SYKES v. COMMISSIONER

2001 T.C. Memo. 169, 82 T.C.M. 147, 2001 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 200
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJuly 6, 2001
DocketNo. 3844-00
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2001 T.C. Memo. 169 (SYKES 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
SYKES v. COMMISSIONER, 2001 T.C. Memo. 169, 82 T.C.M. 147, 2001 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 200 (tax 2001).

Opinion

LARRY DEAN SYKES AND RUBY SYKES, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
SYKES v. COMMISSIONER
No. 3844-00
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 2001-169; 2001 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 200; 82 T.C.M. (CCH) 147;
July 6, 2001, Filed

*200 Decision will be entered under Rule 155.

Respondent's (R) agents seized $ 149,200 cash from petitioners

   (Ps) during a search of Ps' residence by Federal and State law

   enforcement officers. R filed a jeopardy assessment in that

   amount against petitioner husband (P-H). P-H filed suit in U.S.

   District Court to obtain judicial review of the jeopardy

   assessment.

   The District Court subsequently sustained the determination that

   P had taxable income of $ 48,473 in 1997 and found that P had

   savings of $ 100,727.

   R determined that the $ 149,200 seized from Ps was unreported

   taxable income for 1997. Ps contend that it was not taxable

   income because P-H had a cash hoard in that amount on Dec. 31,

   1996.

   Ps moved at trial to shift the burden of proving the amount of

   the cash hoard to R under sec. 7491(a), I.R.C. Ps offered

   evidence relating to the amount of P's cash hoard, but a

   substantial amount of that evidence was not credible.

   HELD: Ps bear the burden of proving the amount of the cash

   hoard.

   HELD, *201 FURTHER, P-H had a $ 40,000 cash hoard on Dec. 31, 1996.

Larry Dean Sykes and Ruby Sykes, pro se.
Robert M. Fowler, for respondent.
Colvin, John O.

COLVIN

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

COLVIN, JUDGE: Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioners' income tax of $ 45,759 for 1997 and an accuracy-related penalty under section 6662 of $ 9,151.80. 1

Respondent determined that $ 149,200 seized from petitioners' residence on March 19, 1998, was petitioners' taxable income in 1997. Petitioners contend that it was not taxable income because petitioner Larry Dean Sykes had a cash hoard in that amount on December 31, 1996.

The issues for decision are:

   1. Whether petitioners or respondent bears the burden of proving

   the amount of petitioners' *202 unreported income. We hold that

   petitioners bear the burden of proof.

   2. Whether $ 149,200 seized from petitioners' home on March 19,

   1998, is petitioners' taxable income from a fencing operation

   for 1997. We hold that petitioner Larry Dean Sykes had a

   nontaxable cash hoard of $ 40,000 on December 31, 1996, and that

  $ 109,200 of the $ 149,200 is taxable income for 1997.

   3. Whether petitioners are liable for the accuracy-related

   penalty imposed by section 6662(a) for 1997. We hold that they

   are.

References to petitioner are to Larry Dean Sykes. References to Mrs. Sykes are to petitioner Ruby Sykes. Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect during the year in issue, and 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. PETITIONERS

Petitioners are married and lived in Ozark County, Missouri, when they filed the petition in this case.

Petitioner's father abandoned his family when petitioner was young. Petitioner's mother was disabled. His maternal grandparents raised him and his older brother*203 Danney. Petitioner's grandfather died in 1970.

Petitioners were married in 1977. Mrs. Sykes had a 1-year- old son, Gary, when petitioners married. Petitioner raised Gary as his son. Petitioners also had a daughter, Larene, who was born in 1978.

B. PETITIONER'S INCOME-GENERATING ACTIVITIES

1. PETITIONER'S EMPLOYMENT

Petitioner attended high school from 1966 to 1970. During those years, he earned about $ 25 a week working at a store and earned about $ 10 a week doing odd jobs for his grandmother.

Petitioner worked at a pallet mill in Raymondville, Missouri, in 1970 and 1971. He worked as a tree trimmer in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1971. He worked for International Paper in Kansas City, Kansas, from August 1973 to June 1981, where he earned the following amounts:

       Year               Amount

       ____              _________

       1973              $ 2,894.69

       1974               9,193.38

       1975               7,596.16

       1976         *204      10,529.20

       1977               9,922.32

       1978              17,636.94

       1979              16,888.69

       1980              15,520.12

       1981               6,643.49

                      _________

        Total             96,824.99

Petitioner had various odd jobs from 1981 to 1985. He cut firewood and bought and sold goods at auctions from August 1984 to June 1987.

2. PETITIONER'S PURCHASE AND SALE OF RESIDENCES

    a. PETITIONERS' PURCHASE AND SALE OF A HOUSE IN

      KANSAS CITY

In January 1978, petitioners bought a house at 1700 Washington Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, for about $ 16,000. Petitioners lived there from 1978 to 1981. Petitioner bought a new 1979 Ford pickup truck in November 1978 for $ 6,400. On May 14, 1981, petitioners sold their house in Kansas City for about $ 17,000.

    b.

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2001 T.C. Memo. 169, 82 T.C.M. 147, 2001 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sykes-v-commissioner-tax-2001.