Van Skiver v. Commissioner

1980 T.C. Memo. 534, 41 T.C.M. 466, 1980 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 52
United States Tax Court·Decided December 3, 1980·No. Docket No. 4791-79.·Unpublished

Opinion

RAYMOND J. VAN SKIVER and ALMA L. VAN SKIVER, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Van Skiver v. Commissioner
Docket No. 4791-79.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1980-534; 1980 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 52; 41 T.C.M. (CCH) 466; T.C.M. (RIA) 80534;
December 3, 1980, Filed
Raymond J. Van Skiver, pro se.
Robyn R. Jones, for the respondent.

NIMS

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

NIMS, Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioners' income tax for the year 1975 in the amount of $1,959.92. Due to alleged negligence or intentional disregard of rules and regulations, respondent imposed an addition to the tax of $97.98, under section 6653(a). 1

Due to concessions made by respondent, the issues remaining for decision are:

(1) Whether petitioners are liable for taxes on allegedly unreported income;

(2) Whether petitioners are entitled to various deductions;

(3) Whether petitioners are liable for an addition to tax under section 6653(a) for negligence and intentional disregard of rules and regulations for the year 1975.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Petitioners resided in Wichita, Kansas, at the time the petition in this case was filed. They timely filed their income tax return for the year 1975.

During 1975 Raymond J. Van*54 Skiver (hereinafter the "petitioner") was employed as a school teacher. Petitioner also engaged in the business of farming and contracting houses during 1975. For this year petitioner claimed various deductions related to his employment and businesses. Other than petitioner's testimony at trial pertaining to deductions for political contributions and deductions which the respondent has conceded, petitioners offered no evidence in support of their case. Neither did petitioners submit a brief to the Court in this case.

Petitioners expended $45.00 for road maintenance and $41.30 as a charitable contribution in 1975, which deductions have been conceded by respondent. Petitioners made a political contribution during the year in issue in the amount of $100.00.

OPINION

The first issue in this case involves the determination by respondent that petitioners received income from farming in the amount of $4,532.75 during 1975, rather than the $4,114.89 reported by petitioners. Respondent alleges that the additional $417.86 of income resulted from the sale of wheat in 1975, and that such amount was not reported on petitioners' return.

Section 61 requires that all income derived*55 from business be reported as gross income. The burden of proof that adjustments set forth in a notice of deficiency are incorrect is on petitioners. Burnet v. Houston, 283 U.S. 223 (1931). Respondent's determination is presumed correct and petitioners have the burden to overcome that presumption. Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111 (1933); Wallis v. Commissioner, 357 F.2d 313 (10th Cir. 1966).

Petitioners submitted neither testimony nor documentary evidence to contest the correctness of respondent's determination on this issue. Therefore, we uphold respondent's determination regarding the amount of income petitioners received in 1975.

The next issue is whether petitioners are entitled to various deductions on their 1975 tax return. This issue is primarily one of substantiation. In order for this Court to reverse respondent's disallowance of these various deductions, petitioners must satisfy their burden of proving that they are entitled to the deductions at issue. Welch v. Helvering,supra; Rule 142, Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure. This they have failed to do.

The following table itemizes*56 the various deductions claimed in petitioners' 1975 tax return, those allowed or conceded by respondent and those disallowed:

ClaimedAmounts Allowed
Peror Conceded byAmounts
BUSINESS EXPENSESReturnRespondentDisallowed
Rents$ 900.000$ 900.00
Travel Expenses500.000.500.00
Road Main

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Van Skiver v. Commissioner, 1980 T.C. Memo. 534, 41 T.C.M. 466, 1980 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 52 (tax 1980).

1980 T.C. Memo. 534 (Van Skiver v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Burnet v. Houston
283 U.S. 223 (Supreme Court, 1931)
Welch v. Helvering
290 U.S. 111 (Supreme Court, 1933)
Reily v. Commissioner
53 T.C. 8 (U.S. Tax Court, 1969)
Roberts v. Commissioner
62 T.C. No. 89 (U.S. Tax Court, 1974)
Capodanno v. Commissioner
69 T.C. 638 (U.S. Tax Court, 1978)
Gilman v. Commissioner
72 T.C. 730 (U.S. Tax Court, 1979)