Robinson v. Comm'r

117 T.C. No. 25, 117 T.C. 308, 2001 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 56
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 19, 2001
DocketNo. 4428-98; No. 4429-98; No. 4435-98
StatusPublished
Cited by19 cases

This text of 117 T.C. No. 25 (Robinson 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
Robinson v. Comm'r, 117 T.C. No. 25, 117 T.C. 308, 2001 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 56 (tax 2001).

Opinion

Gerber, Judge:

In separate notices of deficiency, respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners’ Federal income tax and accuracy-related penalties under section 66622 for the 1992, 1993, and 1994 taxable years as follows:

Docket No. Year Deficiency Penalty sec. 6662(a)

4428-98 1992 $31,319 $6,264

1993 84,739 16,948

4429-98 1994 79,031 15,806

4435-98 1993 186,991 37,398

1994 110,602 22,120

After concessions,3 the issues remaining for our consideration are: (1) Whether respondent was barred from determining constructive dividend income for the Robinsons from their wholly owned corporation because the period for assessment of a deficiency in the corporation’s income tax had expired; (2) whether the Robinsons are liable for self-employment taxes of $5,928 for 1992 and $4,383 for 1993; and (3) whether petitioners are liable for section 6662 penalties.

FINDINGS OF FACT

At the time their petitions were filed, Oliver and Deborah Robinson were married and resided in Oakdale, California. The principal place of business of the corporate petitioners, Career Aviation Academy, Inc. (Career), and Pak West Airlines, Inc. (Pak West), was Oakdale, California, at the time their petitions were filed. Career was wholly owned by Mr. Robinson, and Pak West was wholly owned by Mrs. Robinson. Both corporations were entities subject to tax (C corporations). Career reported income on the basis of a fiscal year ending July 31, and Pak West used a fiscal year ending September 30.

During the years at issue, Career’s business was divided into two major segments: (1) Providing air freight, air charter and aircraft leasing services; and (2) purchasing and selling used aircraft and parts. Pak West came into existence in late 1992 as an air carrier providing air cargo services.

For its fiscal year ending July 31, 1992, Career timely filed its Form 1120, U.S. Corporation Income Tax Return, on October 15, 1992. The Robinsons also filed a timely Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, for their 1992 calendar year during March 1993.

Sometime during 1995, the Robinsons’ 1992 and 1993 returns were selected for audit. Subsequently, the audit was expanded to include Career and Pak West. During the audit the Robinsons executed Forms 872, Consent to Extend the Time to Assess Tax, consenting to the extension of the assessment period for their 1992 individual return until December 31, 1997. No consents to extend were executed for Career with respect to its fiscal year ended July 31, 1992, and the period for assessment for that year expired on October 15, 1995.

Respondent did not issue a notice of deficiency with respect to Career’s 1992 fiscal year and, accordingly, Career’s questionable items of expense were not disallowed. On December 9, 1997, respondent issued a notice of deficiency to the Robinsons for their 1992 and 1993 individual income tax years. In that notice, respondent determined that the Robin-sons had constructive dividend income of $115,888 and $216,685 that was attributable to Career’s fiscal years ended July 31, 1992 and 1993. The constructive dividends were imputed to Mr. Robinson, as 100-percent owner of Career, and derived from various nonbusiness expenses of the Robin-sons that were paid by the corporation.4 Payment of these personal items of the Robinsons was not reported as income by them or as loans to shareholders on Career’s books.

Respondent also determined that the Robinsons were liable for self-employment tax in the amounts of $5,928 and $4,383 for 1992 and 1993, respectively. Those adjustments were based on respondent’s determination that Mr. Robinson received corporate compensation during 1992 and 1993 ($31,015 in each year) which had not been reported as self-employment income. The Robinsons did report the $31,015 on each of their 1992 and 1993 returns, but reported the amount as income from “forgiveness of debt”. Career’s books and records do not reflect any specific information regarding any debt that might have generated forgiveness of debt income as reported by the Robinsons.5

Mr. Robinson, an officer and the sole shareholder of Career, and Mrs. Robinson performed services for Career, but they did not report salary or wage income on their 1992 or 1993 return. Mr. Robinson provided substantial services to the corporation in his capacity as an officer. Because of his expertise as a certified aircraft mechanic and pilot, he was involved in overseeing the day-to-day operation of the aircraft brokerage segment of Career’s business. He was personally involved in the inspection, negotiation, and purchase of used aircraft and parts, and he traveled extensively for this part of the business. Mr. Robinson took part in the actual inspection of purchased aircraft and parts. He worked a minimum of 60-70 hours a week for the company.

Mrs. Robinson was involved in the day-to-day administrative details of Career. Along with two others, Mrs. Robinson prepared corporate checks and coded them for posting to the general ledger. She was also responsible for marketing. Most importantly, Mrs. Robinson was the primary dispatcher for the freight and passenger charter activities, including the coordination and readying of the planes and crew for the freight and charter businesses. Although she was also the property manager for the Robinsons’ relatively extensive real estate activity, she nonetheless devoted significant time and effort to her Career responsibilities.

The Robinsons, in their 1992 and 1993 returns, reported income from property management, cancellation of indebtedness, and, in 1992, $10,101 of net earnings from self employment. The self-employment income was attributable to Mr. Robinson’s management consulting income in the gross amount of $10,938.

Respondent also determined that the Robinsons were liable for section 6662(a) accuracy-related penalties for their 1992 and 1993 tax years. In particular, the penalties were determined for the substantial understatement of tax under section 6662(b)(2) and (d).

Respondent also issued notices of deficiency to Career for its fiscal years ended July 31, 1993 and 1994, and Pak West for its fiscal year ended September 30, 1994. With respect to Career, respondent determined adjustments regarding items of business income, expenses, and net operating losses, and that the corporation was liable for accuracy-related penalties under section 6662(b) and (d). Similarly, as to Pak West, respondent disallowed various business expenses and also determined that the corporation was liable for the accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(b) and (d).6

OPINION

I. Whether the Period for Assessment Has Expired

A. Introduction

Respondent determined that the Robinsons had additional income attributable to constructive dividends originating in transactions of a separate taxable corporate entity (Career).7

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Bluebook (online)
117 T.C. No. 25, 117 T.C. 308, 2001 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 56, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/robinson-v-commr-tax-2001.