ROSSER v. COMMISSIONER

2001 T.C. Memo. 79, 81 T.C.M. 1467, 2001 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 101
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 30, 2001
DocketNo. 1201-98
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2001 T.C. Memo. 79 (ROSSER 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
ROSSER v. COMMISSIONER, 2001 T.C. Memo. 79, 81 T.C.M. 1467, 2001 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 101 (tax 2001).

Opinion

THOMAS J. ROSSER, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
ROSSER v. COMMISSIONER
No. 1201-98
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 2001-79; 2001 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 101; 81 T.C.M. (CCH) 1467; T.C.M. (RIA) 54293;
March 30, 2001, Filed

*101 Decision will be entered under Rule 155.

Carla I. Struble, for petitioner.
Gary R. Shuler, Jr., for respondent.
Colvin, John O.

COLVIN

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

COLVIN, JUDGE: Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner's income tax of $ 13,858 for 1993 and $ 24,697.91 for 1994, additions to tax for failure to timely file under section 6651(a) of $ 1,386 for 1993 and $ 6,175 for 1994, and an accuracy-related penalty of $ 2,772 for 1993 and $ 4,939 for 1994 for a substantial understatement of tax under section 6662(a).

After concessions, the issues for decision are:

1. Whether interest that petitioner paid in 1993 and 1994 for loans that he used to acquire, renovate, and operate two nursing homes and to buy interests in the Sunbury building and Heritage Inn partnerships is trade or business interest. We hold that interest relating to the nursing homes is trade or business interest, but interest relating to the Sunbury building and Heritage Inn partnerships is not.

2. Whether petitioner may deduct net operating losses in 1994 that were carried forward from 1991 and 1993. We hold that he may not.

3. Whether petitioner is liable for additions*102 to tax under section 6651(a) for failure to file timely income tax returns for 1993 and 1994. We hold that he is.

4. Whether petitioner is liable for the penalty under section 6662(a) for substantial understatement of tax for 1993 and 1994. We hold that he is to the extent the underpayments in 1993 and 1994 exceed the greater of 10 percent of the tax required to be shown on the return for each of those years, or $ 5,000. See sec. 6662(d)(1)(A).

Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect during the years in issue. Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found.

A. PETITIONER

Petitioner lived in Westerville, Ohio, when the petition was filed in this case. Beginning about 1979, petitioner provided financial services to individuals through a sole proprietorship named Financial Perspectives. Petitioner, his former wife, and two other couples, formed a general partnership which bought a building on Sunbury Road in Westerville (Sunbury building) in 1987. Financial Perspectives' office was in the Sunbury building. Petitioner managed the Sunbury building.

B. THE NURSING*103 HOMES

1. ACQUISITION, INCORPORATION, AND FINANCING

In December 1985, petitioner and his former wife paid $ 650,000 to buy a nursing home in Kirkersville, Ohio (Kirkersville Nursing Home), from Joseph and Maureen Skidmore (the Skidmores). Petitioner and his former wife borrowed money from State Savings Bank, the Skidmores, and Financial Perspectives' clients to buy the Kirkersville Nursing Home. In 1986, petitioner and his former wife bought a nursing home in Utica, Ohio (Utica Nursing Home), from Ms. Maybelle William Braddock (Braddock) for $ 850,000. Braddock financed the purchase.

In 1987, petitioner organized two S corporations: Living Care Alternatives of Kirkersville, Inc. (LCAK), and Living Care Alternatives of Utica, Inc. (LCAU). Petitioner transferred ownership of the Kirkersville Nursing Home to LCAK and ownership of the Utica Nursing Home to LCAU. After the transfers, he remained responsible for repaying the funds that he had borrowed to acquire the nursing homes. LCAK and LCAU never paid dividends or made other distributions to petitioner as a shareholder. LCAK and LCAU had no accumulated earnings and profits in 1993 and 1994.

Petitioner, as president of the S corporations, *104 signed promissory notes in which he agreed to pay himself and his former wife $ 576,130.42 on April 1, 1987, and $ 700,000 on October 8, 1987.

On October 8, 1987, petitioner and his former wife borrowed $ 500,000 from County Savings Bank. Petitioner paid $ 450,000 to Braddock to repay her for financing the Utica Nursing Home purchase. He used the rest to renovate the Utica Nursing Home.

2. MANAGEMENT

Petitioner bought the nursing homes so that he could earn income from operating them and to provide a job for his then-spouse. Petitioner planned to earn a fee for managing the nursing homes and for his wife to earn a salary for serving as the administrator of the nursing homes. Petitioner hoped to sell the nursing homes for a profit when he retired, but that was not a significant consideration for him when he bought them.

Petitioner was the sole shareholder of LCAK and LCAU in 1993 and 1994. Petitioner, doing business as Financial Perspectives, spent an increasing amount of time managing the nursing homes after 1985, and spent about 97 percent of his time managing them in 1993 and 1994 and about 3 percent of his time on financial services.

Petitioner's annual income from providing*105 financial services was $ 60,000 to $ 80,000 before he bought the nursing homes.

C. OTHER LOANS

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Bluebook (online)
2001 T.C. Memo. 79, 81 T.C.M. 1467, 2001 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 101, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rosser-v-commissioner-tax-2001.