Dreicer v. Commissioner

1979 T.C. Memo. 395, 39 T.C.M. 233, 1979 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 132
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 24, 1979
DocketDocket No. 5407-76.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 1979 T.C. Memo. 395 (Dreicer 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
Dreicer v. Commissioner, 1979 T.C. Memo. 395, 39 T.C.M. 233, 1979 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 132 (tax 1979).

Opinion

MAURICE C. DREICER, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Dreicer v. Commissioner
Docket No. 5407-76.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1979-395; 1979 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 132; 39 T.C.M. (CCH) 233; T.C.M. (RIA) 79395;
September 24, 1979, Filed

*132 P traveled around the world allegedly to obtain material for a book about dining and tourism. Over a number of years, he incurred substantial losses from his endeavor, and in no year did he make a profit. Although he wrote a manuscript, he never secured nor vigorously pursued its publication. P had substantial income from other sources which allowed him to sustain his losses. Held, based on all the facts and circumstances, P's activity was not conducted for profit within the meaning of sec. 183, I.R.C. 1954.

Jerome Kamerman and Steven Kamerman, for the petitioner.
Arthur H. Boelter, for the respondent.

SIMPSON

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

SIMPSON, Judge: The Commissioner determined deficiencies in the petitioner's Federal income taxes of $13,133.55 for 1972 and $16,047.33 for 1973. The petitioner has conceded certain issues, and the only issue remaining for decision is whether the petitioner's activity of traveling around the world allegedly to obtain material for his manuscript was an "activity * * * not engaged in for profit" within the meaning of section 183(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. 1

FINDINGS OF FACT

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

The petitioner, Maurice C. Dreicer, is a United States citizen who maintained his residence in the Canary Islands, Spain, when he*135 filed his petitioner herein. He filed his individual Federal income tax returns for 1972 and 1973 with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Holtsville, N.Y.

The petitioner has had a diversified career and has pursued many endeavors over the years. He began his career in radio in 1938, when he was engaged in the origination and sale of radio programs. He created such radio programs as "Where Are You From," "The Speech Master," "Verbal Dynamics," and "The Quincy Howe Show." The petitioner acted as the host of some of these programs, and he was also a pioneer in the television industry.

In the 1950s, the petitioner decided to focus his activities on writing and consulting on tourism and dining. To promote his activities, he originated the Dreicer Awards, an award he gave to restaurants and chefs of special merit. He did not receive any compensation from the recipients of the awards; he felt that the recipients' publicizing the award was sufficient compensation for him. In 1955, the petitioner's book, The Diner's Companion, was published by Crown Publisher's Inc. (Crown). The book contained the petitioner's opinions of various restaurants throughout the world, as well as general*136 advice on dining. However, The Diner's Companion was not a commercial success, and in 1963, Crown lowered its original price in an attempt to sell the remaining books. The petitioner then purchased the remaining books from Crown, and since that time, he has sold about 50 to 100 copies of his book each year by his own efforts. The petitioner's total royalties from Crown for sales of The Diner's Companion was approximately $643, based on 1,645 sales of the book.

During the late 1950s and continuing into the 1960s, the petitioner procured promotional arrangements with various businesses in order to obtain more publicity for his endeavors. He was designated a consultant to Buitoni Macaroni Corporation, the Arthur Guinness & Sons Company, Carling-Jenkler Company, and Western Hills Hotel. During this period, he also wrote a column for Travel Agent magazine and lectured at various travel organizations. In 1961, he made a commercial for Quilmes Brewery in Argentina. There is no evidence that he received cash compensation from any of these activities; he felt sufficiently compensated by the publicity that he may have secured from them. He also continued to develop ideas for radio and*137 television programs, although on a much-reduced level than in earlier years.

During the 1970s, the petitioner was designated a consultant on food products for the Charles Brady Associates Establishment, a firm which provides commercial distribution of products to military commissaries, exchanges, and clubs. He was occasionally paid for the promotional services he provided for such firm. The petitioner also continued to write articles on tourism and dining. In 1972, he wrote an article about Marbella, Spain, which was published there in a local newspaper; but he received no compensation for the article. Then in 1973, he wrote an article that appeared in The Canary Islands Sun ad an article about Florida restaurants that appeared in The Blade, Toledo, Ohio. The petitioner received $35 for the article in the Toledo newspaper. During the years in issue, he also continued to revise old and develop new ideas for radio and television programs; but the petitioner has not sold any of such ideas since 1955.

The petitioner first conceived the idea of "searching for the perfect steak" as the topic for a book sometime in the mid-1950s, about the time he decided to write The Diner's Companion. *138 He intended his second book to be a general compilation of the information, impressions, and reminiscences he accumulated over his lifetime.

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Related

Dreicer v. Commissioner
78 T.C. No. 44 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
1979 T.C. Memo. 395, 39 T.C.M. 233, 1979 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 132, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dreicer-v-commissioner-tax-1979.