Lenward C. Hood and Barbara P. Hood v. Commissioner

115 T.C. No. 14
United States Tax Court·Decided August 25, 2000·No. 4160-97, 4161-97·Unknown

Opinion

115 T.C. No. 14

UNITED STATES TAX COURT

LENWARD C. HOOD AND BARBARA P. HOOD, Petitioners v.

COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent

HOOD’S INSTITUTIONAL FOODS, INC., Petitioner v.

COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent

Docket Nos. 4160-97, 4161-97. Filed August 25, 2000.

H operated a sole proprietorship, and later incorporated HIF, which assumed the business of the sole proprietorship. H was sole shareholder and president, and indispensable to the success, of HIF. After HIF was incorporated, H was indicted and tried for criminal tax evasion and false declaration arising from the alleged failure to report income from the sole proprietorship. HIF paid legal fees for H’s defense of the criminal charges.

Held, the facts of the instant cases are not materially distinguishable from the facts of Jack’s Maintenance Contractors, Inc. v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1981-349, revd. per curiam 703 F.2d 154 (5th Cir. 1983). In light of the reversal by the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, we reconsider our holding.

Held, further, because the payment of legal fees primarily benefited H, it is a constructive dividend to H and not deductible by HIF. To the extent Jack’s Maintenance Contractors, Inc. v. Commissioner, T.C.

Memo. 1981-349, is inconsistent with this holding, it is not followed.

Held, further, because the legal fees were Mr.

Hood’s obligation, HIF may not deduct the expenses of another; Lohrke v. Commissioner, 48 T.C. 679 (1967), distinguished. To the extent Jack’s Maintenance Contractors, Inc. v. Commissioner, supra, is inconsistent with this holding, it is not followed.

Philip L. Kellogg, for petitioners.

Alan R. Peregoy, for respondent.

GALE, Judge: These cases were consolidated for trial, briefing, and opinion. Respondent determined the following deficiencies and accuracy-related penalties for petitioners Lenward C. and Barbara P. Hood’s 1991 (calendar) taxable year and for petitioner Hood’s Institutional Foods, Inc.’s, taxable year ended June 30, 1991:

Sec. 6662(a)

Petitioner Deficiency Penalty

Lenward C. & Barbara P. Hood $4,385 $877 Hood’s Institutional Foods, Inc. 41,196 8,239

Unless otherwise indicated, 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 remaining issues for decision are:

(1) Whether petitioner Hood’s Institutional Foods, Inc.

(HIF), may deduct legal fees it paid to defend its sole shareholder, petitioner Lenward C. Hood, against criminal tax evasion and false declaration charges that arose from the tax reporting for Mr. Hood’s sole proprietorship, the business of which was later assumed by HIF. We hold that it may not.

(2) Whether petitioners Lenward C. Hood and Barbara P. Hood must include in income the amount of such legal fees paid by HIF during calendar year 1991. We hold that they must.

(3) Whether HIF is liable for the section 6662(a) accuracy-

related penalty with respect to the deduction of legal fees. We hold that it is not liable.

FINDINGS OF FACT

At the time of the filing of the petitions, petitioners Lenward C. Hood and Barbara P. Hood resided in Ft. Washington,

1 Petitioner Hood’s Institutional Foods, Inc. (HIF), concedes that it is not entitled to a $2,442 deduction claimed in 1991 for vehicle expenses paid on behalf of Mrs. Hood and that the resulting underpayment is subject to a sec. 6662(a) penalty. Petitioners Lenward C. and Barbara P. Hood concede that their taxable income should be increased by $1,206 in 1991 due to a constructive dividend from HIF representing Mrs. Hood’s vehicle expenses and that the resulting underpayment is subject to a sec. 6662(a) penalty.

Maryland, and petitioner HIF maintained its principal place of business in the District of Columbia.

From 1978 through June 30, 1988, Mr. Hood owned and operated a sole proprietorship in the District of Columbia under the trade name “Hood’s Institutional Foods”. The sole proprietorship engaged in the sale of food, paper and plastic goods, and related products to institutional customers, primarily governmental entities. Mr. Hood incorporated HIF on May 3, 1988. Commencing July 1, 1988, through the time of trial, the business formerly conducted by Mr. Hood as a sole proprietorship was conducted by HIF. Mr. Hood was, at all relevant times, the sole shareholder of HIF. Further, Mr. Hood supervised and managed all aspects of the business conducted through the sole proprietorship and later by HIF. He was solely responsible for computing bid amounts, negotiating bid amounts, and deciding whether or not to bid for particular jobs. His assistants made no important decisions without consulting him. When he took vacations, he spoke frequently with his assistants by telephone. In short, Mr. Hood was indispensable to the continued successful operation of HIF.

There was no written agreement executed by Mr. Hood and HIF setting forth HIF’s assumption of the assets and liabilities of the sole proprietorship. However, HIF paid all of the sole proprietorship’s accounts payable and received payment on the sole proprietorship’s accounts receivable. Mr. Hood caused the

bank account of the sole proprietorship to be transferred to the name of HIF.2 In November 1990, Mr. Hood was indicted on two counts of criminal tax evasion under 26 U.S.C. sec. 7201 (1994) and two related counts of criminal false declaration under 26 U.S.C. sec. 7206(1) (1994). The allegations in the indictment related solely to the operation of, and Schedule C reporting of income from, the sole proprietorship for calendar years 1983 and 1984. Neither HIF nor Mrs. Hood was charged in the indictment. After a jury trial in May 1991, Mr. Hood was acquitted on all counts. During its taxable year ended June 30, 1991, HIF paid $103,187.91 in legal fees incurred in Mr. Hood’s defense and deducted this amount on its return for that year. At the end of its June 30, 1991, taxable year, HIF had retained earnings of $247,593. HIF declared no dividends during that year.

Prior to Mr. Hood’s indictment, respondent had issued a notice of deficiency to Mr. and Mrs. Hood (not at issue in these cases) in which respondent determined that there were deficiencies and civil fraud additions to tax applicable in each of the Hoods’ taxable years 1983 through 1986, based on the operation of the sole proprietorship in those years. After Mr. Hood’s acquittal, Mr. and Mrs. Hood entered into a settlement

2 Previously, a substantial check had been drawn on this account to cover a security deposit and certain conversion costs for premises leased to HIF.

agreement with respondent in which it was agreed that Mr. and Mrs. Hood were liable for deficiencies and civil fraud additions to tax for, inter alia, tax years 1983 and 1984, the amount of which was paid by Mr. Hood personally.3 In separate statutory notices of deficiency issued to HIF and to the Hoods, respondent determined that HIF was not entitled to deduct the legal fees incurred during HIF’s taxable year ended June 30, 1991, to defend Mr. Hood (i.e., $103,187.91) and that Mr. and Mrs. Hood received a constructive dividend equal to the legal fees paid by HIF during calendar year 1991; namely, $86,279.

OPINION

The central issue in these cases is whether HIF may deduct the legal fees it paid for Mr. Hood’s defense against criminal tax evasion and false declaration charges arising from Mr. Hood’s reporting of the Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business, income of a predecessor sole proprietorship. Respondent contends that HIF may not deduct the legal fees because their payment constitutes a constructive dividend to Mr. Hood and they otherwise do not qualify as ordinary and necessary business

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