Duyet Minh Nguyen v. Comm'r

2007 T.C. Summary Opinion 80, 2007 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 83
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 23, 2007
DocketNo. 4073-06S
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2007 T.C. Summary Opinion 80 (Duyet Minh Nguyen v. Comm'r) 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.

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Duyet Minh Nguyen v. Comm'r, 2007 T.C. Summary Opinion 80, 2007 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 83 (tax 2007).

Opinion

DUYET MINH NGUYEN, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Duyet Minh Nguyen v. Comm'r
No. 4073-06S
United States Tax Court
T.C. Summary Opinion 2007-80; 2007 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 83;
May 23, 2007, Filed

*83 PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.

Duyet Minh Nguyen, pro se.
Nhi T. Luu, for respondent.
Gerber, Joel

JOEL GERBER

GERBER, Judge: This case was heard pursuant to the provisions of section 7463 of the Internal Revenue Code in effect at the time the petition was filed. Pursuant to section 7463(b), 1 the decision to be entered is not reviewable by any other court, and this opinion shall not be treated as precedent for any other case.

On November 28, 2005, respondent mailed a notice of deficiency to petitioner determining a $ 10,086 deficiency in petitioner's 2002 Federal income tax. Respondent also determined additions to tax under section 6651(a)(1) and (2) and under section 6654(a) in the amounts of $ 2,203.20, $ 1,468.80, *84 and $ 326.11, respectively. The deficiency determined by respondent was attributable to the determination that petitioner failed to file a return and/or report income from the categories of wages, interest, dividends, pension, miscellaneous income in the amount of $ 11,015 and self-employment income in the amount of $ 30,811. Petitioner has agreed to the $ 30,811.00 of self-employment income and $ 3,371.38 of wages determined by respondent but contends that he is entitled to deductions and exemptions that were not allowed or determined by respondent.

The parties' stipulated facts and exhibits are found and incorporated by this reference. Petitioner, Duyet Minh Nguyen, resided in Portland, Oregon, at the time his petition was filed in this case. During 2002 petitioner was married, and he engaged in real estate sales as an independent contractor for Oregon First, Inc. (Oregon First), a mortgage lender in Beaverton, Oregon. Petitioner was licensed to sell real estate in Oregon. During 2002, petitioner earned self-employment income in the amount of $ 30,811.50, comprising real estate sales commissions in connection with his association with Oregon First. Under an expense reimbursement*85 agreement with Oregon First, $ 17.51 of office expenses was deducted from the real estate commissions that petitioner received from Oregon First during 2002 so that he received net commissions of $ 30,793.99.

During 2002, petitioner was also employed as a loan officer by Columbia Resources, Inc. (Columbia), of Warrenton, Oregon. Petitioner received $ 3,371.38 2 in wages from Columbia for the 2002 taxable year, from which $ 294.00 of income tax was withheld.

Petitioner did not make estimated tax payments for the 2002 tax year, and he failed to file a Federal income tax return for that year. Respondent prepared a substitute return for petitioner's 2002 tax year under section 6020(b).

Respondent concedes that petitioner incurred ordinary and necessary business expenses for the taxable year 2002 for member fees and real estate listing fees in the amounts of $ 300 and $ *86 420, respectively. In reaching his determination of petitioner's 2002 income tax deficiency, respondent allowed a personal exemption and a standard deduction in the amounts of $ 3,000 and $ 3,925, respectively. During 2002, petitioner resided with his wife and two children. There remains for our consideration additional Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business, expenses claimed by petitioner in connection with his self-employment income involving the sale of real estate.

We are convinced from the record of this case that petitioner incurred expenses in the conduct of his real estate business in excess of the amount allowed by respondent. In such circumstances, even though petitioner has not fully satisfied the substantiation requirements, there is a basis on which to estimate the expenses incurred. See Cohan v. Commissioner, 39 F.2d 540 (2d Cir. 1930).

During the year 2002, petitioner incurred expenses operating an automobile in the conduct of his real estate business. Petitioner had sufficient records for us to find that he operated his automobile at least 100 miles per week, or 5,200 miles for the year, in the pursuit of his real estate business. For the taxable year*87 2002, taxpayers, who were entitled to claim use of an automobile for business purposes, could use the standard allowance of 36 cents per mile in lieu of claiming depreciation and operating expenses. Accordingly, petitioner is entitled to deduct $ 1,872 as a Schedule C business expense for 2002.

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Related

Cohan v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
39 F.2d 540 (Second Circuit, 1930)
Bebb v. Commissioner
36 T.C. 170 (U.S. Tax Court, 1961)
Frankel v. Commissioner
82 T.C. No. 26 (U.S. Tax Court, 1984)

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2007 T.C. Summary Opinion 80, 2007 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 83, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/duyet-minh-nguyen-v-commr-tax-2007.