Gillum v. Commissioner

1990 T.C. Memo. 105, 59 T.C.M. 1, 1990 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 107
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 1, 1990
DocketDocket No. 25161-87
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1990 T.C. Memo. 105 (Gillum 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
Gillum v. Commissioner, 1990 T.C. Memo. 105, 59 T.C.M. 1, 1990 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 107 (tax 1990).

Opinion

CARY E. GILLUM, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Gillum v. Commissioner
Docket No. 25161-87
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1990-105; 1990 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 107; 59 T.C.M. (CCH) 1; T.C.M. (RIA) 90105;
March 1, 1990
Ernest A. Conner, for the petitioner.
Gary D. Kallevang, for the respondent.

SCOTT

*105 MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

SCOTT, Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner's income tax for the calendar year 1983 in the amount of $ 24,859 and additions to tax under sections 6651(a)(1), 1 6653(a)(1) and 6661 in the amounts*109 of $ 4,593.50, $ 1,242.95 and $ 6,214.75, respectively. Respondent also determined an addition to tax under section 6653(a)(2) in the amount of 50 percent of the interest on the entire deficiency. Some of the issues raised by the pleadings have been disposed of by agreement of the parties, leaving for our decision, (1) whether petitioner's activity with respect to certain property he owned was an activity not engaged in for profit within the meaning of section 183 and (2) whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax under section 6653(a)(1) and (2) and section 6661.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are found accordingly.

Cary E. Gillum (petitioner), who resided in Mesquite, Texas at the time his petition in this case was filed, filed a Federal income tax return, Form 1040, with the Internal Revenue Service at Austin, Texas for the calendar year 1983 on August 16, 1984.

Petitioner is a physician actively engaged in the practice of medicine. In*110 September 1982, he bought 3.2 acres of land improved with a 10,000 square foot, metal, clear span airplane maintenance facility with an attached shed for office space (the airport facility) for $ 140,000. Petitioner purchased this property from his brother for $ 20,000 cash and the assumption of three notes. At approximately the same time, petitioner acquired, also from his brother, all the outstanding shares of stock of Royal Aviation Services Inc. (Royal), a Texas corporation, which elected to be taxed as a subchapter S corporation under section 1361. Petitioner was the sole shareholder of Royal from the time of his acquisition of its stock through the time of the trial of this case. Royal was in the business of servicing, fueling, and repairing general aviation aircraft. When petitioner acquired the corporate stock and the airport facility, Royal was operating its business in the airport facility and *106 continued to operate at that facility through the time of the trial of this case in September 1988. When petitioner acquired the stock of Royal it was primarily repairing aircraft that had been damaged. It was not operating profitably at the time, but petitioner was*111 of the opinion that if Royal did more servicing and fueling and minor repair work, it could be operated profitably.

The facility purchased by petitioner was adjacent to and had access to the runways of the Hudson Airport which was owned and operated by the city of Mesquite, Texas. Mesquite, Texas is close to Dallas, Texas on the east side. Prior to purchasing the airport facility and the stock of Royal, petitioner had been negotiating for the purchase of some other land adjacent to the airport facility. When petitioner acquired the airport facility in September 1982, he was aware that the winter months in Texas were slow months for general aviation, but expected the business of Royal to pick up in 1983. There was a decline in the general economy in Texas in 1983. Improvements to the runways of the Hudson Airport in 1983 blocked access of planes to Royal's business for part of the year, causing some reduced sales.

Petitioner became active in the Mesquite, Texas Chamber of Commerce and sought to induce favorable policies from the Hudson Airport Board which controlled the airport by familiarizing himself with the deliberations of the Mesquite City Council. He also sought to*112 have the ad valorem taxes on the airport facility reduced by making regular appearances before the Dallas County Appraisal District. Petitioner utilized some equipment that he owned to improve the parking area at the airport facility by spreading gravel he received free from the Hudson Airport over that facility. He also made other minor improvements such as the installation of concrete aprons and tie-downs.

The only economically feasible use of the airport facility was as a facility for making repairs to planes, selling fuel and doing routine maintenance of aircraft. It possibly would have been suitable for storing aircraft, but this would not have been the best use of the facility. Royal had to have a facility comparable to the airport facility in order to operate. The airport facility owned by petitioner was the only feasible facility at Hudson Airport for the operation of Royal's business.

Petitioner permitted Royal to use the airport facility rent free and without a formal lease agreement from the time he acquired the facility through the time of trial of this case. It was petitioner's intention to enter into some form of lease agreement with Royal providing for a payment*113 of rent by Royal for use of the airport facility when Royal's operations became profitable. Petitioner preferred to keep the airport facility in his individual name, rather than placing it in Royal's name, to keep the airport facility free of any liabilities that Royal might incur in connection with its airplane repair business. The airplane repair business is a high risk operation. Sometime subsequent to the year here involved, petitioner investigated renting of the airport facility to an unrelated party, but did not complete the negotiations when he decided not to discontinue Royal's operations.

On February 10, 1987, income tax returns for an S corporation, Forms 1120, were filed by Royal for the calendar years 1983, 1984 and 1985.

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Bluebook (online)
1990 T.C. Memo. 105, 59 T.C.M. 1, 1990 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 107, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gillum-v-commissioner-tax-1990.