- 13 - activity, as well as his or her consultation with experts, may be indicative of a profit intent. Id. Mr. Dodge joined several horse associations, and he attended clinics and seminars to learn how to show, train, breed, and sell horses. Mr. Dodge also spent thousands of dollars having his horses trained by professional trainers. Mr. Dodge did become expert and knowledgeable about horses. His expertise, however, focused on horse breeding and training and not the economics of the activity. See Burger v. Commissioner, supra. The fact that Mr. Dodge was skilled in the art of horse breeding is a factor to be considered and does not alone show the horse activity was for profit. Glenn v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1995-399, affd. without published opinion 103 F.3d 129 (6th Cir. 1996). Significantly, petitioners did not seek professional or economic advice on the economic aspects of horse breeding. The only advice that Mr. Dodge sought prior to beginning the horse farm was information on the deductibility of losses for tax purposes. Mr. Dodge did not analyze or consult with others about the amount of expenses that they were likely to incur. The failure to seek professional advice is another factor that indicates a lack of profit motive. Burger v. Commissioner, supra; Ballich v. Commissioner, supra. 3. Time and Effort Spent in Conducting the Activity We next consider the time and effort spent by petitioners in conducting their horse-breeding activity. Sec. 1.183-2(b)(3),Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Next
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