Lanier v. Commissioner

1966 T.C. Memo. 14, 25 T.C.M. 68, 1966 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 266
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJanuary 19, 1966
DocketDocket No. 1414-64.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1966 T.C. Memo. 14 (Lanier 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
Lanier v. Commissioner, 1966 T.C. Memo. 14, 25 T.C.M. 68, 1966 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 266 (tax 1966).

Opinion

J. Sidney Lanier and Elizabeth Lanier v. Commissioner.
Lanier v. Commissioner
Docket No. 1414-64.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1966-14; 1966 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 266; 25 T.C.M. (CCH) 68; T.C.M. (RIA) 66014;
January 19, 1966
J. Sidney Lanier, pro se. Arthur P. Tranakos and Winfield A. Gartner, for the respondent.

SCOTT

Memorandum Findings of Fact and Opinion

SCOTT, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners' income tax for the calendar years 1960 and 1961 in the amounts of $1,544.46 and $386.67, respectively and additions to tax under section 6653(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 19541 in the amounts of $77.22 and $22.03, respectively.

The issues for decision are (1) whether respondent erred in using a modification of the net worth method which he refers to as the "Application and Source" method in determining petitioners' income for each of the years here in issue; (2) if respondent*267 did not err in the method he used in determining petitioners' adjusted gross income, what is the proper amount of income so computed in each of the years here in issue; and (3) whether respondent erred in determining additions to tax for negligence in each of the years here in issue.

Findings of Fact

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are found accordingly.

Petitioners, husband and wife residing in College Park, Georgia, filed joint income tax returns for each of the years 1960 and 1961 with the district director of internal revenue, Atlanta, Georgia. On June 21, 1963, a document marked "Corrected Return" for 1960 signed by J. Sidney Lanier with the notation "for both" was mailed to the respondent's agent who had made an investigation of and report as to petitioners' income tax liability.

Petitioners' original return for 1960 reported as "Adjusted Gross Income" a loss of $522.84 and the document marked "Corrected Return" reported as "Adjusted Gross Income" a loss of $459.46. Each of these documents reported as salary received from Citizens and Southern National Bank, where Elizabeth B. Lanier (hereinafter referred to as Elizabeth) was employed during the years here*268 in issue the amount of $4,586.09 and taxes withheld of $704.55. Each of these documents contained a schedule entitled "Schedule C and Dividends, Rents, Interests, Inc.", which listed an amount of "Bank Deposits Less Borrowed Money" to which was added an amount set forth under the designation "Cash Not Deposited" which was comprised of items listed as "Rent," "Interest," and "Dividends." The total of these three items was listed as "Total Income (Not incl. salary)" and from this total was deducted items listed as "Interest Paid," "Taxes Paid," "Insurance," and "Other Expenses." Under the title "Other Expenses" an item of "Depreciation" was listed. The resultant figure on each of these schedules showed a loss slightly in excess of $5,000.00. Among the properties listed on the depreciation schedule were "407 Lyle" showing a date acquired of June 1, 1960, and a cost of $6,000 and "409 Lyle" showing a date acquired of August 1, 1960, and a cost of $6,000.

Petitioners' return for 1961 showed Elizabeth's salary as $4,672.68 with tax withheld of $720.15, a loss of $1,165.06 from "Schedule C." This schedule contained a computation prepared in substantially the same manner as the schedule*269 for 1960 entitled "Schedule C and Dividends, Rents, Interests, Inc." An adjusted gross income of $3,507.62 was reported on petitioners' 1961 return.

J. Sidney Lanier (hereinafter referred to as petitioner) is a member of the Georgia Bar and is a practicing attorney.

Respondent's determination of petitioners' taxable income for each of the years here involved is based on a computation which in effect adds to the amounts respondent determined to be increases in petitioners' assets the amounts of their personal living expenses and subtracts from this total the total of the amounts of increases in petitioners' liabilities plus adjusted gross income reported. The amount so determined by respondent is stated to be petitioners' understatement of income and respondent increases petitioners' income as reported by such amounts.

Respondent's determination was based on the following schedule of Assets and Liabilities and Personal expenses:

ASSETS12/31/5912/31/6012/31/61
Real Estate
1065 Capitol Ave.$ 3,500.00$ 3,500.00
121 Evans Drive (residence)$13,800.0013,800.0013,800.00
409 Lyle Ave.6,500.006,500.00
407 Lyle Ave.6,000.006,000.00
3273 Sims Dr. (frame duplex)10,000.0010,000.0010,000.00
616 Lyle Ave. (frame duplex)18,500.0018,500.0018,500.00
Thomson, Ga.

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Related

Courtney v. Commissioner
28 T.C. 658 (U.S. Tax Court, 1957)
Harbin v. Commissioner
40 T.C. 373 (U.S. Tax Court, 1963)
Mechanics Bank of Brooklyn v. Commissioner
9 B.T.A. 1 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1927)

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Bluebook (online)
1966 T.C. Memo. 14, 25 T.C.M. 68, 1966 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 266, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lanier-v-commissioner-tax-1966.