Folkman v. United States

433 F. Supp. 1022, 40 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5351, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15272
CourtDistrict Court, D. Nevada
DecidedJune 24, 1977
DocketCiv. Nos. R-74-122 BRT, R-74-121 BRT
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 433 F. Supp. 1022 (Folkman v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Nevada primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Folkman v. United States, 433 F. Supp. 1022, 40 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5351, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15272 (D. Nev. 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

BRUCE R. THOMPSON, District Judge.

These are civil actions brought by plaintiffs Dale W. Folkman, Judy A. Folkman, Denis E. Dehne, and Connie S. Dehne against the United States for refunds of alleged overpayments of federal income taxes, together with statutory interest paid for the years 1971 and 1972. The plaintiffs will hereinafter be referred to as “Folk-man” and “Dehne”; their wives are parties solely because they filed joint income tax returns with the plaintiffs.

For the calendar years in question, plaintiffs Folkman and Dehne timely filed joint income tax returns and paid in full the respective tax liabilities. Following individual audits of plaintiffs’ income tax returns, the Internal Revenue Service assessed additional taxes in the following amounts:

Folkman Dehne
1971 $320.00 $447.43
1972 $374.84 $516.10

These deficiencies were subsequently paid in full.

Thereupon, both Folkman and Dehne submitted to the Internal Revenue Service claims for refunds with respect to the tax assessments made for the calendar years 1971 and 1972. These claims were subsequently disallowed and these actions were timely filed on August 20, 1974.

FACTS

The pertinent facts have been stipulated and are not in dispute.

Plaintiff Folkman became employed by Pan American World Airways, Inc. (Pan Am) in January of 1966. As a result of low seniority, Folkman experienced difficulty in maintaining his proficiency as a pilot due to the marginal hours he was allowed to fly.

In order that all pilots maintain a proficiency in basic piloting skills, Pan Am encouraged its pilots to participate in several volunteer pilot training activities. In addition, Pan Am’s pilots were also encouraged to fly for the military reserve to the extent that such activities did not interfere with the commitment of time necessary to satisfy the conditions of airman employment with Pan Am.

Although Pan Am’s volunteer programs were sufficient to satisfy the minimum proficiency standards required by Pan Am, Folkman joined the Nevada Air National Guard in October, 1966. At the time that Folkman joined the Nevada Air National Guard, he was required as a condition of membership to reside in the Reno, Nevada area. As a result, Folkman moved his family to Reno in August, 1966. Prior to this time the Folkmans had resided in San Bruno, California.

From the beginning of his employment with Pan Am, up to and including the calendar years 1971 and 1972, Folkman’s principal post of duty was at Pan Am’s airline base located in San Francisco, California. At all times, including the pertinent taxable [1025]*1025years in question, Folkman’s principal post of duty while employed by the Nevada Air National Guard, was in Reno, Nevada.

The time spent by Folkman at each of the respective posts of duty varied slightly from month to month during the taxable years in question. During an average month, plaintiff Folkman would be away from his residence in Reno approximately ten to thirteen days while performing services for Pan Am. Folkman’s responsibilities with the Air National Guard usually required him to fly between four and seven days a month. Generally, Folkman was able to select the days he wanted to fly for the National Guard in order to accommodate his Pan Am schedule.

For the taxable year 1971, Folkman reported that he was away from his home in Reno approximately 155 days, 104 of which represented days Folkman rendered services for Pan Am. During that same year, Folkman rendered compensable services for the Nevada Air National Guard on 85 days. In 1972, Folkman spent nearly 124 days away from his family in Reno. Eighty of these 124 days were spent rendering services for Pan Am. Folkman, during that same taxable year, 1972, performed services for the Nevada Air National Guard on 76 days.

During 1971 and 1972, Folkman earned $27,444.69 and $27,890.16, respectively, while in the employ of Pan Am. As a pilot for the Nevada Air National Guard, Folk-man earned $4,300.10 and $4,612.39, respectively, during the taxable years in question.

After each and every trip in which Folk-man performed services for Pan Am, he would return immediately to his family residence in Reno, Nevada.

On his Federal Income Tax Returns for 1971 and 1972, Folkman deducted his transportation expenses to and from his post of duty with Pan Am and his meals and lodging expenses on the days he performed compensable services with the Nevada Air National Guard. These deductions were disallowed by the Internal Revenue Service who determined that Folkman’s primary motive for returning to Reno was personal in nature (i. e., to be with his family, and not to fly for the Nevada Air National Guard). The meals and lodging expense deductions were similarly disallowed because they were not incurred while Folkman was “away from home” and therefore not deductible as travel expenses.

Plaintiff Dehne’s claims are based on substantially similar circumstances. In July, 1967, Dehne began working for Pan Am and was assigned to the airline base in San Francisco, California. Dehne’s principal post of duty while employed with Pan Am was in San Francisco through the 1970 calendar year. Thereafter, Dehne was assigned to the Pan Am airline base at Kennedy Airport, New York City, New York. New York City remained Dehne’s principal post of duty up to and including the taxable years in question.

In December, 1967, Dehne joined the Nevada Air National - Guard as a pilot for virtually the same reasons that had prompted Folkman to join. As a result of the requirement that all Nevada Air National Guard pilots maintain their personal residence in the Reno, Nevada area, Dehne moved his family to Reno in October, 1967. Thereafter, and including the taxable years in quéstion, Dehne’s principal post of duty while a member of the Nevada Air National Guard, was Reno, Nevada.

In 1971, Dehne was away from his personal residence in Reno, Nevada for approximately 194 days, of which 164 were spent performing services for Pan Am. During that same year, Dehne rendered compensable services on 65 days to the Nevada Air National Guard. Dehne spent 121 days away from his residence in Reno in 1972. On 102 of these days, Dehne actually performed services for Pan Am. For both taxable years in question, Dehne was reimbursed by Pan Am for meals, laundry and tips on an hourly basis while he was away from Reno on trips. When Dehne was not performing services for Pan Am and not in the process of traveling to and from New York City, he was residing with his family in Reno, Nevada. On 78 of these days, in 1972, Dehne performed compensable serv[1026]*1026ices to the Nevada Air National Guard. As with Folkman, Dehne was also allowed to choose the days he wished to fly for the Nevada Guard to coordinate with his Pan Am duties in New York City. In 1971 and 1972, Dehne received compensation from Pan Am in the amounts of $20,508 and $23,408, respectively. As a pilot for the Nevada Air National Guard, Dehne received $3,479 and $4,300, respectively, for the taxable years in question.

Dehne also deducted his transportation expenses betwéen his residence in Reno and his principal post of duty in New York on his 1971 and 1972 Federal Income Tax Returns.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
433 F. Supp. 1022, 40 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5351, 1977 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15272, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/folkman-v-united-states-nvd-1977.