Michael A. Ogden - Page 7




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          sec. 1.183-2(a) and (b), Income Tax Regs.  No single factor is              
          controlling, nor is the existence of a majority of factors                  
          favoring or disfavoring a profit objective necessarily                      
          controlling.  Hendricks v. Commissioner, 32 F.3d 94, 98 (4th Cir.           
          1994), affg. T.C. Memo. 1993-396; sec. 1.183-2(b), Income Tax               
          Regs.                                                                       
               The parties stipulated that the following documents were               
          made available to respondent:                                               
               A Franklin Planner detailing (i) all the times the Ogdens              
               showed the Amway Sales and Marketing Plan, the travel                  
               related thereto and expenses associated therewith; (ii)                
               records of phone calls relating to Petitioners' Amway                  
               enterprise; (iii) meetings with "upline" and "downline"                
               sponsors and prospects; and (iv) extensive notes taken at              
               Amway meetings and functions; detailed records of all Amway            
               products ordered through the Ogden's Amway organization; all           
               receipts for meals, travel, training and seminars, and other           
               expenses related thereto; detailed business telephone and              
               voicemail charges; detailed cellular phone charges;                    
               commercial bank account records for Ogden Enterprises;                 
               detailed long distance phone records; detailed pager                   
               expenses for 1995; and detailed postage expenses records.              

               We found it difficult to analyze or date some of the                   
          documents placed in evidence because many of them were                      
          photocopies of handwritten papers.  Petitioners did not maintain            
          a budget in an attempt to reduce costs.  We were not impressed              
          with their handwritten, scribbled so-called projections.                    
               Petitioners apparently followed the generalized business               
          plan published by Amway.  Petitioners tried different marketing             
          techniques, such as fliers and telemarketing, to increase their             
          retail sales.  Although petitioners' gross income from Amway                




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