Russell A. Condello - Page 7

                                        - 7 -                                         

               In United States v. Gilmore, 372 U.S. 39, 48 (1963), the               
          Supreme Court held that the test for whether legal fees are                 
          business or personal expenses depends upon whether the claim                
          arises in connection with the taxpayer's profit-seeking                     
          activities or his personal activities.  Under this "origin of the           
          claim" test, the Court held that legal expenses paid to defeat              
          claims arising from a marital relationship were personal and non-           
          deductible.  Id. at 51.  The Court noted that it is irrelevant              
          whether the taxpayer's income-producing property would be                   
          affected by the outcome of the divorce proceeding.  See id. at              
          48.                                                                         
               Petitioner testified that his legal fees were "related to              
          the divorce proceeding as it related to [his] business."                    
          Petitioner's uncorroborated testimony was general, vague, and               
          conclusory.  Under these circumstances, we are not required to,             
          and do not, rely on petitioner's testimony to sustain his burden            
          of establishing error in respondent's determination.  See Lerch             
          v. Commissioner, 877 F.2d 624, 631-632 (7th Cir. 1989), affg.               
          T.C. Memo. 1987-295; Tokarski v. Commissioner, 87 T.C. 74, 77               
          (1986).  Petitioner provided no further evidence that the legal             
          expenses arose out of his businesses.  In applying the Gilmore              
          test, the origin of petitioner's claim arose from the marital               
          relationship between petitioner and Mrs. Condello, and not from             







Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011