitioner argues that the Secretary of the Treasury failed to properly delegate his authority to assess and collect taxes to respondent. Specifically, petitioner contends that because Treasury Department Order No. 150-10, *554 which delegated the Secretary's assessment authority to respondent, was not published in the Federal Register as required by the Federal Register Act, 44 U.S.C. secs. 1501-1511 (1988), and the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. secs. 551-559 (1988), the notice of deficiency issued to him by respondent is invalid.

These same arguments were considered and refuted in Stamos v. Commissioner, 95 T.C. 624 (1990), affd. 956 F.2d 1168 (9th Cir. 1992). In Stamos, we concluded that the failure to publish Treasury Department Order No. 150-10 in accordance with the Federal Register Act or the Administrative Procedure Act did not invalidate the Secretary's delegation of his authority to issue statutory notices of deficiency to respondent. We based our conclusion on the following reasons: (1) Delegation orders are essentially rules of internal agency/management procedures which do not affect the rights and obligations of citizens; (2) section 552 of 5 U.S.C.

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Related

Welch v. Helvering
290 U.S. 111 (Supreme Court, 1933)
Commissioner v. Duberstein
363 U.S. 278 (Supreme Court, 1960)
Robert P. Wilcox v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
848 F.2d 1007 (Ninth Circuit, 1988)
United States v. Mathnay (Harvey Ernest)
956 F.2d 1168 (Ninth Circuit, 1992)
Bixby v. Commissioner
58 T.C. 757 (U.S. Tax Court, 1972)
Rowlee v. Commissioner
80 T.C. No. 61 (U.S. Tax Court, 1983)
Neely v. Commissioner
85 T.C. No. 56 (U.S. Tax Court, 1985)
Kellogg v. Commissioner
88 T.C. No. 10 (U.S. Tax Court, 1987)
Stamos v. Commissioner
95 T.C. No. 44 (U.S. Tax Court, 1990)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1992 T.C. Memo. 516, 64 T.C.M. 673, 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 551, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cullen-v-commissioner-tax-1992.