- 19 - in a trade or business within the meaning of section 162,11 "the taxpayer must be involved in the activity with continuity and regularity and * * * the taxpayer's primary purpose for engaging in the activity must be for income or profit." Commissioner v. Groetzinger, 480 U.S. 23, 35 (1987). Although a reasonable expectation of a profit is not required, the taxpayer must have entered the activity, or continued it, with the bona fide objective of making a profit, as indicated by the surrounding facts and circumstances. Taube v. Commissioner, 88 T.C. 464, 478-479 (1987); sec. 1.183-2(a), Income Tax Regs. The regulations accompanying section 183 contain a nonexhaustive list of nine factors to consider when determining whether an activity is engaged in for a profit. Sec. 1.183-2(b), Income Tax Regs. University professors, in their capacity as educators, regularly conduct research and produce scholarly materials pertaining to their particular area of competence. In addition, the receipt of the fellowship, as well as the publication of Binding Passions, enhanced petitioner's reputation as a scholar, and was certainly considered for purposes of determining his salary in succeeding years. Moreover, despite the royalty agreement in the record, petitioners have offered little evidence concerning the amount of income earned by petitioner for the 11 Sec. 162(a) provides that there shall be allowed as a deduction all the ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred during the taxable year in carrying on any trade or business.Page: Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011