McCormick v. Commissioner

1969 T.C. Memo. 261, 28 T.C.M. 1337, 1969 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 28
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 9, 1969
DocketDocket Nos. 3641-66, 3642-66.
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1969 T.C. Memo. 261 (McCormick 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
McCormick v. Commissioner, 1969 T.C. Memo. 261, 28 T.C.M. 1337, 1969 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 28 (tax 1969).

Opinion

Donald A. McCormick and Laura J. McCormick v. Commissioner. Donald A. McCormick and Edith S. McCormick v. Commissioner.
McCormick v. Commissioner
Docket Nos. 3641-66, 3642-66.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1969-261; 1969 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 28; 28 T.C.M. (CCH) 1337; T.C.M. (RIA) 69261;
December 9, 1969, Filed
Robert E. Hunter, for the petitioners. James E. Merritt the respondent and Nicholas*29 G. Stucky, for

SIMPSON

Memorandum Findings of Fact and Opinion

SIMPSON, Judge: The respondent determined deficiencies in the income taxes of the petitioners as follows:

PetitionersDocket No.YearDeficiency
Donald A. and Edith S. McCormick3642-661959$11,857.10
19608,882.22
Donald A. and Laura J. McCormick3641-6619614,405.55

The issue for decision in these cases is whether the petitioners are entitled to deduct losses incurred in connection with their maintenance and operation of two sailboats.

Findings of Fact

Some of the facts have been stipulated, and those facts are so found.

The petitioners, Donald A. McCormick and Edith S. McCormick, filed, as husband and wife, their 1959 and 1960 joint Federal income tax returns with the district director of internal revenue in San Francisco, California. The petitioners, Donald A. McCormick and Laura J. McCormick, are and Laura J. McCormick, are husband and wife and filed their 1961 Federal income tax return with the district director of internal revenue in San Francisco, California. At the time the petitions were filed in these cases, Edith S. McCormick resided in Stockton, *30 California, and Donald A. McCormick and Laura J. McCormick resided in Pebble Beach, California. Donald A. McCormick will be referred to as the petitioner.

Since 1941, the petitioner figured prominently as a principal in various business ventures. In 1941, he organized a company, which built vacuum and laboratory equipment. In 1945, he organized a company, which manufactured high-speed centrifuges. In 1950, he organized McCormick-Selph Associates (MSA) and served as its president until June 1962 and as one of its directors until sometime in 1964, when he sold his interest in MSA to Teledyne. In connection with this sale, the petitioner covenanted to the purchaser that he would not compete with it for a period of 3 years. In 1960, MSA's stock was offered to the public. MSA manufactured explosive ordnance, principally for Government defense agencies. In the period around 1960, it employed approximately 230 people and had 1338 a gross income of $1,500,000 per year. During 1964, the petitioner purchased a candle shop in Monterey and also engaged in the business of private home construction. In 1966, he organized McCormick Industries, which, like MSA, engaged in the manufacture and*31 sale of explosive ordnance.

During the years 1958 through 1965, the petitioner reported, for Federal income tax purposes, income in the following amounts from salaries, dividends and other corporate distributions, interest, and stock sales:

YearAmount
1958$ 62,897.63
195951,867.19
1960103,397.45
196132,225.00
196270,919.88
196338,007.70
1964109,204.00
1965170,860.97

On April 21, 1961, the petitioner's net worth was approximately $520,000.

In March 1959, the petitioner purchased the Bottoms Up, a 28-foot sailing sloop, for $9,851.22. After purchasing the yacht Tamarit for $40,000 in July 1960, the petitioner sold the Bottoms Up in September 1960. The Tamarit, which was approximately 70 feet long, was designed and built in 1929 by Rice Brothers of East Booth Bay, Maine, for a Spanish nobleman. It was constructed of fine woods, such as teak and mahogany. Accommodations on the Tamarit included the following: Two double cabins: main saloon with four berths, dining table, cabinets, fireplace, television set, radio, upholstered cushions, bookshelves, interior lamps, carpeting, mahogany panelled walls; bathroom with electric head, shower, and*32 wash basin; galley with four-burner range, hotwater heater, stainless steel double sink, 16 cubic foot icebox and electric ice machine, cupboards, and stowage space.

The Tamarit had the appearance of a commodious sailing yacht and not of a work boat; it was the largest sailing vessel in Monterey harbor at the time it was berthed there and had been referred to as the "class of Monterey Bay."

In 1955, the petitioner became convinced that the field of oceanography was potentially very profitable.

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Bluebook (online)
1969 T.C. Memo. 261, 28 T.C.M. 1337, 1969 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 28, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mccormick-v-commissioner-tax-1969.