Frick v. Commissioner

1985 T.C. Memo. 542, 50 T.C.M. 1334, 1985 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 90, 6 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2536
United States Tax Court·Decided October 28, 1985·No. Docket Nos. 18651-81, 12716-82, 12717-82.·Unpublished

Opinion

C. FREDERICK AND PATRICIA B. FRICK, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL, Respondent
Frick v. Commissioner
Docket Nos. 18651-81, 12716-82, 12717-82.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1985-542; 1985 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 90; 50 T.C.M. (CCH) 1334; T.C.M. (RIA) 85542; 6 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2536;
October 28, 1985.
*90

On their tax returns for 1976, 1977, and 1978, petitioners reported income and expenses (net losses each year) from an advertising business on schedule C, as well as interest, dividends, capital gains, and rents reported on schedules B, D, and E. Petitioner-husband made contributions under a "Keogh" plan. Petitioners made three trips in 1978.

Held: (1) 1978 income tax--since petitioner-husband's only trade or business was the advertising business and it produced net losses, no deductions are allowed for Keogh plan contributions. Sec. 404(e)(1), I.R.C. 1954 (before TEFRA 1982).

(2) 1978 income tax--no investor expense deductions are allowed for the three trips ( sec. 274(d), I.R.C. 1954) or for other claimed expenses (failure to substantiate).

(3) 1977 and 1978 excise taxes--petitioner-husband is liable for 6-percent excise taxes on excess contributions to the Keogh plan. Sec. 4972, I.R.C. 1954 (before TEFRA 1982).

C. Frederick Frick and Patricia B. Frick, pro se.
Sheldon M. Kay, for the respondent.

CHABOT

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

CHABOT, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies in Federal excise taxes under section 4972(a)1, deficiencies in Federal individual *91income taxes, and an addition to tax under section 6653(a) (negligence, etc.) against petitioners as follows:

Addition to Tax
Docket No.Type of TaxYearDeficiencySec. 6653(a)
18651-81Excise 21977$879.00
12716Excise *19781,164.33
12717-82Income19783 3,355.124 $167.76

At trial, the Court granted respondent's motions for leave to amend his answers to assert (1) increased deficiencies in excise taxes in docket numbers 18651-81 and 12716-82 and (2) an increase of $1,301.58 in the deficiency in income taxes in docket number 12717-82. These cases have been consolidated for trial, briefs, and opinion.

After concessions by both sides, the issues for decision *925 are as follows:

(1) Whether petitioner-husband's investment activities constitute a trade or business, so that the profits from these activities may be taken into account in determining petitioner-husband's "earned income" for purposes of calculating the maximum permissible contributions under his "Keogh" plan for 1978.

(2) Whether petitioners are entitled to deduct all or any part of their claimed "investor expenses" for 1978.

(3) Whether petitioner-husband is liable for excise taxes (see n.2, supra) for 1976, 1977, and 1978 on account of excess contributions under his Keogh plan.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated; the stipulations and the stipulated exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference.

When the petitions were filed in the instant cases, petitioners C. Frederick Frick (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "Frick") and Patricia B. Frick, husband and wife, resided in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

On the schedule Cs attached to their tax returns for 1976, 1977, and 1978, petitioners reported income and expenses *93for an advertising activity, named Frick Service, as shown in table 1.

Table 1

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Frick v. Commissioner, 1985 T.C. Memo. 542, 50 T.C.M. 1334, 1985 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 90, 6 Employee Benefits Cas. (BNA) 2536 (tax 1985).

1985 T.C. Memo. 542 (Frick v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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