1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45 | Tax Ct. | 1971
Memorandum Findings of Fact and Opinion
GUSSIS, Commissioner: Respondent determined a deficiency in the petitioners' Federal income tax for 1968 in the amount of $188.05. The issue is whether petitioners are entitled to a casualty loss deduction in 1968 in connection with an automobile accident in that year.
Findings of Fact
John J. Sullivan and Deborah1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45" label="1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45" no-link"="" number="2" pagescheme="<span class=">1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45">*46 A. Sullivan, husband and wife, were residents of Sandwich, Massachusetts at the time their petition herein was filed. They filed a joint Federal income tax return for the year 1968 with the district director of internal revenue, Boston, Massachusetts.
John J. Sullivan, hereinafter called the petitioner, is employed as a forester by the Massachusetts Department of Natural Resources. On the evening of November 25, 1968, while driving from his residence to purchase cigarettes in a nearby gasoline station, the petitioner lost control of his automobile which went off the road and tipped over. As a result of the accident the petitioner was charged with driving to endanger, drunkenness and leaving the scene of an accident. He was subsequently acquitted of these charges and in connection with the proceedings he incurred expenses for legal fees in the amount of $350 and related expenses of $41.20.
Petitioner received $2,500 from the Calvert Insurance Co. of New York in compensation for the wrecked automobile.
Petitioner claimed a casualty loss deduction on his 1968 income tax return in the amount of $986.20 computed as follows:
Fair Market Value just prior to Acci- | |
dent | $2,795.00 |
Insurance reimbursement | 2,500.00 |
Auto loss | $ 295.00 |
Legal fees and related expenses | 391.20 |
Dental plates | 350.00 |
Eye glasses | 50.00 |
Total loss | $1,086.20 |
Less stat. limitation | 100.00 |
$ 986.20 |
1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45" label="1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45" no-link"="" number="3" pagescheme="<span class=">1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45">*47 Respondent disallowed the casualty loss deduction of $986.20 claimed by petitioner.
Opinion
The amount of a casualty loss deductible under section 165 of the
The second portion of petitioner's casualty loss involves the cost of replacing his dental plates ($350) and eyeglasses ($50) which were damaged in the automobile accident. It appears from the record that petitioner "very possibly" deducted the cost of his eyeglasses1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45" label="1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45" no-link"="" number="4" pagescheme="<span class=">1971 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 45">*48 as a medical expense on his Federal income tax return for a prior year (1967) and in all likelihood claimed a medical expense deduction for his dental plates in the year they were acquired (1964). There is nothing in the record to indicate otherwise. Consequently, petitioner's basis in these items would be zero. See
Respondent recognizes that petitioner's expenditures would be deductible as medical expenses under section 213 of the
The third portion of petitioner's casualty loss involved legal fees and expenses in the amount of $391.20. Petitioner testified that he incurred these expenditures in successfully defending himself against the charges brought against him as a result of the automobile accident.
It is clear that such expenditures cannot qualify as a casualty loss since section 165 (c)(3) of the
Nor do the expenditures qualify for deduction under section 212 of the 1954 Internal Revenue Code. In
Reviewed and adopted as the report of the Small Tax Case Division.
Decision will be entered under Rule 50.
Footnotes
1. It is obvious that amounts currently deducted when the eyeglasses and the dental plates were first obtained cannot also be considered as part of the basis of such items and again deducted as casualty losses in a subsequent year.↩