Hargis v. Comm'r

2016 T.C. Memo. 232, 112 T.C.M. 681, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 229
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 21, 2016
DocketDocket No. 14716-15.
StatusUnpublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2016 T.C. Memo. 232 (Hargis 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.

Bluebook
Hargis v. Comm'r, 2016 T.C. Memo. 232, 112 T.C.M. 681, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 229 (tax 2016).

Opinion

BOBBY R. HARGIS AND BRENDA J. HARGIS, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Hargis v. Comm'r
Docket No. 14716-15.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 2016-232; 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 229; 112 T.C.M. (CCH) 681;
December 21, 2016, Filed

Decision will be entered for respondent.

*229 Craig S. Lair and Betsy Turner, for petitioners.
Ann Louise Darnold, for respondent.
COHEN, Judge.

COHEN
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

COHEN, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies of $153,782 and $127,984 in petitioners' Federal income tax for taxable years 2009 and 2010, respectively. The issues for decision are: (1) whether Bobby Hargis (petitioner) had sufficient basis in his S corporations to allow him to deduct the losses generated by those entities in tax years 2007 through 2010; (2) if petitioner did *233 have sufficient basis to deduct the losses, whether he materially participated in the operations of the S corporations during the years in issue, so that the losses passed through to him from the corporations should be treated as losses from nonpassive activities; (3) if petitioner's losses with respect to the S corporations should be allowed as deductions and treated as nonpassive, whether the income or losses of petitioner Brenda Hargis (Brenda Hargis), derived from her ownership interests in several LLCs, should also be treated as nonpassive because the rental activities of the LLCs may be grouped with the activities of the S corporations; and (4) whether Brenda Hargis*230 had sufficient basis in her ownership interests in two of the LLCs to allow her to deduct her pro rata shares of losses from those entities for tax years 2009 and 2010.

Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the years in issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated, and the stipulated facts are incorporated in our findings by this reference. Petitioners resided in Arkansas at the time they filed their petition.

*234 Background on Petitioners' Businesses

Petitioner and Brenda Hargis are a married couple who over the years have earned a living by participating in various aspects of the nursing home industry. During the years 2007 through 2010, petitioner was the 100% owner of several Arkansas corporations whose primary business was the operation of nursing homes (operating companies). Each of petitioner's operating companies elected to be treated as a small business corporation pursuant to section 1362.

The operating companies themselves did not own any of the real property, facilities, or equipment they used in operating the nursing homes. In the case of*231 each nursing home operation, these necessary assets were held by an LLC (nursing home LLCs), which would lease them to petitioner's operating company for a monthly payment. Brenda Hargis was a 25% or less member in each of the nursing home LLCs that rented property to petitioner's operating companies and in several others that owned and rented property to operating companies other than petitioner's.

The role of the operating companies was to manage the day-to-day business of running the nursing homes. For each nursing home petitioner hired a licensed administrator to supervise and direct all operational aspects of the facility daily, including patient admissions and discharges, patient billing, nursing services, food *235 services, housekeeping, and facility upkeep and maintenance. Petitioner spoke with the administrators at his facilities over the phone at least weekly, and he held meetings quarterly with all the administrators he employed in a given region. As owner of the operating companies, petitioner was consulted about and approved all hiring decisions for key positions at the nursing homes, met with the homes' vendors and approved new vendor contracts, and approved all business*232 purchases that exceeded $500.

Petitioner also personally visited the nursing homes operated by his operating companies once or twice a month. Petitioner had past experience working as a nursing home inspector for a State agency, and during his visits he would physically walk through and inspect the facilities to ensure they met safety standards. When petitioner found that maintenance repairs were needed, he would order and oversee their completion. During his in-person visits petitioner would also have conversations with and evaluate the performance of staff members, check the quality of the food being served to patients, and review the businesses' costs with the administrators.

From 2007 to 2010, petitioner was also an employee of Cooper Administrative Services (CAS). CAS was owned by Jim Cooper (Cooper), who was also a member of the same nursing home LLCs as Brenda Hargis. CAS*236 contracted with petitioner's operating companies and was paid monthly a fixed percentage of the nursing homes' gross revenues to provide a range of accounting, payroll, and billing and collection services to the businesses. CAS provided these services to nursing home businesses other than petitioner's and also*233 provided to such businesses information and guidance related to industry trends, regulatory compliance, and risk management.

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Bluebook (online)
2016 T.C. Memo. 232, 112 T.C.M. 681, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 229, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hargis-v-commr-tax-2016.