Hartman v. Commissioner

1977 T.C. Memo. 63, 36 T.C.M. 268, 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 375
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Hartman v. Commissioner. Read the opinion of the Court — 65 T.C. 542
United States Tax Court·Decided March 14, 1977·No. Docket No. 7309-72.·Unpublished

Opinion

RAYMOND M. HARTMAN, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent.
Hartman v. Commissioner
Docket No. 7309-72.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1977-63; 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 375; 36 T.C.M. (CCH) 268; T.C.M. (RIA) 770063;
March 14, 1977, Filed

*375 Held, Federal reserve notes are dollars for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code. Held further, petitioner's constitutional rights have not been violated. Held further, respondent's reconstruction of petitioner's income and the additions to tax sustained.

Raymond M. Hartman, pro se.
Joseph M. Abele, for the respondent.

STERRETT

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

STERRETT, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner's Federal income taxes as follows:

Addition to TaxAddition to Tax
UnderUnder
YearDeficiencySection 6651(a)(1)Section 6653(a)
1969$4,016.24$1,004.06$200.81
19703,779.10944.78188.96

*376 The issues for decision are: (1) whether petitioner's receipt of Federal reserve notes constituted taxable income to him; (2) if so, whether respondent's reconstruction of petitioner's income was erroneous; (3) whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax under sections 6651(a) and 6653(a), I.R. C., 1954; and (4) whether respondent's actions violated petitioner's constitutional rights.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Raymond M. Hartman, hereinafter, petitioner, resided in Beaver, Pennsylvania at the time he filed his petition herein.

For his taxable year 1969 petitioner filed a Form 1040 dated April 15, 1970 on which he stated only his name, address, occupation, social security number, and filing status (single). On a single sheet attachment he stated that no other information was being furnished based on the "common law, Declaration of Independence, United States and Pennsylvania Constitutions," and on various sections of the United States Code. Under date of May 8, 1971 petitioner submitted a document he wished to be considered as part of his 1969 return together with $20 (which petitioner termed "fiat paper"). The document comprises photocopies of portions of a Form 1040, arguments*377 that dollars are bogus and that the Federal Reserve System contravenes the United States Constitution. On page 4 petitioner states:

The money of account of the United States as expressed in Dollars or Units, dimes or tenths, cents or hundreths, and mills or thousandths, as coined by Congress with Congress fixing the Standard of weights and measures thereof for the year in question are as follows:

Gold Eagles, Units or DollarsNo. $
Silver DollarsNo. 90$ ?
Silver Half DollarsNo. 176$ ?
Silver QuartersNo. 956$ ?
Silver Half DimesNo. $
NicklesNo. 1900$ ?
Pennies or CentsNo. 1000$ ?
Silver DimesNo. 195700$ ?

TOTAL INCOME AS EXPRESSED IN MONIES OF ACCOUNT OF THE U.S. $ . 1

*378 The document contains nothing relevant to petitioner's income or deductions for 1969.

Under date of April 15, 1971, petitioner submitted a document to the internal revenue service which he requested to be considered as his 1970 income tax return. This document is virtually identical to that dated May 8, 1971. On page 4 of the April 15 document petitioner states:

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Hartman v. Commissioner, 1977 T.C. Memo. 63, 36 T.C.M. 268, 1977 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 375 (tax 1977).

1977 T.C. Memo. 63 (Hartman v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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