Peiss v. Commissioner

40 T.C. 78, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 149
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 19, 1963
DocketDocket No. 91652
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 40 T.C. 78 (Peiss 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
Peiss v. Commissioner, 40 T.C. 78, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 149 (tax 1963).

Opinion

Mulroney, Judge:

The respondent determined a deficiency in petitioners’ 1956 income tax in the amount of $1,219.45.

The issues are (1) whether all or any portion of $6,000 received by Clarence Peiss in 1956 from the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation, is includable in his gross income and (2) whether he is entitled to a deduction for the professional use of his house.

FINDINGS OP PACT

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

The John and Mary R. Markle Foundation was created in 1927 by John Markle with the stated purpose “to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge * * * and the general good of mankind.” According to the printed 1956-57 annual report the foundation was established with an initial endowment of $3 million, which was increased upon the death of the founder in 1933 to approximately $14,700,000. This printed report also states:

Until his [founder’s] death in 1933 and for a short time after, the Foundation made grants for social welfare; from 1935-47 emphasis was on grants for medical research; and from 1947 to date the major program has been Grants for Scholars in Medical Science.

Various 'brochures and pamphlets of the foundation described the operation of the Scholars in Medical Science program. In essence, it consists of a grant in the total sum of $30,000 payable $6,000 a year for 5 years to assist promising young medical school staff members to the end that they will be induced to continue their academic careers of medical research and teaching and forego careers in private practice and industrial laboratories. The stated purpose of the program for grants for scholars in medical science is set forth in the foundation’s pamphlet, as follows:

The purpose of this program is to improve medical research and education by assisting some of the promising young teachers and investigators who too often, for financial or other reasons, must forego academic careers to enter private practice or industrial laboratories. By steeling them against tempting positions outside their chosen field of academic medicine, by protecting them from being overloaded with any one type of academic responsibility, by contributing funds toward their support, the Foundation hopes to give them an opportunity to prove their ability within five years and become permanently established as research workers and teachers.

Scholars are selected by the directors of the foundation from the candidates nominated by approved medical schools with each school nominating one candidate. The number of nominations each year has varied between 45 and 62 and the number of scholars appointed annually has varied from 13 to 25. In 1955 the income of the foundation for the first time exceeded $1 million. During all of the years since the scholars in medical science program was started in 1947, the foundation has devoted most of its income in payment of the grants under that program. It handled the payments by setting up on its books an appropriation of $30,000 in favor of the newly selected Markle scholar with $6,000 to be paid July 1 of each year for 5 years. The foundation actually sent the $6,000 to the medical school of which the Markle scholar was a staff member on July 1 of each year and the school would pay the money to the scholar. The school merely gave the scholar one monthly check which included $500 of the Markle Foundation money, plus any additional salary paid out of school funds to the scholar. If the Markle scholar transferred to another medical school and became a faculty member of that school, the grant would follow to the new school, but if he should cease to be a full-time faculty member of a medical school during the 5-year period, the grant would end.

During the academic year 1952-1953, while petitioner was assistant professor of physiology at St. Louis University School of Medicine, he was awarded the John and Mary R. Maride grant.

During the academic year ended in 1954, petitioner transferred from St. Louis University to the Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University, Chicago, Ill. There he served as an assistant professor until the academic year 1955, when he became an associate professor of physiology. Petitioner was engaged in teaching and in various research projects at both St. Louis and Loyola Universities and during the years in question was not a candidate for any degree. Petitioner spent about 25 percent of his time in performing his teaching obligations as a faculty member of the Stritch School of Medicine. Petitioner was required to remain a full-time faculty member in order to receive the Maride grant but the school had no requirement that faculty members pursue research.

In the joint income tax return for 1956, which Clarence and Evelyn Peiss filed with the district director of internal revenue at Chicago, there was reported salary income received from Loyola University in the amount of $3,750.02.

Petitioner actually received in 1956 $9,750.02 in monthly checks from Loyola University (less income tax withholding) but $6,000 was from funds provided by the John and Mary R. Markle Foundation.

During 1956 petitioner resided in a house in Wilmette with his wife and one child. Petitioner used his residence in connection with his professional activities. He used his home for meetings with graduate students, to prepare lectures, and to prepare articles and manuscripts for publication in books and scientific journals. He maintained some research equipment at his home where he did a major portion of his research analysis. Petitioner also maintained a library of scientific books at his home. He was unable to perform these various activities at his office at the school because there was not sufficient time for it even in an extended working day and also because his office at the school was not separated from the research laboratory and the joint office and research laboratory was in constant use by the graduate students.

Petitioner’s status as a professor of physiology was determined by his ability and productivity as a researcher and teacher. These abilities were the primary determinants for advancement in both his professional rank and salary.

On his income tax return for that year he took a deduction in the amount of $333.05 for what he termed “Professional use of home.” Respondent’s determination of deficiency is based upon his inclusion of the $6,000 in petitioner’s gross income and his disallowance of the $333.05 as a deduction.

OPINION

Petitioner appeared pro se and tried bis case witli much skill. He first contends the $6,000 paid by the foundation was a gift and that his case is ruled by George Winchester Stone, Jr., 23 T.C. 254, where the $1,000 received by the taxpayer in 1950 from the Guggen- • heim Foundation as part of a fellowship grant was held a gift and therefore excludable from gross income under section 22 (b) (3), I.E.C. 1939.1 It can be admitted the facts of that case are much like the facts here and if the law had remained unchanged, the Stone case Avould be authority for petitioner’s position. However, when Congress enacted the 1954 Code it legislated specifically with respect to scholarship and fellowship grants in section 117.2 Frank Thomas Bachmura, 32 T.C. 1117.

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Peiss v. Commissioner
40 T.C. 78 (U.S. Tax Court, 1963)

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Bluebook (online)
40 T.C. 78, 1963 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 149, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/peiss-v-commissioner-tax-1963.