Haag v. Commissioner

88 T.C. No. 32, 88 T.C. 604, 1987 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33
United States Tax Court·Decided March 16, 1987·No. Docket No. 2902-84·Published·Cited by 107 cases

Opinion

WILLIAMS, Judge: *

The Commissioner determined deficiencies in petitioner’s Federal income tax as follows:

Year Deficiency
1979 .$94,060.30
1980 . 72,057.91
1981 . 84,240.17

The issues we must decide are (1) whether certain income reported by petitioner’s closely held corporation during the years in issue is taxable to petitioner pursuant to section 611 and the assignment of income doctrine; and (2) whether such income is allocable to petitioner pursuant to section 482.

FINDINGS OF FACT

All of the facts have been stipúlated and, except as noted (see notes 2 and 3 infra), are so found. Petitioner Stanley W. Haag, resided at Adel, Iowa, when he filed his petition in this case. Petitioner timely filed Federal income tax returns for the taxable years 1979, 1980, and 1981.

Petitioner is a physician licensed to practice medicine in the State of Iowa. Prior to March 16, 1976, petitioner was a general partner in the Hilltop Medical Clinic (Hilltop), a partnership organized on January 1, 1967, under the laws of the State of Iowa. Petitioner joined the partnership no later than June 1971. Although the partnership agreement provides for amendment, it has not been amended to reflect the retirement or resignation of the original partners or the addition of new partners. Petitioner’s name, therefore, does not appear on any written partnership agreement.

On March 16, 1976, petitioner organized Stanley W. Haag, M.D., P.C. (the P.C.), under the Iowa Professional Corporation Act, Iowa Code, ch. 496C (1986). The P.C. subsequently adopted bylaws, opened bank accounts in its name, caused a board of directors to be elected, elected officers, and held shareholder and director meetings. Petitioner was the sole director of the P.C. Petitioner and John L. Henss2 were the officers of the P.C., and petitioner and an employee stock ownership plan were the sole shareholders. The P.C. at all times has been a validly organized and operated professional corporation under Iowa law. The P.C. is not a sham or dummy corporation and is an entity taxable apart from its owners and employees. A business purpose for the formation of the P.C. was to continue the medical practice and other businesses of petitioner. The P.C. adopted an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) and a medical reimbursement plan.

On or about March 16, 1976, petitioner assigned his interest in Hilltop to the P.C. Hilltop employed all of the partnership’s nonprofessional employees and paid office, lab, medical, and rent expenses. Hilltop also issued checks for malpractice insurance covering each partner, but charged the amounts paid to the partners’ drawing accounts. The P.C. thus paid for petitioner’s malpractice insurance.

Hilltop issued Schedules K-l to the P.C. for Hilltop’s 1979, 1980, 1981, and 1982 taxable years showing the P.C.’s distributive share of Hilltop income and its withdrawals and distributions as follows:

Withdrawals and distributions Ordinary income Year
$205,383 1979 $202,597
204,716 1980 196,287
228,802 1981 234,599
260,901 1982 251,551

Petitioner entered into an employment agreement with the P.C. on March 16, 1976. The agreement provides, in relevant part:

1. EMPLOYMENT
(a) The Corporation hereby employs the Employee to perform professional services on behalf of the Corporation and to render such services as are necessary for the Corporation to operate and maintain an establishment for * * * the practice of medicine.
* * * * * * *
(d) The Employee agrees to devote his entire time, attention, knowledge and skill to such employment and shall at all times maintain and enhance the reputation of the Corporation, its shareholders and employees and the profession, generally.

Compensation for petitioner’s services was left to the discretion of the board of directors after taking into account the P.C.’s and petitioner’s cash-flow needs.

In addition to the partnership interest in Hilltop, petitioner contributed farms and a dog kennel and breeding operation to the P.C. on March 16, 1976. In exchange for the partnership interest, professional equipment, land, the farms, and the kennel and breeding operations, the P.C. assumed certain indebtedness of petitioner ($123,500 owed to the West Des Moines State Bank), issued to petitioner 100 shares of stock with no par value but valued at the time of the transfer at $10 each, and a non-interest bearing note in the face amount of $56,085.66. The transaction qualified for nonrecognition treatment under section 351(a).

The P.C. acquired two farms from petitioner totaling 280 acres, portions of which were used for grain farming and portions for the kennel operations and related activities. At all relevant times, the P.C. owned 30 to 70 dogs. The P.C. trained hunting dogs, boarded dogs, and bred dogs. The P.C. was known for its German shorthaired pointers and German wirehaired pointers and some of its dogs were of “national quality.” Petitioner is a recognized national expert on these breeds. The P.C. also ran a shooting club on the farm property and hunters paid a fee to hunt. The farm was stocked with game birds and the P.C. operated the farm in such a way as to increase the game bird population.

The P.C.’s income from the farm, kennel, and breeding operations for the fiscal years ending February 29, 1980, February 28, 1981, and February 28, 1982, was as follows:

2/29/80 2/28/81 2/28/82
Total income $19,388.94 $11,451.38 $8,830.12
Expenses 105,814.21 84,884.71 96,887.32
Net income (86,425.27) (73,433.33) (88,057.20)

On November 28, 1978, Doc’s Renowned Restaurant, Ltd. (the Restaurant), was incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of the P.C. During all relevant periods, the P.C. and the restaurant filed consolidated Federal income tax returns. The P.C.’s net income from the restaurant for the fiscal years ending February 29, 1980, February 28, 1981, and February 28, 1982, was as follows:

2/29/80 2/28/81 2/28/82
Total income $539,663.12 ($10,589.67) $27,750.00
Costs of goods sold 430,550.41 26,585.37 0
Expenses 207,975.98 93,941.63 34,459.58
Net income (98,863.27) (131,116.67) (6,709.58)

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Haag v. Commissioner, 88 T.C. No. 32, 88 T.C. 604, 1987 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33 (tax 1987).

88 T.C. No. 32 (Haag v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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