Jungreis v. Commissioner

55 T.C. 581, 1970 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 2
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 24, 1970
DocketDocket No. 6218-69
StatusPublished
Cited by47 cases

This text of 55 T.C. 581 (Jungreis 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
Jungreis v. Commissioner, 55 T.C. 581, 1970 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 2 (tax 1970).

Opinions

OPINION

Dawson Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency of $65.24 in petitioner’s Federal income tax for the year 1967.

Petitioner has conceded two adjustments made by respondent. The only issue presented for decision is whether the petitioner is entitled to deduct under section 162(a), I.R.C. 1954,2 and section 1.162-5, Income Tax Regs., as amended in T.D. 6918, 1967-1 C.B. 36, expenses incurred in taking graduate courses while serving as a graduate teaching assistant during 1967 at the University of Minnesota.3

All of the facts have been stipulated. The stipulation of facts and supplemental stipulation of facts, together with the attached exhibits, are incorporated herein by this reference and are adopted as our findings. The pertinent facts are set out below.

Arthur M. Jungreis (herein called petitioner) was a legal resident of St. Paul, Minn., at the time he filed his petition in this proceeding. He filed Ms Federal income tax return for the year 1967 with the district director of internal revenue at St. Paul.

Petitioner received a bachelor of science degree in 1963 from the University of Michigan.

On January 26, 1965, petitioner submitted an application for a general fellowship or for appointment as a graduate teaching assistant in the Zoology Department at the University of Minnesota (herein referred to as the university). In the space provided for a statement of the applicant’s immediate and long-range occupational objectives on both the application for graduate school and the application for a fellowship, assistantship, or scholarship, petitioner stated, in part, “I have the maturity, depth and ability to successfully pursue a career in Zoology. I hope to remain in the academic community after receipt of a Ph. D.” The printed instructions at the top of the application for fellowship, assistantship, or scholarship submitted by petitioner inform the applicant, in part, that “application to the Graduate School is a prerequisite to the granting of an assistantship, fellowship or scholarship.”

On January 28, 1965, petitioner submitted an application for admission to the graduate school at the university.

Petitioner was appointed as a graduate teaching assistant in the zoology department at the university in December 1965. The appointment was on the basis of 25 percent of full-time service and covered the period from December 16,1965, to March 15,1966.

Petitioner was reappointed as a graduate teaching assistant in the zoology department at the university in March 1966. Such appointment was on the basis of 50 percent of full-time service and covered the period from March 16,1966, to June 15,1966.

Petitioner was reappointed as a graduate teaching assistant in the zoology department at the university in May 1967. Such appointment was on the basis of 50 percent of full-time service and covered the period from June 16,1967, to August 15,1967.

Petitioner completed the requirements for the master of science degree in zoology in December 1966 and received the degree in March 1967.

During the year 1967 the petitioner was a candidate for the doctor of philosophy degree in zoology at the university and was enrolled as a graduate student at the university.

Graduate teaching assistants in the zoology department at the university did not have a vote at faculty meetings in the zoology department and did not attend such meetings during 1967.

The maximum period during which a person could serve under an appointment as a graduate teaching assistant in the zoology department at the university during 1967 was 5 years.

Approximately 100 percent of the graduate teaching assistants in the zoology department at the university eventually qualify for a position as a regular full-time faculty member at some educational institution.

The minimum educational requirement for employment ‘as a regular full-time faculty member in the zoology department at the university during 1967 was a Ph. IX degree.

The zoology department at the university could not conduct its teaching activities without the employment of graduate students.

All laboratory and conference sections of the freshman zoology courses are taught by graduate teaching assistants and graduate teaching associates. Teaching assistants and teaching associates in the zoology department do not prepare or deliver any lectures. All lectures in the zoology department are prepared and delivered by permanent, full-time staff members. Classroom lectures, laboratory sections, and discussion sections are all parts of a single course in the zoology department.

During the year 1967 the minimum educational requirements for the position of graduate teaching assistant in the zoology department ■at the university was bachelor of science degree.

During the year 1967 the petitioner taught laboratory sections in comparative physiology. There were a minimum of 20 students in the section he taught. Petitioner spent from 40 minutes to 1 hour per laboratory session lecturing to these students. He spent approximately 10 hours per week preparing for the lectures he gave the students. Petitioner prepared a final laboratory examination, administered it, and graded the examination. He spent about 5 hours per week outside the class checking and grading laboratory reports. A student’s laboratory grade counted as 25 percent of his final grade in comparative physiology.

During the year 1967 an individual was required to be enrolled in or approved for admission to the graduate school at the university before he could hold an appointment as a graduate teaching assistant.

A graduate teaching assistant at the university during 1967 was required to be making satisfactory progress toward a graduate degree each academic quarter that he held an appointment in that capacity.

A graduate teaching assistant at the university during 1967 was required to pay fees for enrollment in the graduate school at the beginning of each of the academic quarters before he became eligible to receive his first payroll check for the services rendered as a graduate teaching assistant.

Appointments to positions of graduate teaching assistant were designated by the university as “nonregular.” Such appointments were regarded as temporary positions because they were not established in the university’s on-going budget and were not funded on a continuing basis. Each nonregular appointment at the university during 1967 was a single and indivisible contract. No number of appointments or reappointments to any nonregular position at tlie university during 1967 created any presumption of a right to reappointment or to indefinite tenure. Nonregular appointments at the university during 1967 terminated at the end of the period of appointment.

The term “nonregular” appointment refers to the permanence of the faculty position rather than the senior status of the faculty.

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Bluebook (online)
55 T.C. 581, 1970 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jungreis-v-commissioner-tax-1970.