Sochurek v. Commissioner

36 T.C. 131, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 169
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 21, 1961
DocketDocket No. 77217
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 36 T.C. 131 (Sochurek 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
Sochurek v. Commissioner, 36 T.C. 131, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 169 (tax 1961).

Opinion

Fisher, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner’s income tax for the year 1954 in the amount of $4,239.28.

The sole issue presented for our consideration is whether petitioner was a bona fide resident of the Crown Colony of Singapore or any other country of southeast Asia during the entire taxable year 1954 within the meaning of section 911(a) (1) of the Code of 1954.1

FINDINGS OF FACT.

Some of the facts are stipulated and, together with exhibits, are found as stipulated.

Howard J. Sochurek, hereinafter sometimes called petitioner, filed his Federal income tax return for the year 1954 with the district director of internal revenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

On petitioner’s income tax return for the year 1954, which was signed and filed by his father acting under a power of attorney, the address of 5255 North Bay Ridge Avenue, Whitefish Bay, Milwaukee 17, Wisconsin, was inserted in the space designated “home address.”

On October 29, 1957, he executed a Form 870 extending the period of limitation upon assessment of income tax to June 30,1959. In the body of said document, petitioner indicated that his address was 5255 North Bay Ridge Avenue, Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.

At the time of the instant trial petitioner was single and 35 years old. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is a citizen of the United States.

While in high school Howard became actively interested in newspaper and photographic work. He also had part-time jobs with local commercial photographers and did some work for a local newspaper in Milwaukee.

From 1942 to 1946 Howard was in military service in the Army Signal Corps. After being commissioned he went overseas in the Pacific Area and served as a photo officer in the Philippines, Saigon, Okinawa, Japan, and China, as well as other countries throughout the Far East.

After discharge from military service in May 1946, petitioner returned to Milwaukee and secured employment with the Milwaukee Journal as a staff photographer until the end of 1948.

Beginning in 1948 Howard became associated with Life magazine, hereinafter called Life. He first worked out of the Detroit bureau of Life as a freelance photographer on a story-to-story basis.

Life maintains a separate foreign news service which is composed of a professional corps of foreign correspondents who spend their working time in foreign posts.

In 1950, at the time of the Korean war, Life gave petitioner a full-time staff position as a foreign correspondent in the southeast Asia area. Petitioner’s employment contract was oral.

Howard spent the major portion of the 10-year period from 1950 to 1960 in foreign employment. In July 1950, he was assigned to cover the Korean war and selected Tokyo, Japan, as his base of operations. His assignment was indefinite. Howard worked on stories as they broke, many of them originating in the field. He rented a furnished hotel apartment-type suite of rooms which was operated by members of the Masonic Club.

In December 1951, petitioner gave up his living quarters at the Masonic Club and returned to the United States for a short vacation. During Ms sojourn he visited with his ailing mother whom he always tried to visit at Christmas time. Petitioner remained in the United States for consultation with his employer and made some speeches about the Korean war.

In April 1952, petitioner returned overseas for Life and was given the prerogative of selecting his base of operations. Petitioner established living quarters in a large apartment with another correspondent at 99-A Tacklyn Road in Singapore where he kept Ms equipment, clothing, and furniture. They shared the rent. Petitioner made frequent trips out of Singapore to cover various assignments. Petitioner stopped sharing the rent with the other correspondent at the end of 1952.

In September 1952, while on an assignment in India, Howard contracted malaria. Desirous of moving out of the malaria area of Singapore, Howard went to work for the Chicago bureau of Life where he remained until June 1953.

Beginning in July 1953, Howard resumed his activities as a foreign correspondent for Life and did stories in France, Austria, Canada, and Newfoundland.

In October 1953 there was an intensification of the war in Indochina and Howard was given an area assignment in the Far East extending from Korea to Indonesia. The assignment was for an indefinite period of time. Howard made his own decision as to his headquarters, and because of housekeeping and communication problems decided it was most practical to base in Singapore, a British Crown Colony.

In Singapore, Howard rented living quarters at 25 Brizay Park, a suburb of Singapore, from Dwight Martin, a fellow correspondent who worked for Time magazine. Martin contracted for the house, a large one containing four bedrooms and servants’ quarters. Martin supplied most of the furniture. Howard’s furniture was in storage in America at that time. Because of film and camera storage problems, Howard installed and personally paid $400 for two air-conditioning units. He also bought some dishes, end tables, and other minor household items. All of Howard’s photographic equipment, which could not be carried with him on trips, was installed in said quarters. Howard paid Martin $1,000 a year as his share of the rent. Life did not pay any part of said rent. Howard also paid for his own food and living expenses at Brizay Park. Petitioner and Martin employed two houseboys and a laundry woman as servants. Petitioner personally paid for their services while he was in Singapore. Sometimes transient correspondents also lived at the house. Martin traveled on story assignments, but not as much as petitioner. On occasion, from November 1953 to December 1955, petitioner stayed in the house. During 1954, he spent about 25 days in Singapore.

Sometimes Howard also rented a room at the Baffles Hotel located in the center of Singapore to work, receive people, make contacts, and for other business purposes. The Brizay Park house had a telephone but the system was poor. Howard also received most of his mail at the Baffles Hotel, and his personal stationery was printed with this address. The expenses for the Baffles Hotel were paid for by Life.

While in Singapore, petitioner paid for bis own personal expenses. His employer paid for his living expenses while away from Singapore. Life also paid for all office rental, company entertainment, and business expenses whether incurred by petitioner in Singapore, or away from Singapore.

During the period from November 1953 through December 1955, petitioner made many trips from Singapore to Indo-China where a war was in progress. During this period, petitioner did an essay on the Far Eastern religions, which took him to India, Ceylon, Burma, Indonesia, Formosa, and Japan. His assignments during 1954 also included stories regarding the American 7th Fleet which was patrolling the Formosa Straits and a Hong Kong story about American missionaries being evicted from Communist China. There was news stretching from the Formosa Strait down to Indonesia.

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Bluebook (online)
36 T.C. 131, 1961 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 169, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sochurek-v-commissioner-tax-1961.