Jones v. Commissioner

1989 T.C. Memo. 616, 58 T.C.M. 689, 1989 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 616
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Jones v. Commissioner. Read the opinion of the Court — 97 T.C. 7
United States Tax Court·Decided November 14, 1989·No. Docket No. 4357-88·Unpublished

Opinion

GEORGE H. AND BETTY A. JONES, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Jones v. Commissioner
Docket No. 4357-88
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1989-616; 1989 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 616; 58 T.C.M. (CCH) 689; T.C.M. (RIA) 89616;
November 14, 1989
John C. Klotsche,for the petitioners.
James F. Prothro, for the respondent.

KORNER

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

KORNER, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies in and additions to petitioners' Federal income tax as follows:

Additions to Tax
YearDeficiencySec. 6653(a)(1) 1Sec. 6653(a)(2)
1981$  7,355$   368 *
198237,5131,876 *
198337,0311,852 *

The issues for decision are: (1) whether petitioners erroneously deducted certain expenses of living abroad in 1981; (2) whether petitioners erroneously excluded foreign earned income and housing cost amounts in 1982 and 1983, and, if so, whether they are entitled to an additional foreign tax credit for each of those years; (3) whether petitioners improperly failed to report*618 as income certain employer allowances in 1981; (4) whether petitioners improperly failed to report as income a State of Alaska Permanent Fund distribution in 1982; and (5) whether petitioners are subject to the section 6653(a)(1) and 6653(a)(2) additions to tax for 1981, 1982 and 1983.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts and exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioners, George H. and Betty A. Jones, resided in Carrollton, Texas, when they filed the petition in this case. Their timely filed joint Federal income tax returns for calendar years 1981, 1982, and 1983 employed the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting.

George H. Jones (hereinafter petitioner) is a U.S. citizen who was employed as an airline pilot during the years at issue. In 1971 he entered into an employment agreement with International Air Service Company, Ltd. (IASCO), a California corporation in the business of furnishing flight crew personnel to aircraft operators. By the terms of that agreement, and pursuant to a contract between IASCO and Japanese Air Lines Company, Ltd. (JAL), petitioner was*619 assigned to JAL, flying out of its Tokyo, Japan base.

Petitioner served with JAL, based in Japan, through March 1972, and between January 1973 and March 1974. From March 1974 until March 1980, he worked out of JAL's Anchorage, Alaska base. Beginning in 1980, and continuing through the years at issue, petitioner once again served with JAL, working out of its Tokyo base.

During each of the years 1981, 1982 and 1983, petitioner spent less than 165 nights in Japan, staying at various rooms in the Hotel Nikko Narita, approximately two miles from his base airport. He paid a daily rate at the hotel, checked in and out in accordance with his schedule, and left his personal belongings in storage at the hotel when away.

Petitioner paid both Japanese 2 and U.S. Federal income taxes for the years at issue. He held a Japanese multi-entry visa, as well as driver licenses issued by the State of Alaska and Japan. He owned no car in Japan, but occasionally rented; two cars in the United States were co-titled in his name.

*620 During this period, petitioner maintained no bank account in Japan and held no Japanese-based credit cards. He did maintain joint bank accounts with his wife in Anchorage, Alaska, and San Antonio, Texas, and held U.S.-based credit cards. His paychecks from IASCO were directly deposited in the San Antonio account.

During the years at issue, petitioners co-owned a townhouse in Anchorage, and built and subsequently rented out a house in San Antonio. Although he participated in certain recreational activities in Japan and was friendly with a group of co-workers of IASCO at the hotel, petitioner was not integrated into the Japanese community. Petitioner was registered to vote in the State of Alaska and voted absentee in United States elections.

During 1981, 1982, and 1983, petitioner's wife and children lived in the United States. Mrs. Jones resided at petitioners' townhouse in Anchorage, Alaska, as did petitioners' youngest daughter, until attending college in Texas.

On their 1981 joint Federal income tax return petitioners claimed a deduction of $ 5,590 under section 913, attributable to certain expenses of living abroad. On their 1982 and 1983 joint Federal income tax returns*621 petitioners claimed exclusions of $ 76,050 and $ 81,272, respectively, under section 911, of foreign earned income and housing cost amounts. In this notice of deficiency respondent disallowed petitioners' entire 1981 section 913 deduction, their entire 1982 section 911 exclusion and $ 80,886 of petitioners' 1983 section 911 exclusion.

Petitioners also claimed foreign tax credits in 1982 and 1983 of $ 1,230 and $ 2,923, respectively.

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Jones v. Commissioner, 1989 T.C. Memo. 616, 58 T.C.M. 689, 1989 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 616 (tax 1989).

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