- 6 - than money. Moreover, the Court is satisfied from the record that the amounts deducted as charitable contributions on petitioners' returns were arbitrarily determined by the return preparer. On this record, the Court sustains respondent on the disallowed charitable contribution deductions for 1999 and 2000. The claimed deductions for unreimbursed employee business expenses related to the use of petitioner's personal vehicle in connection with his employment. Petitioner never sought reimbursement for such expenses from his employer. He did not maintain a log or other contemporaneous record documenting the use of his vehicle.4 The amounts claimed as deductions on the returns were also arbitrarily determined by the return preparer. The deductions cannot be allowed for the reason that, under section 274(d) and the regulations thereunder, vehicle expenses are subject to strict substantiation rules that require "adequate records" through either an account book, diary, statement of expense, or similar record, as well as documentary evidence to establish each element of an expenditure. Sec. 1.274- 5T(c)(2)(i), Temporary Income Tax Regs., 50 Fed. Reg. 46017 (Nov. 6, 1985). No records were presented at trial to substantiate these expenses; consequently, respondent is sustained on the 4 The Court notes that the $14,217 of unreimbursed employee expenses represented 45.5 percent of petitioner's wages for 1999. The same category of expenses for 2000 represented 21.3 percent of his wages.Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Next
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