Joe Pokawa & Nancy Fatoma v. Commissioner

2017 T.C. Memo. 186
United States Tax Court·Decided September 21, 2017·No. 9920-16·Unpublished

Opinion

T.C. Memo. 2017-186

UNITED STATES TAX COURT

JOE POKAWA AND NANCY FATOMA, Petitioners v.

COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent

Docket No. 9920-16. Filed September 21, 2017.

Joe Pokawa and Nancy Fatoma, pro sese.

Marty Jane Dama, for respondent.

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

THORNTON, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners’

2013 and 2014 Federal income tax of $37,210 and $15,897, respectively.

[*2] Respondent further determined penalties pursuant to section 6662(a) of $7,244 and $2,193 for tax years 2013 and 2014, respectively.1 The issues for decision are: (1) whether petitioners are entitled to deductions claimed on Schedules C, Profit or Loss From Business, greater than respondent has allowed; (2) whether petitioners are entitled to deductions for unreimbursed employee business expenses and mortgage interest and points as claimed on Schedules A, Itemized Deductions; (3) whether petitioners are entitled to dependency exemption deductions; (4) whether petitioners are entitled to education credits; (5) whether petitioners are liable for the section 72(t) additional tax on premature distributions from a qualified retirement plan; and (6) whether petitioners are liable for accuracy-related penalties pursuant to section 6662(a).2

1 All section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the years at issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure, unless otherwise indicated. Monetary amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.

2 Respondent made additional adjustments that are merely computational and depend upon our resolution of the remaining issues. We do not discuss the computational adjustments further. In addition, the adjustment in the notice of deficiency for “XXX-XX-3272” for 2013 of $1,500--which the parties have not addressed--appears to duplicate the computational adjustment for the education credit for 2013 of $1,500; we expect the Rule 155 computations will so reflect.

[*3] FINDINGS OF FACT The parties have stipulated some facts, which we incorporate by this reference. When they timely petitioned the Court, petitioners resided in Texas.

During the years at issue Ms. Fatoma was employed as a nurse aide. She earned wages of $10,023 in 2013 and $8,159 in 2014.

At the start of 2013 Mr. Pokawa was employed by AT&T, but he lost that job later in the year. He earned wages of $53,114 from AT&T in 2013 and $5,984 from Ad Susman & Associates, Inc., in 2014.

After losing his job with AT&T Mr. Pokawa withdrew money from a retirement account to invest in various business activities. The withdrawals were reported on Forms 1099-R, Distributions From Pensions, Annuities, Retirement or Profit-Sharing Plans, IRAs, Insurance Contracts, etc. The Forms 1099-R reported gross distributions of $83,480 and $12,448 for 2013 and 2014, respectively, and indicated distribution code 1 for an early distribution with no known exception. In 2014 Mr. Pokawa turned 49 years of age.

In 2013 Mr. Pokawa operated a business called United Banquet Hall. He began operating United Banquet Hall as early as 2010 and realized a net loss for each year of operation.

[*4] During 2013 and 2014 Mr. Pokawa operated a tax return preparation business, 1st Class Tax Services, out of his home. He began operating that business as early as 2008, but 2013 was the first year for which he reported any profit.

During 2013 and 2014 Mr. Pokawa also operated a business called Sierra Outreach Center (sometimes referenced in the record as Sierra (Leone) Outreach Center). Through September 2013 Sierra Outreach Center was at an address on Broadway Boulevard in Garland, Texas. In October 2013 Sierra Outreach Center moved to a location on National Drive, also in Garland, Texas. Mr. Pokawa described the Sierra Outreach Center as a furnished warehouse that he rented for meetings. The Sierra Outreach Center began operating as early as 2012 and realized a net loss for each year of operation.

During 2014 Mr. Pokawa briefly, “for like a week or month”, operated an Uber driving business.3

3

Mr. Pokawa testified that he had to purchase a car in order to begin the Uber driving business but after the car “broke down because of the excessive driving, * * * [he] did not continue with it.”

[*5] During 2013 Mr. Pokawa’s daughter, H.J., who was born in 1996, resided with petitioners at their residence.4 During 2014 Mr. Pokawa’s son, A.P., who was born in 2002, resided with petitioners. Petitioners’ 2013 and 2014 Federal Income Tax Returns Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for 2013 and 2014 reporting income from wages, unemployment compensation, and pensions and annuities. Petitioners also reported Schedule C losses for 2013 and 2014 of $68,080 and $5,132, respectively. Schedule C Expenses Petitioners attached three Schedules C to their 2013 return. The 2013 Schedule C for United Banquet Hall reported no gross income and total expenses of $7,765, including expenses for, among other things, contract labor, rent or lease of other business property, and rent or lease of vehicles, machinery, and equipment. The 2013 Schedule C for 1st Class Tax Services reported gross income of $12,256 and total expenses of $9,190 for, among other things, advertising, car and truck, and meals and entertainment. The 2013 Schedule C for Sierra Outreach Center reported gross income of $3,060 and total expenses of

4 The Court refers to minor children by their initials. See Rule 27(a)(3).

[*6] $66,441 for, among other things, car and truck, contract labor, rent or lease of other business property, and utilities.

Petitioners also attached three Schedules C to their 2014 return. The 2014 Schedule C for 1st Class Tax Services reported gross income of $35,056 and total expenses of $14,426 for, among other things, commissions and fees, rent or lease of other business property, and utilities.5 The 2014 Schedule C for Sierra Outreach Center reported gross income of $7,146 and total expenses of $24,315 for, among other things, car and truck, rent or lease of other business property, and utilities. The 2014 Schedule C for the Uber driving business reported gross income of $442 and total expenses of $9,035 for, among other things, car and truck. Itemized Deductions On Schedules A for 2013 and 2014 petitioners claimed itemized deductions for, among other things, mortgage interest and unreimbursed employee business expenses. For 2013 petitioners claimed a deduction of $3,846 for mortgage interest, and for 2014 they claimed a deduction of $5,421 for mortgage interest and mortgage insurance premiums.

5 Unlike the corresponding 2013 Schedule C, petitioners’ 2014 Schedule C for 1st Class Tax Services did not include deductions for car and truck expenses.

[*7] For 2013 and 2014 petitioners reported unreimbursed employee business expenses of $20,891 and $9,678, respectively. Petitioners attached to their 2013 return two Forms 2106, Employee Business Expenses, one for Mr. Pokawa and one for Ms. Fatoma. Mr. Pokawa’s 2013 Form 2106 reported unreimbursed employee business expenses of $8,089, comprising vehicle expenses, parking fees and tolls, travel expenses while away from home, other business expenses, and meals and entertainment.6 Ms. Fatoma’s 2013 Form 2106 reported unreimbursed employee business expenses of $5,217, comprising vehicle expenses, parking fees and tolls, other business expenses, and meals and entertainment. The 2013 Schedule A included an additional $7,585 that was not reported on the 2013 Forms 2106. Petitioners attached to their 2014 return a single Form 2106 for Ms. Fatoma which reported unreimbursed employee business expenses of $5,238, comprising vehicle expenses, parking fees and tolls, other business expenses, and meals and entertainment. The 2014 Schedule A included an additional $4,440 that was not reported on Ms. Fatoma’s 2014 Form 2106.

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Joe Pokawa & Nancy Fatoma v. Commissioner, 2017 T.C. Memo. 186 (tax 2017).

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