Jorgenson v. Commissioner

2000 T.C. Memo. 38, 79 T.C.M. 1444, 2000 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 38
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedFebruary 7, 2000
DocketNo. 5041-98
StatusUnpublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 2000 T.C. Memo. 38 (Jorgenson 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
Jorgenson v. Commissioner, 2000 T.C. Memo. 38, 79 T.C.M. 1444, 2000 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 38 (tax 2000).

Opinion

ANTHONY W. JORGENSON AND FLORENCE A. JORGENSON, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Jorgenson v. Commissioner
No. 5041-98
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 2000-38; 2000 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 38; 79 T.C.M. (CCH) 1444;
February 7, 2000, Filed
*38

Decision will be entered under Rule 155.

Edward E. Hartline, for petitioners.
Susan K. Greene, for respondent.
Vasquez, Juan F.

VASQUEZ

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

VASQUEZ, JUDGE: Respondent determined the following deficiencies in and penalties on petitioners' Federal income taxes:

                    Accuracy-Related

                      Penalty

     Tax Year     Deficiency     Sec. 6662(a)

     ________     __________    ________________

      1992      $ 46,954        $ 9,391

      1993       99,939       19,988

      1994      112,241       22,448

All section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the years in issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure. After concessions, 1 the issues for decision are: (1) Whether petitioners' ranching and farming activities constituted activities engaged in for profit under section 183, and if so, whether petitioners substantiated claimed expenses from the activities; 2*40 (2) whether petitioners are entitled to deduct certain expenses associated with a rental property located in St. John, U.S.Virgin Islands (the St. John rental property); (3) whether petitioners may deduct two *39 noncash charitable contributions; and (4) whether petitioners are liable for accuracy- related penalties pursuant to section 6662(a).

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts, the supplemental stipulation of facts, and the attached exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference. At the time they filed their petition, petitioners resided in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Petitioners both practice medicine. During the years in issue, Mr. Jorgenson worked full time as an orthopedic surgeon, while Mrs. Jorgenson practiced full time as a radiologist.

Together, petitioners reported the following amounts as wages and partnership income from their medical practices during the years in issue:

              Petitioners' Wages and

               Partnership Income

     Taxable Year    From Medical Practices

     ____________    ______________________

       1992         $ 982,004

       1993          865,193

       1994          839,715

Petitioners were raised in rural communities. Mr. Jorgenson grew up on a 400-acre farm in Minnesota. On the Minnesota farm, Mr. Jorgenson's parents *41 maintained dairy and beef cattle, hogs, and chickens. In addition, Mr. Jorgenson's father planted corn and soybeans. Mr. Jorgenson's father gave him part of the family's calves, which he raised and eventually sold. Mrs. Jorgenson was born on a 750-acre ranch near Austin, Texas. On the farm, her father raised various crops. Her father also gave her various calves to manage and sell. At age 16, she left her father's Texas ranch and used the proceeds from the sale of her calves for her college and medical school education.

In late 1976, after serving in the U.S. Army, petitioners settled in Nacogdoches, Texas. Subsequent to arriving in Nacogdoches, petitioners purchased three ranches and one farm.

MELROSE RANCH

In 1978, petitioners purchased 80 acres of land situated 6 miles east of Nacogdoches, Texas (Melrose ranch), for $ 105,000. The Melrose ranch sits adjacent to petitioners' current residence near Nacogdoches, Texas. During the years in issue, petitioners rented out their current residence. Because of the Melrose ranch's small size, petitioners could not effectively conduct a ranching or farming operation on it. During the taxable years in issue, petitioners did not maintain any cattle *42 on the Melrose ranch.

CHIRENO RANCH

In 1979, petitioners purchased 510 acres of land in Chireno, Texas (Chireno ranch), which is 25 miles east of Nacogdoches, for $ 325,000. When petitioners purchased the Chireno ranch, the ranch contained minimal improvements. Petitioners constructed additional cattle pens, a pole barn, and a small metal shed. In 1992, petitioners built a one-vehicle bridge over a canal on the Chireno ranch.

Initially, petitioners, together with Mr. Jorgenson's elderly father, raised crossbred cattle. In the early 1980's, petitioners decided to breed purebred cattle and purchased a registered purebred Black Brangus herd (Brangus herd) consisting of 110 head of cattle. Between 1986 and 1989, as part of their effort to breed purebred cattle, petitioners entered into an artificial insemination program for their cattle.

Petitioners failed to make a profit on the purebred cattle operation. In June 1989, petitioners sold their Brangus herd, dismissed their ranch manager, and ceased the purebred cattle operation on the Chireno ranch.

In 1991, petitioners decided again to raise crossbred cattle. In September 1991, petitioners received 51 steers from the Colorado ranch, see infra *43 Colorado ranch, and maintained these steers on the Chireno ranch. This number of steers was far below the Chireno ranch's capacity.

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Bluebook (online)
2000 T.C. Memo. 38, 79 T.C.M. 1444, 2000 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 38, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jorgenson-v-commissioner-tax-2000.