Antonides v. Commissioner
Opinion of the Court
Gary Antonides, David and Mary Diane Smith, and Richard and Phyllis Herdendorf (the taxpayers) appeal the decision of the Tax Court that their yacht chartering venture was an activity not engaged in for profit. I.R.C. § 183 (West Supp. 1989). Antonides also appeals the decision of the Tax Court that he is liable for an addition to tax because of a substantial understatement of tax liability. I.R.C. § 6661 (West 1989). We affirm.
I.
David Smith
In 1981 Smith approached Antonides, a Naval Academy classmate, and the Herden-dorfs, Smith’s sister and brother-in-law, and proposed that they purchase a boat for use in the charter business. Smith, Anto-nides, and the Herdendorfs formed a partnership in which Smith and Antonides each held a one-third interest and the Herden-dorfs jointly held a one-third interest.
The partnership was capitalized with an initial contribution of $414.33 from each partner. The partners agreed to share losses and profits equally. Each partner was entitled to personal use of the boat for seven days each year. The partners inspected the boat regularly and made minor repairs in an effort to save money. After
In 1983 the partners refinanced the boat to obtain a more favorable interest rate. An appraisal of the boat reported that its value had declined to $78,500. On December 31, 1983, Antonides sold his partnership interest to the other partners. He reported a gain on the sale and recaptured unused investment tax credit.
The tax return of the partnership for the 1982 tax year showed income of $6,320, interest expense of $12,801, operating expenses of $2,580 and depreciation of $20,-854 for a total tax loss of $29,915.
II.
Section 183(c) of the Internal Revenue Code defines an “activity not engaged in for profit” as an activity other than one with respect to which deductions are allowable under section 162 or sections 212(1) or (2).
Section 6661 imposes on the taxpayer a penalty of twenty-five percent of the amount of any underpayment of tax attributable to a substantial understatement in the amount of income tax liability. I.R.C. § 6661(a). An understatement is the excess of the amount of tax required to be shown on a return over the amount of the
III.
We review the decision of the Tax Court under the clearly erroneous standard unless “there has been an erroneous interpretation of the applicable legal standard.” Faulconer v. Commissioner, 748 F.2d 890, 895 (4th Cir. 1984). The taxpayers contend that the Tax Court applied the wrong legal standard by ruling that an activity is not engaged in for profit for purposes of section 183 unless there is a predominant purpose and intention to make a profit. In Faulconer we specifically declined to decide whether section 183 requires a primary or purpose profit. Id. at 895-96 n. 10. We did note, however, that the profit motive required by section 183 was the same as the profit motive required by sections 162 and 212. Id. at 893. The Supreme Court has held that for deductions to be allowable under section 162, the primary purpose for engaging in the activity must be for profit. Commissioner v. Groetzinger, 480 U.S. 23, 35, 107 S.Ct. 980, 987, 94 L.Ed.2d 25 (1987); see Thomas v. Commissioner, 792 F.2d 1256, 1259 (4th Cir. 1986) (“The major premise for the allowance of [section 162] deductions is that they arise out of a venture whose primary objective is to make a profit.”). Additionally, other circuits have held that section 212 also requires a predominant purpose and intention to make a profit. See Simon v. Commissioner, 830 F.2d 499, 500-01 (3d Cir. 1987) (deductions claimed under section 212 must meet the requirements of section 162 except that the taxpayers need not be in a trade or business); Bolaris v. Commissioner, 776 F.2d 1428, 1432 (9th Cir. 1985); Snyder v. United States, 674 F.2d 1359, 1364 (10th Cir. 1982). Here, the Tax Court required the taxpayers “to show that they engaged in their boat chartering activity with the objective of making an economic profit.” Because this was not an erroneous interpretation of the applicable legal standard under section 183, we apply the clearly erroneous standard of review to the decision of the Tax Court.
The Tax Court stated that the determination of whether an activity is engaged in for profit must involve consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances. The court noted that the regulations under section 183 provide a nonexclusive list of factors that should be considered. See Treas.Reg. § 1.183-2 (1972). It found that, based on the cash flow analysis prepared by Nautilus and adjusted by Smith, the taxpayers could not have anticipated mak
The taxpayers contend that the Tax Court erred by failing to discuss any of the factors listed in the section 183 regulations. Although the Tax Court did not list and address each of the factors seriatim, it is apparent from its opinion that it did consider the factors and on the basis of all of the facts and circumstances, determined that the taxpayers were not engaged in the yacht chartering activity for profit. Based on our review of the record, we cannot say that this finding was clearly erroneous.
IV.
The Tax Court also determined that the tax treatment of the deductions arising from the partnership was not supported by substantial authority. The court correctly reasoned that the cases cited by the taxpayers in which deductions arising from a yacht chartering activity had been allowed were factually distinguishable.
AFFIRMED.
. Mary Diane Smith, David Smith’s wife, is a party because she filed a joint tax return with David Smith for 1982.
. The Articles of Partnership provided that the Herdendorfs were to be treated as one partner.
. Although only the 1982 tax year is at issue, the government offered evidence to show that the total deductions for the tax years 1981-1985 were $162,420, total gross receipts were $18,959, and the resulting total tax loss was $143,462.
. Section 162 allows a deduction for "ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred ... in carrying on any trade or business.” I.R.C. § 162(a) (West Supp. 1989). Section 212(1) allows a deduction for expenses incurred "for the production or collection of income,” I.R.C. § 212(1) (West 1988), and section 212(2) allows a deduction for expenses incurred “for the management, conservation, or maintenance of property held for the production of income.” I.R.C. § 212(2) (West 1988).
. A special rule applies to "tax shelter” items. See I.R.C. § 6661(b)(2)(C). Here, the Commissioner does not contend that the yacht chartering activity was a tax shelter within the meaning of section 6661(b)(2)(C)(ii).
. The penalty is only applicable to Antonides. The Commissioner did not assess the penalty against the Herdendorfs, and the amount of the understatement by the Smiths was not substantial because it was less than $5,000.
. See Slawek v. Commissioner, 54 T.C.M. (CCH) 364 (1987); Zwicky v. Commissioner, 48 T.C.M. (CCH) 1025 (1984); Dickson v. Commissioner, 47 T.C.M. (CCH) 509 (1983); McLarney v. Commissioner, 44 T.C.M. (CCH) 752 (1982).
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Gary ANTONIDES v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent David SMITH Mary Diane Smith v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent Richard HERDENDORF Phyllis Herdendorf v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE
- Cited By
- 60 cases
- Status
- Published