McFarland v. Commissioner

1992 T.C. Memo. 440, 64 T.C.M. 374, 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 463
United States Tax Court·Decided August 4, 1992·No. Docket No. 28246-90·Unpublished

Opinion

ROBERT H. McFARLAND AND GEORGIA W. McFARLAND, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
McFarland v. Commissioner
Docket No. 28246-90
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1992-440; 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 463; 64 T.C.M. (CCH) 374;
August 4, 1992, Filed

*463 Decision will be entered under Rule 155.

For Robert H. McFarland, pro se.
For Respondent: Frank M. Schuler.
COUVILLION

COUVILLION

MEMORANDUM OPINION

COUVILLION, Special Trial Judge: This case was heard pursuant to section 7443A(b) (3) 1 and Rules 180, 181, and 182.

Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners' Federal income taxes of $ 1,305 and $ 1,361, respectively, for 1987 and 1988. The issues for decision are: (1) Whether petitioners are precluded, under section 265(a) (1), from deducting a portion of the expenses incurred by Robert H. McFarland (petitioner) as a minister to the extent such expenses are allocable to a parsonage allowance which is excluded from gross income under section 107(2); and (2) whether, in the computation of self-employment tax under section 1401, net earnings from self-employment include income excluded from gross income*464 under section 107.

Some of the facts were stipulated and are so found. Petitioners, husband and wife, resided at Topeka, Kansas, at the time they filed their petition.

Petitioner is an ordained minister and has been pastor for 33 years at the Reformed Presbyterian Church at Topeka, Kansas. His only income during the years at issue came from his ministry. Mrs. McFarland earned income from the Topeka Public Schools during the 2 years at issue. Petitioners filed joint income tax returns for 1987 and 1988.

Petitioner reported his activity as a minister as a trade or business on Schedule C of petitioners' income tax returns. Petitioners did not include as gross income the parsonage allowance petitioner Robert H. McFarland received from his congregation.

Petitioner's congregation did not provide petitioners with a home. Petitioners owned their home but had an agreement with the congregation for the receipt of amounts in addition to petitioner's salary for parsonage. The parties stipulated that $ 10,280 and $ 12,285 represented petitioner's parsonage allowance, respectively, for 1987 and 1988. Respondent agrees that these amounts are excludable from gross income under section*465 107(2). The parties further stipulated to petitioner's Schedule C ministerial income and expenses for 1987 and 1988, which differed from the amounts set out in the notice of deficiency:

19871988
Income (exclusive of the
  parsonage allowance)$ 28,829$ 27,300
Expenses:
Car$ 4,173$ 2,978
Utilities126--  
Dues147387
Books243--  
Computer240145
Telephone--  4,9293223,832
Net profit$ 23,900$ 23,468

Respondent determined that portions of the agreed expenses shown above are not deductible under section 265(a) (1) to the extent such expenses are allocable to petitioners' parsonage allowances, which are excluded from gross income under

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McFarland v. Commissioner, 1992 T.C. Memo. 440, 64 T.C.M. 374, 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 463 (tax 1992).

1992 T.C. Memo. 440 (McFarland v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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41 T.C. 465 (U.S. Tax Court, 1964)