Dantzler v. Director, Division of Taxation

18 N.J. Tax 490
CourtNew Jersey Tax Court
DecidedJune 1, 1999
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 18 N.J. Tax 490 (Dantzler v. Director, Division of Taxation) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Jersey Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dantzler v. Director, Division of Taxation, 18 N.J. Tax 490 (N.J. Super. Ct. 1999).

Opinion

SMALL, J.T.C.

Plaintiffs-taxpayers, John and Kathleen Dantzler, dispute the assessment imposed by defendant, Director, Division of Taxation (“Director”) for additional gross income tax for the year 1992. N.J.S.A. 54A:1-1 to :9-27. Eight issues are presented for determination:

1. Are certain political expenses of Mr. Dantzler’s law partnership deductible from his taxable distributive share of partnership income?
2. Are certain miscellaneous expenses of Mr. Dantzler’s law partnership deductible from his taxable distributive share of partnership income?
3. Are certain medical insurance expenses of Mr. Dantzler’s law partnership deductible from his taxable distributive share of partnership income?
4. Are certain noiir-lOKk) pension contributions of Mr. Dantzler’s law partnership deductible from his taxable distributive share of partnership income?
5. Is interest on a loan a personal expense or a deductible business expense, when the funds were borrowed so that Mr. Dantzler could make his capital contribution to the partnership?
6. Are FICA (social security) taxes paid by Mr. Dantzler deductible expenses, or are they a tax on income under N.J.S.A 54A:5-1(b), which are specifically not deductible?
7. Can Mr. Dantzler deduct the loss on the sale of one residence fi’om the gain on the sale of another residence?
8. What is the proper credit calculation for taxes paid to California under N.J.S.A. 54A:4-1?

[493]*493The amounts involved are not substantial, and the matter submitted to the court does not involve a calculation of the specific amounts which will be made after the court renders its determination. R. 8:9-3 and -4. The facts are not substantially in dispute and were presented to the court by stipulation of facts, certifications, and a brief trial. For purposes of this litigation, the Director does not dispute the asserted facts. Thus, the dispute in this case is about the legal consequences of undisputed facts. Brill v. Guardian Life Ins. Co. of Am., 142 N.J. 520, 666 A.2d 146 (1995).

The initial deficiency assessment against the plaintiffs was $3,037. Plaintiffs made a partial payment of $1,200, on April 26, 1996, to take advantage of the Tax Amnesty Program then in effect. The parties have agreed that all that is at stake in this case is plaintiffs’ right to reduce the remaining $1,837 assessment ($3,037 assessment less $1,200 payment). The Director has further agreed that there will be no penalties assessed and that interest will be assessed on whatever portion of the $1,837 assessment is upheld.

In 1992, Mr. Dantzler was a partner with an approximate 1.5% interest in a partnership practicing law in New York, New Jersey, and other states and foreign countries (the “Partnership”). Mr. Dantzler was named in the firm’s federal Form 1065 (partnership income tax return) as the tax matters partner. The Partnership’s financial affairs were directed by a full-time director of finance and a large staff. The Partnership filed a federal Form 1065 which listed more than $70 million in expenses. That form included a Schedule K-l which showed, among other items, Mr. Dantzler’s ratable share of partnership expenses. The federal Schedule K-l was filed as a part of Mr. Dantzler’s New Jersey gross income tax return.

The Partnership timely filed a copy of its Form 1065 with the Director. The Director has not audited the Form 1065 of the Partnership or otherwise contacted the Partnership with respect to its 1992 New Jersey income tax filings.

[494]*494In accordance with the partnership agreement, Mr. Dantzler was obligated to provide approximately 1.5% of the Partnership’s capital. More than seventy-five other persons were partners in the Partnership. In accordance with the relevant partnership agreement, these partners were entitled, in the aggregate, to the remaining profits of the Partnership and were required to provide the remaining capital of the Partnership. 'Mr. Dantzler’s interest in the Partnership was sufficiently small that he was not in a position, either legally or practically, to shift personal expenditures to the Partnership or otherwise to cause the partnership to incur any expenses which were not in the ordinary and regular course of its business.

The Partnership was engaged at all times, among other things, in an extensive public finance law practice. The Partnership made a wide variety of payments that it characterized as “political contributions” described in IRC § 162(e)(1)(B). As indicated on Mr. Dantzler’s K-l, the Partnership allocated $1,149 of such payments to him.

On the Form 1065, the Partnership characterized certain items as miscellaneous and non-deductible for federal income tax I (“FIT”) purposes. As indicated on Mr. Dantzler’s K-l, the Partnership allocated $564 of such items to him.

The Partnership maintained a defined contribution plan for the benefit of its eligible partners and staff (the “Plan”). The Plan was a single plan with hundreds of participants and had both a 401(k) portion and a non-401(k) portion. Participation in the non-401(k) portion of the Plan was not voluntary and was required of all eligible partners and staff. Individual contributions by a participant to his account in the non-401(k) portion of the Plan were not allowed. The Partnership made contributions to the accounts maintained in the non-401(k) portion of the Plan for the Plan’s participants (eligible partners and staff). Each such contribution to an account for a participant was based on a specified percentage of his or her allowable compensation, subject to applicable FIT laws. The Partnership made a contribution to the Taxpayer’s account in the non-401(k) portion of the Plan of [495]*495$11,731 (the “Pension Payment”). The adoption of the Plan by the Partnership was subject to considerable controversy within the Partnership, with a fair number of partners viewing contributions to the Plan as expensive and unwise partnership expenditures.

As indicated on Mr. Dantzler’s K-l, the Partnership allocated $2,534 of medical insurance expense (the “Medical Insurance Expense”) to him. It is not known whether, or to what extent, the Medical Insurance Expense represents actual expenditures of the Partnership, and if so, how and to what extent, those expenditures related to Mr. Dantzler. The Partnership’s Form 1065 allocated the exact same amount of medical insurance expense (pro-rated in the case of one partner who died during 1992) to all but eleven partners of the Partnership, even though the Partnership included partners who were married and single, who had dependent children and did not have dependent children, and who had and did not have spouses with family insurance coverage. Five of the remaining eleven partners received lesser allocations, and six received no allocation at all. Plaintiffs paid $5,720 of medical insurance premiums, a portion of which ($4,360) were paid by the Partnership on behalf of plaintiffs with funds that the Partnership would otherwise have distributed as cash to Mr. Dantzler the Taxpayer or added on his behalf to his capital contributed to the Partnership.

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Related

Schulmann v. Director, Division of Taxation
25 N.J. Tax 573 (New Jersey Tax Court, 2010)
Reck v. Director, Div. of Taxation
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19 N.J. Tax 522 (New Jersey Tax Court, 2001)
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19 N.J. Tax 484 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 2001)
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18 N.J. Tax 598 (New Jersey Tax Court, 2000)
Dantzler v. Director, Division of Taxation
18 N.J. Tax 507 (New Jersey Tax Court, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
18 N.J. Tax 490, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dantzler-v-director-division-of-taxation-njtaxct-1999.