Morrison v. Commissioner

1981 T.C. Memo. 617, 42 T.C.M. 1514, 1981 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 128
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 22, 1981
DocketDocket No. 14039-80
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1981 T.C. Memo. 617 (Morrison 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
Morrison v. Commissioner, 1981 T.C. Memo. 617, 42 T.C.M. 1514, 1981 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 128 (tax 1981).

Opinion

RICHARD M. MORRISON, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Morrison v. Commissioner
Docket No. 14039-80
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1981-617; 1981 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 128; 42 T.C.M. (CCH) 1514; T.C.M. (RIA) 81617;
October 22, 1981.
Richard M. Morrison, pro se.
Theodore Craft, for the respondent.

DRENNEN

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

DRENNEN, Judge: This case was assigned to and heard by Special Trial Judge Marvin F. Peterson pursuant to the provisions of section 7456(c) of the Internal Revenue Code1 and Rules 180 and 181, Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.2 The Court agrees with the adopts his opinion which is set forth below.

*130 OPINION OF THE SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE

PETERSON, Special Trial Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency of $ 8,540.22 in petitioner's 1976 Federal income tax and additions to tax of $ 1,281 and $ 994.15 pursuant to sections 6651(a)(1) and 6653(a), respectively.

The issues for decision are (1) Whether amounts embezzled by petitioner from his employer during 1976 are taxable income, and, if they are, whether petitioner is entitled to offset this embezzlement income with amounts repaid in subsequent years; and (2) whether petitioner is liable for the additions to tax under sections 6651(a)(1) and 6653(a).

FINDINGS OF FACT

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

Petitioner Richard M. Morrison (hereinafter petitioner) resided in Dorchester, Massachusetts, when he filed his petition in this case. Petitioner and his wife filed a joint Federal income tax return for 1976 with the Director, Andover Service Center, Andover, Massachusetts, on July 6, 1977.

During 1976 petitioner embezzled $ 20,500 from his employer, the New England Merchants National Bank (hereinafter Bank), and failed to report any of these embezzled funds on his 1976*131 Federal income tax return. During February 1978, petitioner executed an agreement with the Bank whereby petitioner agreed to make restitution to the Bank in the amount of $ 21,000. The payments were to be made in equal monthly installments of $ 90, beginning March 1, 1978. Petitioner has made monthly payments in accordance with the agreement, and in addition repaid a portion of the embezzled funds to the Bank during 1977. No repayments were made during 1976.

Respondent determined that petitioner is taxable in full on the amount embezzled without any reduction on account of repayments made in subsequent years.

OPINION

The primary issue is whether petitioner is taxable on the total amount of embezzled funds without regard to repayments made in subsequent years.

As a preliminary matter, we note that it is well established that embezzled funds constitute taxable income in the year of the embezzlement. James v. United States, 366 U.S. 213 (1961); Nerem v. Commissioner, 41 T.C. 338 (1963); Sec. 1.61-14(a), Income Tax Regs.*132

Petitioner's argument that he should be entitled to offset embezzlement income with amounts subsequently repaid is not based on any particular section of the Internal Revenue Code, but rather is based on what petitioner calls concepts of "fairness." Apparently, petitioner beieves that it would be unfair to tax him on amounts he has repaid his employer. However, as explained to petitioner at trial, the Internal Revenue Code is the mainspring of our jurisdiction, not general equitable principles. Hays Corp. v. Commissioner, 40 T.C. 436 (1963), affd. 331 F. 2d 422 (7th Cir. 1964), cert. denied 379 U.S. 842 (1964).

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Bluebook (online)
1981 T.C. Memo. 617, 42 T.C.M. 1514, 1981 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 128, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/morrison-v-commissioner-tax-1981.