Stanley P. Zurn - Page 22

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          United States v. White Dental Co., 274 U.S. 398 (1927); A.J.                
          Indus., Inc. v. United States, 503 F.2d 660, 670 (9th Cir. 1974);           
          CRST, Inc. v. Commissioner, 92 T.C. 1249, 1257 (1989), affd. 909            
          F.2d 1146 (8th Cir. 1990).                                                  
               In determining a taxpayer's intent to abandon, the                     
          "subjective judgment of the taxpayer * * * as to whether the                
          business assets will in the future have value is entitled to                
          great weight and a court is not justified in substituting its               
          business judgment for a reasonable, well-founded judgment of the            
          taxpayer."  A.J. Indus., Inc. v. United States, supra at 670.               
          Here petitioner formed an intent to abandon the partnership                 
          interest as well as the road equipment sometime after 1987 when             
          the contract was canceled and no payments were forthcoming.                 
               The missing element, however, is an affirmative act of                 
          abandonment.  An affirmative act to abandon must be ascertained             
          from all the facts and surrounding circumstances, United Cal.               
          Bank v. Commissioner, 41 T.C. 437, 451 (1964), affd. per curiam             
          340 F.2d 320 (9th Cir. 1965), and "the Tax Court [is] entitled to           
          look beyond the taxpayer's formal characterization", Laport v.              
          Commissioner, 671 F.2d 1028, 1032 (7th Cir. 1982), affg. T.C.               
          Memo. 1980-355.  "The mere intention alone to abandon is not, nor           
          is non-use alone, sufficient to accomplish abandonment."  Beus v.           
          Commissioner, 261 F.2d 176, 180 (9th Cir. 1958), affg. 28 T.C.              
          1133 (1957).  Petitioner has not shown an affirmative act of                






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