Richard L. and Marjorie A. Pitts - Page 14




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          if the activity does not have substantial recreational aspects,             
          may indicate a profit motive.  See sec. 1.183-2(b)(3), Income Tax           
          Regs.  Petitioner devoted about 20 to 25 hours per week to the              
          horses, in addition to the amount of time Mr. Pitts spent feeding           
          and watering the horses.  It is not clear from the record how               
          much time Mr. Pitts spent on the horse activity.  Petitioner did            
          all of the cleaning, breeding, and heavy work that Mr. Pitts                
          could not do.  Petitioner would consult the breeding charts and             
          keep an eye on the mares to determine when they were in heat.               
          This factor favors petitioners.                                             
               4. Expectation That Assets Will Appreciate in Value                    
               An expectation that assets used in that activity will                  
          appreciate in value may indicate a profit objective.  See sec.              
          1.183-2(b)(4), Income Tax Regs.  Petitioner testified that she              
          expected to get champions out of Ding Dong Daddy and Halyard                
          since they came from good bloodlines.  In fact, one of Ding Dong            
          Daddy’s offspring was a successful racing horse.  However, there            
          is nothing in the record that shows costs of petitioners’ horses            
          or fluctuations in their value.                                             
               5. Petitioners’ Success in Similar or Dissimilar Activities            
               The fact that the taxpayer has engaged in similar activities           
          in the past and converted them from unprofitable to profitable              
          enterprises may indicate that he or she is engaged in the present           
          activity for profit, even though the activity is presently                  
          unprofitable.  See sec. 1.183-2(b)(5), Income Tax Regs.  There is           
          no evidence that petitioners had been involved in other profit-             

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