- 7 - as a result of its sponsorship of Sussex Farm. These claims are unpersuasive for reasons we address below. First, Mr. Vitale testified, and respondent has stipulated, that petitioner's name was announced at shows as the sponsor of Sussex Farm's horses. Mr. Vitale has not shown, however, that these loudspeaker announcements were helpful to petitioner's business. He did not testify that the loudspeaker announcements contained any information beyond petitioner's name (e.g., information about petitioner's products or the nature of its business) or that such announcements were reasonably calculated to help, or did help, petitioner's business. See, e.g., Schulz v. Commissioner, 16 T.C. 401 (1951) (concluding that a watchmaker-jeweler named Schulz could not deduct the costs of showing a horse called Schulztime, because the watchmaker did not advertise his business in the show program and failed to establish that the expenses were reasonably calculated to publicize or otherwise benefit his business). Second, Mr. Vitale testified that petitioner had placed advertisements in the programs of a couple of shows. Petitioner did not, however, submit copies of any such advertisements. We are not convinced that petitioner placed these advertisements. Petitioner did submit a copy of an advertisement published in an equestrian magazine entitled "The Chronicle of the Horse" that referred to two Sussex Farm horses. The magazine, however, was dated August 24, 1990--after the period in issue and during the period when petitioner was under audit. Third, Mr. Vitale testified that petitioner received a general contractor's request for a price quotation regarding one of petitioner's products. After receiving this request, Mr. Vitale wrote a letter dated April 11, 1994, asking the general contractor to indicate in writing that he contacted petitioner "as a result of Midwest's advertising in the equestrian field." In reply, the general contractor wrote a letter to Mr. Vitale datedPage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011