Toavs v. Commissioner

67 T.C. 897, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 143
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMarch 7, 1977
DocketDocket Nos. 700-74, 2522-74, 2523-74, 2524-74, 2525-74, 2667-74, 2669-74, 3481-74, 3513-74
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 67 T.C. 897 (Toavs 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
Toavs v. Commissioner, 67 T.C. 897, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 143 (tax 1977).

Opinion

OPINION

Tietjens, Judge:

Respondent determined the following deficiencies in petitioners’ Federal income tax for the years 1970, 1971, and 1972:

Deficiencies
1970 1971 1972 Petitioners
— $819.71 Jesse A. Toavs and Janice E. Toavs..
$584.44 682.98 G. E. Doughty and Ruth Doughty.
$1,046.37 1,165.69 1,011.94 Ivan Kramer and Beatrice Kramer..
565.26 593.63 Ernest R. Swanson and Mary Ann Swanson. I
725.24 878.60 Harvey Junker and Beverly Junker.
431.12 628.28 Ivan V. Hagar and Ozella D. Hagar. I
James L. Larson. 505.00
James L. Larson and Eva L. Larson.. 509.01
James F. Wolf and Dawn Wolf. 698.78 613.89
Calvin R. Gruetzmacher and Maxine L. Gruetzmacher 488.51 505.85

The issue remaining for our determination is whether certain payments made to petitioners by Challenge Homes, Inc., are excludable from gross income under section 1072 as parsonage allowances.

All of the facts having been stipulated; they and the exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioners Jesse A. Toavs and Janice E. Toavs, husband and wife, lived in Alexandria, Minn., at the time they filed their petition. Petitioners filed a joint Federal income tax return for the year 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Ogden, Utah.

Petitioners G. E. Doughty and Ruth Doughty, husband and wife, resided in Glenwood, Minn., on the date they filed their petition. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the years 1971 and 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Ogden, Utah.

Petitioners Ivan Kramer and Beatrice Kramer, husband and wife, lived in Barnesville, Minn., on the date they filed their petition. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the years 1970, 1971, and 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Ogden, Utah.

Petitioners Ernest R. Swanson and Mary Ann Swanson, husband and wife, resided in Sioux Falls, S.Dak., on the date they filed their petition. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the years 1971 and 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Ogden, Utah.

Petitioners Harvey Junker and Beverly Junker, husband and wife, lived in Glenwood, Minn., on the date they filed their petition. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the years 1971 and 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Ogden, Utah.

Petitioners Ivan V. Hagar and Ozella D. Hagar, husband and wife, resided in Crosbyton, Tex., on the date they filed their petition. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the years 1971 and 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Austin, Tex.

Petitioners James L. Larson and Eva L. Larson, husband and wife, lived in Irving, Tex., on the date they filed their petition. Petitioner husband filed a Federal income tax return for the year 1971 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Austin, Tex. Petitioners filed a joint Federal income tax return for the year 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Austin, Tex.

Petitioners James F. Wolf and Dawn Wolf, husband and wife, resided in St. Peter, Minn., on the date they filed their petition. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the years 1971 and 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Ogden, Utah.

Petitioners Calvin R. Gruetzmacher and Maxine L. Gruetz-macher, husband and wife, lived in Mobridge, S. Dak., on the date they filed their petition. Petitioners filed joint Federal income tax returns for the years 1971 and 1972 with the Internal Revenue Service Center in Ogden, Utah.

Jesse A. Toavs, G. E. Doughty, Ivan Kramer, Ernest R. Swanson, Harvey Junker, Ivan V. Hagar, James L. Larson, James F. Wolf, and Calvin R. Gruetzmacher (hereinafter referred to as petitioners) are ordained ministers and at all times relevant were employees of Challenge Homes, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as Challenge). During the years in controversy they excluded, as parsonage allowances, the following payments received from Challenge in determining their income subject to Federal income taxation in the following amounts:

Name 1970 1971 1972
Jesse A. Toavs. — — $5,136.00
G. E. Doughty. — $2,540.00 3,070.00
Ivan Kramer. $2,542.99 2,542.99 2,542.99
Ernest R. Swanson. — 3,070.00 3,240.00
Harvey Junker. — 3,766.00 4,140.00
Ivan V. Hagar. — 2,399.00 3,319.67
James L. Larson. — 2,640.00 2,491.67
James F. Wolf. — 3,294.00 3,369.28
Calvin R. Gruetzmacher. — 3,022.00 3,092.00

Respondent determined that the amounts did not qualify as parsonage allowances and disallowed the exclusions.

The amounts were the actual cost of housing for each petitioner. Prior to the payment of the allowances Challenge authorized them and identified them as parsonage allowances.

Challenge, a nonprofit charitable corporation operating under the provisions of section 501(c)(3), has received an exemption letter from respondent classifying it as not a profit corporation. Its primary undertaking during the period in controversy was the operation and management of various nursing homes located throughout the United States. Challenge owned or leased the homes, or provided management services for them. Approximately 70 percent of the residents of its nursing homes were indigents or public welfare recipients.

In April of 1961, prior to the incorporation of Challenge, Rev. L. D. Kramer requested and obtained the approval of the Assemblies of God Church to have a committee undertake the study and development of a corporation which would provide nursing home services for the elderly. Six months later, upon the recommendation of the committee, two of the seven men appointed by the district presbyters to that committee and the secretary-treasurer of the Minnesota District Council of the Assemblies of God Church incorporated Challenge. The incorporators were L. D. Kramer, Ivan Kramer, and Herman H. Rohde.

Challenge was originally incorporated as Assembly Homes, Inc., and changed its name on February 18, 1969, to avoid confusion with another corporation operating nursing homes.

During the period in issue, each petitioner held the following job or jobs with Challenge:

Petitioner Job title
Jesse A. Toavs.Director of development

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Related

Mosley v. Commissioner
1994 T.C. Memo. 457 (U.S. Tax Court, 1994)
Schroeder v. Commissioner
1986 T.C. Memo. 583 (U.S. Tax Court, 1986)
Boyer v. Commissioner
69 T.C. 521 (U.S. Tax Court, 1977)
Toavs v. Commissioner
67 T.C. 897 (U.S. Tax Court, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
67 T.C. 897, 1977 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 143, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/toavs-v-commissioner-tax-1977.