Riley v. Commissioner

74 T.C. 414, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 129
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 27, 1980
DocketDocket No. 10896-76
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 74 T.C. 414 (Riley 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
Riley v. Commissioner, 74 T.C. 414, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 129 (tax 1980).

Opinion

Tannenwald, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner’s Federal income taxes for the years 1973 and 1974 in the amounts of $1,311 and $2,373.68, respectively. The issues for decision are (1) whether petitioner was a bona fide resident of Canada during the taxable years in question and may, therefore, exclude from gross income under section 911(a)(1)1 his earnings as a teacher in Canada during those years, and (2) if not, whether amounts expended by petitioner for food and lodging in Canada are deductible under section 162(a)(2) as traveling expenses incurred while away from home in pursuit of a trade or business.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts are stipulated. The stipulations of facts, together with the exhibits attached thereto, are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioner Paul V. Riley, a citizen of the United States, was a resident of West Chester, Pa., at the time he filed the petition herein. He filed his 1973 Federal income tax return with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Philadelphia, Pa., and his 1974 return with the Office of International Operations, Service Branch, in Washington, D.C. His filing status on those returns was “married filing separately.”

From January 1969 to July 1972, petitioner was a graduate student in world religions at Temple University in Philadelphia. In February 1972, petitioner enrolled as a Ph.D. candidate in the religion program at Temple University. He resigned from that program in December 1976.

Petitioner was employed as a “Child Care III Worker” at Wiley House in Bethlehem, Pa., from May 1972 to December 1972. Thereafter, from January 1973 to April 1973, petitioner was a substitute teacher in the Centennial School District, Warminster, Pa.

While petitioner was a graduate student at Temple University from January 1969 to July 1972, he resided with his wife at 1946 N. Broad Street in Philadelphia. From July 1972 until April 1973, petitioner and his wife resided at 129 Centennial Road in Warminster, Pa.

In April 1972, petitioner met the head of the Department of Religious Studies of Memorial University of Newfoundland (hereinafter Memorial), St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Petitioner indicated to him that he was not, at that time, interested in being considered for a teaching appointment at Memorial because he was pursuing his doctorate degree at Temple University. After petitioner and his wife visited Memorial in October 1972, however, petitioner accepted an appointment as a lecturer in the department of religious studies at Memorial at a salary of $11,000 per year, beginning September 1, 1973. Petitioner was obligated to teach any two of the three semesters in the academic year. His appointment was provisional, i.e., untenured, and was for a period of 2 years, subject to renewal. Subsequently, petitioner agreed to start teaching on May 1, 1973, 4 months earlier than he had originally agreed.

On April 25, 1973, petitioner left his job in Warminster, separated from his wife, and departed from their residence in Warminster to which he never returned. His wife moved to a new address. He took with him all of his possessions, including an automobile and utility trailer. His library, consisting of 19 crates of books, was shipped to Newfoundland in advance of his departure from the United States. Petitioner crossed from the United States into Canada on April 26, 1973.

Petitioner’s wife remained in the United States. Petitioner and his wife were subsequently divorced pursuant to proceedings which terminated in January 1978.

Petitioner entered Canada under a 1-year nonimmigrant employment visa, renewable annually. Petitioner renewed the visa for another year upon its expiration in April 1974. On his original visa, petitioner signed a statement to the effect that he was applying “for permission to work in Canada as a nonresident.”

For the first month after his arrival in St. John’s, Newfoundland, petitioner lived in a university dormitory. From June 1, 1973, through October 31, 1973, petitioner lived in an apartment in St. John’s. He then moved to an outlying community of St. John’s, The Goulds, where he remained until April 30, 1974. Thereafter, he returned to St. John’s and lived in an apartment under an annual rent contract covering the period May 1, 1974, to April 30, 1975. Petitioner left that apartment to return to the United States 6 days before the expiration date of that contract.

Petitioner made several friends in the town and university communities in St. John’s. He served as vice president of the Newfoundland Epilepsy Association and was a member of the Consumers’ Association of Canada, the Record Club of Canada, St. John’s Orienteering Club, and, in 1974, Oxfam Canada, a charitable organization. He also belonged to Memorial’s Faculty Association, where he served on the membership committee, the Memorial Faculty Staff Club, and the Memorial Judo Club. Petitioner took a course at Memorial from January 1975 to April 1975.

Petitioner performed services for the Canadian Broadcasting Co. in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on September 24, 1973, and received $48.80 as compensation.

Petitioner subscribed to three Canadian publications while in Canada — Canadian Consumer, Time Magazine (Canada), and Reader’s Digest of Canada — while continuing his subscriptions to several U.S. publications. Petitioner had a Canadian social insurance card.

While in Canada, petitioner had a provincial driver’s license and provincial vehicle registrations and licenses for his automobile and trailer. From April 20, 1973, to April 20, 1974, petitioner carried a Canadian nonresident motor vehicle liability insurance card. From June 6, 1974, until his departure, he carried a similar card which made no reference to his residency. In compliance with Canadian law, he twice had his automobile inspected for fitness.

In the summer of 1974, after petitioner’s teaching was evaluated by the department of religious studies, petitioner was informed that his contract would not be renewed upon its expiration on August 31, 1975, and that no recommendations would be issued on his behalf unless he submitted his resignation. Petitioner resigned his post by a letter dated September 30, 1974, effective August 31, 1975. His resignation was accepted by Memorial on October 2, 1974.

After his resignation, petitioner attempted unsuccessfully to find employment which would allow him to remain in Newfoundland after he fulfilled his teaching commitments at Memorial. He mentioned to friends that he hoped to settle permanently in Newfoundland. He approached, among others, the Canadian Employment Services and Oxfam Canada, the humanitarian organization in which he was active. He also submitted his resume in response to an inquiry from the Atlantic Planning Committee. He did not succeed in finding a job. Without a permanent job, his visa could not be renewed.

During 1973 and 1974, petitioner filed Canadian income tax returns and paid Canadian income taxes.

In March 1975, petitioner had a conversation with D. W.

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Related

Bassett v. Commissioner
1988 T.C. Memo. 218 (U.S. Tax Court, 1988)
Richard v. Commissioner
1988 T.C. Memo. 217 (U.S. Tax Court, 1988)
Van Yost v. Commissioner
1982 T.C. Memo. 516 (U.S. Tax Court, 1982)
Schoneberger v. Commissioner
74 T.C. 1016 (U.S. Tax Court, 1980)
Riley v. Commissioner
74 T.C. 414 (U.S. Tax Court, 1980)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
74 T.C. 414, 1980 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 129, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/riley-v-commissioner-tax-1980.