Harmon v. Commissioner

1980 T.C. Memo. 506, 41 T.C.M. 361, 1980 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 81
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 13, 1980
DocketDocket No. 3253-78.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1980 T.C. Memo. 506 (Harmon 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
Harmon v. Commissioner, 1980 T.C. Memo. 506, 41 T.C.M. 361, 1980 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 81 (tax 1980).

Opinion

SIDNEY SHIRLEY HARMON, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Harmon v. Commissioner
Docket No. 3253-78.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1980-506; 1980 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 81; 41 T.C.M. (CCH) 361; T.C.M. (RIA) 80506;
November 13, 1980, Filed

*81 Held, value of lodging furnished to P by his employer is includable in his gross income during the years in issue since he failed to meet all the requirements for exclusion under sec. 119, I.R.C. 1954.

Sidney Shirley Harmon, pro se.
T. Keith Fogg, for the respondent.

SIMPSON

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

SIMPSON, Judge: The Commissioner determined deficiencies in the petitioner's Federal income taxes of $338.00 for 1974, $535.00 for 1975, and $731.00*82 for 1976. The only issue for decision is whether the petitioner must include in gross income the value of lodging furnished to him by his employer during the years in issue.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated, and those facts are so found.

The petitioner, Sidney Shirley Harmon, resided in Salem, Ore., when he filed his petition in this case. He and his wife filed Joint Federal income tax returns for 1974, 1975, and 1976 with the Internal Revnue Service.

During the years in issue, the petitioner was a dentist employed by the Oregon State Mental Hospital (the hospital) is Salem, Ore. In October 1969, shortly after he began his employment with the hospital, he moved into Cottage 24 on the grounds of the hospital, where he lived during the years in issue. The cottage had five rooms, plus a kitchen, a utility porch, and a one-car garage. During the years in issue, the basic furnishings of the cottage included a range, garden tools, intercom (telephone), fireplace set, hamper and screen, drapes, hot water heater, laundry tubs, T.V. antenna, and a brick patio. When the petitioner was offered the job by the State, his supervisor did not tell him that he*83 had to live on the hospital grounds, and he was not required to be available for duty at all hours.During the years in issue, the hospital also employed another dentist who did not live on the hospital grounds. Neither the petitioner nor the other dentist was restricted in his activities after normal working hours, although both were subject to being called in case of an emergency.

The petitioner paid a monthly base rental of $113 for his residence and an additional $20 per month for basic furnishings. The rental charge included utilities and services. In 1972, the State made an appraisal of the fair market rental of Cottage 24 and determined such rental value to be $190 per month, which included utilities and services. The State made another appraisal of the fair market rental value of Cottage 24 in 1977, when it found such value to be $300 per month, including utilities and services. The 1977 appraisal report indicated that the petitioner was entitled to a rent deduction for State housing because his presence there was "Not Required but [an] Advantage to Reduce Vandalism."

In his notice of deficiency, the Commissioner determined that the petitioner received additional unreported*84 income as a result of his use of Cottage 24. To compute the fair rental value of the cottage during the years in issue, the Commissioner relied on the 1972 and 1977 appraisals by the State, and he prorated the increase in rental value over the intervening years. Thus, he found the monthly rental value, including utilities and services, to be $234 in 1974, $256 in 1975, and $278 in 1976. He increased the petitioner's income during the years in issue by the difference between such rental values and the rental payments made by the petitioner.

OPINION

The only issue for decision is whether the petitioner must include in his gross income for the years in issue the difference between the fair rental value of Cottage 24 and the rent paid by him for such living accommodations.

Gross income, as defined by section 61 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, 1 includes all income from whatever source derived, including compensation for services. If services are paid for other than in money, the fair market value of the property or services taken in payment must be included in income as compensation. Giesinger v. Commissioner, 66 T.C. 6 (1976). It*85 is clear that, in the present case, the lodging furnished to the petitioner constituted compensation for services rendered by him. Indeed, his testimony indicated that the State used the housing it provided him as compensation for the lower salary he received compared to dentists working for other western States. Therefore, the fair rental value of such lodging must be included in the petitioner's gross income unless properly excludable under section 119. See Commissioner v. Duberstein, 363 U.S. 278 (1960); Commissioner v. LoBue,

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Related

Commissioner v. LoBue
351 U.S. 243 (Supreme Court, 1956)
Commissioner v. Duberstein
363 U.S. 278 (Supreme Court, 1960)
Olkjer v. Commissioner
32 T.C. 464 (U.S. Tax Court, 1959)
Heyward v. Commissioner
36 T.C. 739 (U.S. Tax Court, 1961)
Dole v. Commissioner
43 T.C. 697 (U.S. Tax Court, 1965)
McDonald v. Commissioner
66 T.C. 223 (U.S. Tax Court, 1976)
Giesinger v. Commissioner
66 T.C. 6 (U.S. Tax Court, 1976)

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Bluebook (online)
1980 T.C. Memo. 506, 41 T.C.M. 361, 1980 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 81, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harmon-v-commissioner-tax-1980.