Sauer v. Commissioner

1965 T.C. Memo. 236, 24 T.C.M. 1197, 1965 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 95
United States Tax Court·Decided August 30, 1965·No. Docket No. 3120-63.·Unpublished

Opinion

Carl Sauer and Alice Sauer a.k.a. Carl Saunders and Alice Saunders v. Commissioner.
Sauer v. Commissioner
Docket No. 3120-63.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1965-236; 1965 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 95; 24 T.C.M. (CCH) 1197; T.C.M. (RIA) 65236;
August 30, 1965
*95

Held, petitioners failed to prove that $35,000 deposited in their bank account purportedly as the purchase price of stock in a corporation owned 50 percent by petitioners was not taxable income as determined by respondent. Held, further: Respondent failed to prove that any part of petitioners' underpayment of tax for 1956 was due to fraud. Addition to tax for fraud disallowed.

Joseph M. Carrabotta, for the petitioners. Nelson E. Shafer, for the respondent.

DRENNEN

Memorandum Findings of Fact and Opinion

DRENNEN, Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioners' income tax for 1956 and an addition thereto under section 6653(b), I.R.C. 1954, 1 in the respective amounts of $21,105.28 and $10,552.64.

The issues for decision are:

(1) Whether Carl Sauer, also known as Carl Saunders, who will hereafter be referred to as petitioner, realized unreported income in 1956 in the amount of $35,000 by virtue of a deposit in his bank account of a check for $35,000 drawn by his uncle, Valentine Christmann, purportedly for the purchase of 350 shares of stock of Sauer Chevrolet Sales, Inc.; and

(2) *96Whether any portion of any deficiency in income tax for the taxable year 1956 is due to fraud, with the result that petitioners are liable for the addition to tax provided by section 6653(b).

Findings of Fact

Petitioners are husband and wife who resided in Delavan, Wis., during 1956. They filed a joint Federal income tax return for the taxable year 1956 with the district director of internal revenue, Milwaukee, Wis.

Petitioner's parents died when he was young and he was reared by his mother's brother, Valentine H. Christmann (hereafter referred to as Christmann), who provided his support and education when he was young. His first job was as a salesman with an automobile dealership, and he ultimately advanced to the position of sales manager.

During the year 1956 petitioner was employed as president and general manager of Sauer Chevrolet, Inc. (hereafter referred to as Sauer, Inc.), an automobile sales agency in Delavan, at a salary of $12,000. Sauer, Inc., was incorporated under the laws of Wisconsin in 1954. In 1956, petitioner owned 50 percent of the issued and outstanding stock of the corporation; the remaining 50 percent was owned by Herman R. Salen (hereafter referred to as Salen), *97who acted as secretary-treasurer and who had possession of the corporate books and records. Petitioner acquired his stock by purchase.

Petitioner received and reported the amount of $24,00 as commissions from Sauer, Inc., during 1956 in addition to his salary.

Also during 1956 petitioner was employed by Fencl-Pierce Chevrolet Co. in Chicago at a salary of $9,000, and he was a partner with Christmann in a partnership, Valentine Motor Sales, located in Waukesha, Wis.

Petitioner and Christmann were not only closely related and connected by business ties, but Christmann, who owned a farm and other property, had confidence in petitioner and relied upon his judgment.petitioner frequently borrowed money from Christmann during the periods he was engaged in the automobile business and Christmann even loaned petitioner money for medical expenses shortly before the trial. In 1956 petitioner made some payments to Christmann on these loans.

In 1956 petitioner maintained a loan account at the Michigan Avenue National Bank of Chicago (hereafter referred to as the Michigan Avenue bank) where he had maintained an account since 1950. At the beginning of 1956, petitioner was indebted to the Michigan *98Avenue bank in the amount of $36,061.67 on a note due on January 16, 1956.

A summary of this loan account for the period under review is as follows:

NumberTotal
Dateof noteDue DateDebitCreditliability
7/18/5525,3101/16/56$36,061.67$36,061.67
1/19/5625,310$36,061.67
1/19/5627,6487/16/5623,697.67 123,697.67
5/24/56

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Sauer v. Commissioner, 1965 T.C. Memo. 236, 24 T.C.M. 1197, 1965 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 95 (tax 1965).

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