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Respecting Corporate Formation: Rochlani v Commissioner

Overview How can a corporation have a loss for tax purposes if it does not have any bank accounts, credits cards, or other lines of credit and it does not keep any books or records? The taxpayers in Rochlani v Commissioner found out the hard way.[1] Business Formation and Operations In 2006, Mr. Rochlani (the…

Counting Travel Time for Real Estate Professional Test? Leyh v. Commissioner
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Counting Travel Time for Real Estate Professional Test? Leyh v. Commissioner

Overview In Leyh v. Commissioner[1], the Tax Court held that the taxpayer’s time incurred while traveling from her home to rental properties to perform a variety of tasks with respect to 12 rental activities counted towards the test of whether the taxpayer was a real estate professional.[2] As a result, the taxpayer was considered a…

Bacon v. Commissioner: Beware, Forms 1099-C Are Not Always Accurate
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Bacon v. Commissioner: Beware, Forms 1099-C Are Not Always Accurate

Overview The Tax Court determined that the extinguishment of the taxpayer’s debt took place in a closed tax year, even though FEMA issued a 1099-C[1] in an open tax year. As a result, the Tax Court held that the IRS was barred by the statute of limitations from assessing the taxpayer for the federal income…

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When is a Building Placed in Service: Stine LLC v. USA

Is it possible to begin depreciating a building before the building opens its doors to customers? Although it seems unintuitive, the answer is yes. In the case of Stine LLC v. USA[1], a Louisiana federal district court held that the taxpayer’s retail building had been “placed in service” despite the fact that the retail stores…

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Tax Court Analyzes How to Count Travel Days for Purposes of Section 280A

Takeaway from Van Malssen v. Commissioner: In Van Malssen v. Commissioner, the Tax Court concluded that, for purposes of section 280A, travel days will only escape classification as personal use days if the principal purpose of the trip as a whole is to perform repairs and maintenance.[1] Overview of Facts in Van Malssen The taxpayers purchased a…