Liddle v. Commissioner

103 T.C. No. 16, 103 T.C. 285, 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 61
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 22, 1994
DocketDocket No. 2126-92
StatusPublished
Cited by26 cases

This text of 103 T.C. No. 16 (Liddle 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
Liddle v. Commissioner, 103 T.C. No. 16, 103 T.C. 285, 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 61 (tax 1994).

Opinions

Laro, Judge:

This case was assigned to and heard by Special Trial Judge Carleton D. Powell pursuant to section 7443A(b)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and pursuant to Rules 180, 181, and 182, Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure. The case is now assigned to Judge David Laro. The Court agrees with and adopts the findings of fact of the Special Trial Judge, who reached a contrary legal conclusion.

Brian P. and Brenda H. Liddle petitioned the Court for redetermination of respondent’s determinations reflected in a notice of deficiency issued to them on November 20, 1991. The notice reflected respondent’s determination of a $602 deficiency in petitioners’ Federal income tax for 1987. Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for 1984, see infra note 3, and Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure. The term “petitioner” in the singular is used to refer to Brian P. Liddle.

Following concessions by the parties,1 the sole issue for decision is whether petitioners are entitled to the 1987 depreciation deduction that they claimed under the accelerated cost recovery system (acrs), sec. 168, on a 17th-century Ruggeri bass viol (viol) that petitioner used in his trade or business as a full-time professional musician. As discussed below, we hold that petitioners are entitled to this depreciation deduction.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulation of facts and attached exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference. Petitioners resided in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when they filed their petition.

Petitioner has played the bass viol professionally for over a decade. He studied under Roger M. Scott, principal bassist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, while a a full scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music. He has ^ 'rformed with various professional music organizations, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, the Pennsylvania ProMusica, and the Performance Organization.

The viol was built by Francesco Ruggeri (c. 1620-1695), a luthier active in Cremona, Italy. He studied stringed instrument construction under Nicoló Amati, who also instructed Antonio Stradivari. His other contemporaries include the craftsmen Guadanini and Guarneri. These artisans are members of the so-called Cremonese School of instrument makers.

Petitioner purchased the viol for $28,000 on November 8, 1984; at that time, it was in an excellent state of restoration, and had no apparent cracks or other damage. He insured the viol for its then-appraised value of $38,000. Petitioner acquired the viol with the belief that it would serve him throughout his professional career, about 30 to 40 years. However, he exchanged it for a Domenico Busan 18th-cen-tury bass viol (Busan) on May 10, 1991, that was appraised at $65,000 on the date of the exchange. Petitioner thought that the “more vocal” tonal quality of the Busan would appeal to audition committees more than the “rich, deep” sound of the viol.

The market among nonmusicians for Cremonese School instruments flourishes. Many collectors primarily seek out the “label”; i.e., the maker’s name on the instrument as verified by the certificate of authenticity. Being nonplayers, they do not overly concern themselves with the physical condition of the instrument; they have their eye only on the market value of the instrument as a collectible. As the quantity of these instruments has declined through loss or destruction over the years, the value of remaining instruments as collectibles has experienced a corresponding increase.

A stringed instrument, when used on a regular basis, must receive proper maintenance in order to preserve its tonal quality and retard the decay of the instrument. Among other things, the constant playing of a stringed instrument results in wear and tear, nicks and scratches to the exterior of the instrument, and wear to the varnish. In addition, stringed instruments lose mass due to the acidic qualities of perspiration from the performer’s hands as well as through the natural oxidation of the wood. Furthermore, the climate affects the condition of a stringed instrument; the climate changes the structural integrity of: (1) The top of the instrument, and (2) the piece of wood fitted inside the body of the instrument that supports the bridge and governs the instrument’s timbre. Some of the more significant indices of climatic wear are the opening of the instrument’s seams and the opening (or reopening) of cracks.2 While instruments of this nature are subject to the general wear and tear that instruments used by musicians experience, there is no evidence that such wear and tear exhausts the utility and value of the instruments over definite time periods. The prices of instruments similar to the viol that are properly maintained have increased over many years.

During the time relevant herein, petitioner used the viol as his primary instrument in his full-time professional work as a musician; he used it for practice, auditions, rehearsals, and performances with symphony orchestras. Petitioner’s use of the viol subjected it to wear and tear that did not reduce its economic value.

On petitioners’ joint 1987 Federal income tax return, they claimed a depreciation deduction of $3,170 with respect to the viol, under section 168.3 Respondent disallowed this deduction in full, stating in her notice of deficiency that the viol “in fact will appreciate in value and not depreciate”.

OPINION

The facts of this case are remarkably similar to the facts in the Court’s recent opinion in Simon u. Commissioner, 103 T.C. 247 (1994). In Simon, we held that the taxpayers were allowed to deduct depreciation under ACRS, sec. 168, on two 19th-century violin bows that they regularly used in their trade or business as full-time professional violinists. Due to the similarity between the instant case and Simon, our analysis and conclusion here today naturally flow from our opinion in Simon v. Commissioner, supra.

The burden of proof is on petitioners to show that respondent’s determinations set forth in her notice of deficiency are incorrect. Rule 142(a); Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111, 115 (1933). The issue that we must decide is whether petitioners are entitled to deduct depreciation under ACRS with respect to the viol.

Depreciation deductions allow a taxpayer to recover his or her investment in an income-producing asset over its useful life. United States v. Ludey, 274 U.S. 295 (1927); Macabe Co. v. Commissioner, 42 T.C. 1105, 1109 (1964). To this end, taxpayers have long been allowed to recover their investments through allocations of depreciation deductions that represent their expenses of using an income-producing asset in the different periods that are benefited by that asset. Massey Motors, Inc. v. United States, 364 U.S. 92, 104 (1960); United States v. Ludey, supra at 300-301.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Holden v. Comm'r
2015 T.C. Memo. 131 (U.S. Tax Court, 2015)
Rooney v. Comm'r
2011 T.C. Memo. 14 (U.S. Tax Court, 2011)
Leahy v. Comm'r
129 T.C. No. 8 (U.S. Tax Court, 2007)
Michael Patrick and Debye Lee Leahy v. Commissioner
129 T.C. No. 8 (U.S. Tax Court, 2007)
Tschetschot v. Comm'r
2007 T.C. Memo. 38 (U.S. Tax Court, 2007)
BROOKSHIRE BROS. HOLDING, INC. v. COMMISSIONER
2001 T.C. Memo. 150 (U.S. Tax Court, 2001)
Lykes Energy v. Commissioner
1999 T.C. Memo. 77 (U.S. Tax Court, 1999)
Norwest Corp. v. Commissioner
112 T.C. No. 9 (U.S. Tax Court, 1999)
Hospital Corp. of Am. v. Commissioner
109 T.C. No. 2 (U.S. Tax Court, 1997)
Libutti v. Commissioner
1996 T.C. Memo. 108 (U.S. Tax Court, 1996)
Selig v. Commissioner
1995 T.C. Memo. 519 (U.S. Tax Court, 1995)
Bruce Selig and Elaine Selig v. Commissioner
1995 T.C. Memo. 521 (U.S. Tax Court, 1995)
Liddle v. Comm IRS
Third Circuit, 1995
Dougherty v. Commissioner
1994 T.C. Memo. 597 (U.S. Tax Court, 1994)
Simon v. Comm'r
103 T.C. No. 15 (U.S. Tax Court, 1994)
Liddle v. Commissioner
103 T.C. No. 16 (U.S. Tax Court, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
103 T.C. No. 16, 103 T.C. 285, 1994 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 61, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/liddle-v-commissioner-tax-1994.