Richards v. Comm'r

2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 2
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJanuary 14, 2002
DocketNo. 18523-99S
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 2 (Richards v. Comm'r) 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
Richards v. Comm'r, 2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 2 (tax 2002).

Opinion

GEORGE H. RICHARDS, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Richards v. Comm'r
No. 18523-99S
United States Tax Court
2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 2; 2002 T.C. Summary Opinion 3;
January 14, 2002, Filed

*2 PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.

George H. Richards, pro se.
Monica J. Miller, for respondent.
Panuthos, Peter J.

Panuthos, Peter J.

PANUTHOS, Chief Special Trial Judge: This case was heard pursuant to the provisions of section 7463 of the Internal Revenue Code in effect at the time the petition was filed. The decision to be entered is not reviewable by any other court, and this opinion should not be cited as authority. Unless otherwise indicated, subsequent section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the year in issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner's Federal income tax for the taxable year 1997 of $ 1,334. At some point before trial, petitioner conceded the adjustment in the notice of deficiency; however, each party made additional claims. The issues remaining for decision are: (1) Whether petitioner is entitled to the claimed dependency exemption deductions; (2) whether petitioner is entitled to head-of-household filing status; (3) whether*3 petitioner is entitled to the additional claimed alimony deduction; and (4) whether petitioner is entitled to the claimed Schedule C, Profit or Loss From Business, expense deductions.

Some of the facts have been stipulated, and they are so found. The stipulation of facts and the attached exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner lived in Clearwater, Florida, at the time he filed his Tax Court petition.

Background

Petitioner was employed by an architectural firm as a licensed architect during 1997. Petitioner and his wife, Virginia Richards (Ms. Richards), had three children, Matthew, Brigid, and Shannon, who in 1997 were ages 17, 13, and 11, respectively. Petitioner, Ms. Richards, and their children lived together in the marital home until July 25, 1997, when petitioner and Matthew moved out. Although Matthew moved into a new residence with petitioner in July 1997, the record is unclear as to whether Matthew continued to live with petitioner for the remainder of 1997. Ms. Richards continued to live in the marital home with Brigid and Shannon for the remainder of the year.

Ms. Richards was awarded permanent custody of all three children. Petitioner and Ms. *4 Richards were divorced in August 1998. Effective August 1, 1997, petitioner was obligated to pay $ 784.62 biweekly in alimony and $ 346.84 biweekly in child support pursuant to the terms of the Report and Recommendation of General Master on Motion for Temporary Relief (the Report) and the Order of the Pinellas County Circuit Court (the Order). Petitioner did not pay the full amount of the alimony as scheduled. The records that petitioner submitted, including a Family Law Case History from Pinellas County, photocopies of petitioner's calendar with handwritten notes and calculations, photocopies of petitioner's handwritten checking account balance sheets, and Ms. Richards's handwritten notes with photocopies of canceled checks that respondent submitted indicate that petitioner made the following alimony and child support *5 payments:

DateAlimonyChild Support
8/4/97$ 253.16$ 346.84
8/17/97437.78346.84
8/30/97---346.84
9/12/97---346.84
9/14/97346.84---
9/26/97---346.84
10/6/97253.16346.84
10/24/97---346.84
11/10/97359.63346.84
11/24/97359.63346.84
12/9/97359.63346.84
12/21/97359.63346.84
Total2,729.463,815.24

[7] In addition to*6 his employment with the architectural firm, petitioner performed architectural computer-aided design (CAD) drafting services in the evenings. During the period he resided at the marital home, petitioner performed the CAD drafting on his computer at a computer desk in a room in the marital home that he exclusively used as his home office. The square footage of the room in which petitioner performed the CAD drafting was 13 percent of the square footage of the marital home. After petitioner moved on July 25, 1997, he performed the CAD drafting in the kitchen area of each of the rental units in which he lived. Petitioner often drove from his residence to a client's office to deliver his completed work. Petitioner wanted to develop an Internet Web site to promote his CAD drafting business and to allow him to work from any location. This Web site was never completed.

Petitioner filed a 1997 Federal income tax return 1 in which he claimed, among other items, head-of-household filing status, dependency exemption deductions for his three children, and an alimony deduction of $ 2,515.

*7 Petitioner filed an amended 1997 Federal income tax return dated May 15, 2000, in which he increased the amount of his alimony deduction to $ 4,991. With his amended return petitioner included a Schedule C relating to his drafting activity on which he reported gross income of $ 3,840 and a net loss of $ 1,548.

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2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/richards-v-commr-tax-2002.