Smith v. Commissioner

1993 T.C. Memo. 548, 66 T.C.M. 1396, 1993 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 566
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Smith v. Commissioner. Read the opinion of the Court — 96 T.C. 10
United States Tax Court·Decided November 22, 1993·No. Docket No. 5364-91·Unpublished

Opinion

DENNIS M. SMITH, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Smith v. Commissioner
Docket No. 5364-91
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1993-548; 1993 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 566; 66 T.C.M. (CCH) 1396;
November 22, 1993, Filed

*566 Decision will be entered under Rule 155.

For petitioner: Jeffrey A. Catanzarite.
For respondent: Katherine Lee Wambsgans.
PARKER

PARKER

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

PARKER, Judge: Respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner's Federal income tax and additions to tax as follows:

Additions to Tax
SectionSectionSection 
YearDeficiency6653(b)(1)(A)6653(b)(1)(B)6661(a)
1986$ 19,705.52$ 14,779.141$ 4,926.38
198715,240.2411,430.1823,810.06

Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the years before the Court, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.

After concessions by the parties, the issues to be decided are:

(1) The amount of taxable income petitioner received from his jewelry sales activities for the taxable years 1986 and*567 1987;

(2) Whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax under section 6653(b)(1)(A) and (B) for fraud for the taxable years 1986 and 1987; and

(3) Whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax under section 6661(a) for substantial understatements of income tax for the taxable years 1986 and 1987.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulations of facts and exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference.

At the time he filed his petition, petitioner Dennis M. Smith resided in Akron, Ohio. Petitioner has never been married and has no dependents. Petitioner resides with his mother, age 72, and her two sisters, ages 70 and 78, in a duplex frame house owned by his mother and aunts. Petitioner has resided with his mother and aunts for 20 years and does not pay any rent.

Petitioner has saved his money since 1958 when he was 10 years old and opened his first savings account. He started his first job in 1966 for the Akron Board of Education in building maintenance, earning $ 60 to $ 70 a week. He did not own a car at that time and had virtually no expenses, which enabled him to save much of his earnings. At*568 the time of the trial in this case, petitioner owned a 1977 Cutlass Supreme valued at $ 500, a 1976 Grand Prix with minimum book value, and a 1984 Toronada valued at $ 1,500.

Petitioner was graduated from the University of Akron in 1972 and received a bachelor's degree in industrial management. Petitioner did not do well in the accounting and economics courses he took in college. Since his graduation from the University of Akron, petitioner has held sales positions in department stores. During the years at issue, petitioner was a full-time salesman at the Higbee Company. His duties at the Higbee Company included the sales of men's suits and all forms of men's clothing. Except for entering cash and charge transactions on the cash register, petitioner did not have any accounting responsibilities at the Higbee Company.

Petitioner was paid commissions on the sales he made. He received wages from the Higbee Company in the total amounts of $ 19,375.36 and $ 18,947.59, for the years 1986 and 1987, respectively. When he received his wages from the Higbee Company, petitioner did not deposit his paychecks into any banking account, although he had six bank accounts. Instead, he cashed*569 several paychecks, paid his living expenses, and ultimately deposited some of the remaining funds into one or more of the bank accounts he maintained at the Transohio Savings Bank.

During the years at issue, petitioner also conducted jewelry sales activities. He received taxable income from the jewelry sales, which he did not report on his tax returns. The jewelry sales activities included selling jewelry and accessories such as eelskin and leather belts and bags, custom designing jewelry pieces for sale to individuals, and repair work. Petitioner regularly purchased jewelry from suppliers after an individual placed an order with petitioner from a catalog provided to petitioner by the suppliers. During 1986 and 1987, several of petitioner's jewelry suppliers invoiced him under the name of Jewelry and Gems International. In 1987, petitioner opened a business bank account under the name of Jewelry and Gems International.

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Smith v. Commissioner, 1993 T.C. Memo. 548, 66 T.C.M. 1396, 1993 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 566 (tax 1993).

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