Schooler v. Commissioner

68 T.C. 867, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 52
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 7, 1977
DocketDocket No. 520-76
StatusPublished
Cited by54 cases

This text of 68 T.C. 867 (Schooler 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
Schooler v. Commissioner, 68 T.C. 867, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 52 (tax 1977).

Opinion

Simpson, Judge:

The Commissioner determined a deficiency of $5,291 in the petitioners’ Federal income taxes for 1973. The sole issue remaining for decision is whether Mr. Schooler has substantiated wagering losses in excess of his unreported gains from wagering transactions.

FINDINGS OF FACT

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

The petitioners, Fred Schooler and Carolyn J. Schooler, were husband and wife and resided in Scottsdale, Ariz., at the time of filing their petition in this case. They filed a joint Federal income tax return for the taxable year 1973 with the Internal Revenue Service Center, Ogden, Utah. Fred Schooler will be referred tq as the petitioner.

From the late fifties through 1975, the petitioner frequently patronized the racetracks, betting heavily on both dog and horse races. (He was a part owner of a carpet-laying business and worked at that business when he was not at the racetracks. However, he spent many days at the tracks: Turf Paradise, near Phoenix, Ariz., operated for 90 days a year, and Prescott Downs, not far from Phoenix, operated 26 days a year; the petitioner was at those tracks virtually every day of racing, and in addition, he often went to other tracks farther from Phoenix.

There is no evidence as to the precise amount the petitioner bet each day, but it was substantial. He considered himself poor if he began the day with as little as $200. He usually bet on every race, often as much as $200 to $500 a race. He was considered a good "handicapper,” but he had the reputation of often following hunches or tips.

At least from 1969 and continuing through 1975, the petitioner frequently borrowed money, some of which was used for gambling. At the track, he frequently borrowed money from his friends to continue betting. Such loans were sometimes repaid the same day and usually within a week or a month. When he ran out of money, he often cashed personal checks. At Turf Paradise, the cashier’s window advanced him money to be repaid the same day and cashed personal checks for him, but those privileges were discontinued sometime after 1973. In addition, the petitioner borrowed funds from finance companies, from his brothers, and from friends. Such loans were generally repaid, but it often took some time to do so. In 1973, the petitioner and his wife secured the following specific loans:

Lender Date Amount

Gertrude H. Shulenberger. 2/19/73 $800.00

Dial Finance Corp. 11/5/73 979.82

Model Finance Co. 11/8/73 2,020.63

Arizona State Employees’ Credit Union. 11/13/73 2.851.55

Total. 6,652.00

The petitioner maintained no records of his racetrack winnings or losses for 1973 and reported no gains or losses from wagering on his income tax return for that year. The Commissioner determined, based upon U.S. information returns (Forms 1099) filed by various racetracks, that the petitioner had income from wagering of $14,773 in 1973, and the petitioner did not dispute receiving such income. In addition, he won bets on many races which were not reported on such forms.

In 1973, the petitioner lived in a three-bedroom house situated on an acre of land in Paradise Valley. The purchase price of the house in 1970 was $29,000. In 1973, the petitioner had four thoroughbred racing horses; to accommodate them, there was a substantial corral with a fence around it and at least two horse pens. In addition, the petitioner installed a swimming pool at a cost of approximately $5,000; the pool was financed with a bank loan which was repaid over a period of 5 years. In 1973, the petitioner’s wife also worked; on their joint Federal income tax return, they reported taxable income of $17,916.

In his notice of deficiency, the Commissioner determined that the petitioners received additional income in the amount of the winnings reported on the Forms 1099. He did not find any additional wagering income, nor did he allow any deductions for wagering losses.

OPINION

Section 165(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 permits the deduction of "Losses from wagering transactions * * * only to the extent of the gains from such transactions.” The petitioner has the burden of proving that his alleged losses were in fact sustained; the issue is a factual one, to be decided on the basis of all the evidence. Fogel v. Commissioner, 237 F.2d 917 (6th Cir. 1956), affg. per curiam a Memorandum Opinion of this Court; Green v. Commissioner, 66 T.C. 538, 544 (1976).

The petitioner admits receiving the gambling winnings reported on the Forms 1099 and other winnings not so reported; nevertheless, he claims that the fact that he and his wife lived modestly but had to borrow substantial money in 1973 shows that his losses for the year exceeded his total winnings for the year. Since there were unreported winnings, the petitioner must establish that his losses exceeded the unreported winnings in order to be entitled to deduct any such losses. Donovan v. Commissioner, 359 F.2d 64 (1st Cir. 1966), affg. per curiam a Memorandum Opinion of this Court.

We cannot accept the petitioner’s conclusion. The evidence shows that the petitioner wagered substantial amounts; he was a big loser at times, but he also was a big winner at other times. The evidence contains no indication as to the amount actually won, or lost, in 1973. The petitioner produced personal checks in the amount of $6,050 which he cashed at the tracks to obtain funds for betting, but we do not know whether those funds were lost, or whether they resulted in winnings.

Nor can we conclude from the petitioner’s borrowings in 1973 that he lost money in that year. The evidence shows that he had a history of borrowing money: he borrowed in years before 1973, and he continued to borrow in the years after 1973; and the record does not indicate whether his borrowings in the other years were more or less than the amounts borrowed in 1973. In other words, we do not know whether he was any worse off in 1973 than in other years. Furthermore, the fact that the finance companies and his friends were willing to continue to loan him money in 1973 and in later years suggests that they did not consider him a poor risk. In addition, we do not know what loans were outstanding against him at the beginning of 1973 and whether the loans secured in that year may have been for the purpose of repaying earlier loans. Finally, the fact that his check-cashing privilege was canceled sometime after 1973 tends to indicate that his financial difficulties did not reach their peak until sometime after 1973. In short, the borrowing of money in that year is simply insufficient evidence to indicate that his losses for the year exceeded his winnings.

The absence of a lavish lifestyle is also insufficient to carry the petitioner’s burden of proof. Although there was no evidence of unusual or extravagant expenditures, there was every indication that the petitioner and his wife lived comfortably during 1973.

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Bluebook (online)
68 T.C. 867, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 52, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schooler-v-commissioner-tax-1977.