HERNANDEZ v. COMMISSIONER

2003 T.C. Summary Opinion 144, 2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 145
United States Tax Court·Decided October 1, 2003·No. No. 5488-02S·Unpublished

Opinion

RIGOBERTO CAMPOS HERNANDEZ, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
HERNANDEZ v. COMMISSIONER
No. 5488-02S
United States Tax Court
T.C. Summary Opinion 2003-144; 2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 145;
October 1, 2003, Filed

*145 PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.

Rigoberto Campos Hernandez, pro se.
Karen Nicholson Sommers, for respondent.
Pajak, John J.

Pajak, John J.

PAJAK, Special Trial Judge: This case was heard pursuant to the provisions of section 7463 of the Internal Revenue Code in effect at the time the petition was filed. The decision to be entered is not reviewable by any other court, and this opinion should not be cited as authority. Unless otherwise indicated, subsequent section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the year in issue.

Respondent determined a deficiency of $ 3,168 in petitioner's 2000 Federal income tax. This Court must decide: (1) Whether petitioner is entitled to a dependency exemption deduction for his son; (2) whether petitioner is entitled to file as head of household instead of single; (3) whether petitioner is entitled to the child care credit; and (4) whether petitioner is entitled to the earned income credit.

Petitioner resided in San Diego, California, at the time he filed his petition.

Petitioner is the father of Luis Alfaro*146 (Luis), born on December 28, 1993. Francisca Alfaro is the mother of Luis. Petitioner and Francisca Alfaro were not married.

Petitioner claimed a dependency exemption deduction with respect to Luis. Respondent disallowed that deduction.

Section 7491 does not apply because petitioner did not substantiate his deductions.

Section 151 allows a taxpayer to deduct an annual exemption amount for each dependent, as defined in section 152. Section 152(a) provides, in pertinent part, that a dependent includes a son over half of whose support in the taxable year was received from the taxpayer. Sec. 152(a)(1). In determining whether or not an individual received over half of his or her support from the taxpayer, there shall be taken into account the amount of support received from the taxpayer as compared to the entire amount of support which the individual received from all sources, including support which the individual himself or herself supplied. Sec. 1.152- 1(a)(2)(i), Income Tax Regs. Support includes food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, education, and the like. Id.

To establish that petitioner provided more than one-half of the claimed dependent's support, he must first*147 show by competent evidence the total amount of support furnished by all sources for the year in issue. Blanco v. Commissioner, 56 T.C. 512, 514 (1971). Petitioner has not offered competent evidence of the total amount of support provided for his son in 2000. Aside from his testimony, petitioner presented no evidence to corroborate or substantiate any of the claimed support expenses, other than the child support payments. Without proper substantiation, the Court cannot conclude from the record that more than one-half of the support of the claimed dependent was provided by petitioner. Thus, petitioner has failed to establish that he provided over half of the total support for his son. Accordingly, we hold that petitioner is not entitled to claim his son as a dependent under section 151. Respondent's determination as to this issue is sustained.

Respondent determined that petitioner's filing status should be changed from head of household to single. Section 2(b), in relevant part, defines head of household as an unmarried taxpayer who maintains as his home a household which constitutes for more than one-half of such taxable year the principal place of abode of a son. Sec. *148 2(b)(1)(A)(i). Petitioner did not prove that his son had the same principal place of abode for more than one-half of 2000. The son had the mother's address on his school records. Petitioner paid court-ordered child support for his son to Francisca Alfaro, the mother. The Court gave petitioner an additional 30 days to submit support for his position. Petitioner failed to provide such support. Because we find that Luis did not have the same principal place of abode as petitioner for more than one-half the year in 2000, we find that petitioner may not claim head of household filing status. We sustain respondent's determination as to this issue.

Petitioner claimed a child tax credit of $ 223 for 2000, which respondent disallowed.

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HERNANDEZ v. COMMISSIONER, 2003 T.C. Summary Opinion 144, 2003 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 145 (tax 2003).

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Related

Blanco v. Commissioner
56 T.C. 512 (U.S. Tax Court, 1971)