T.C. Memo. 2000-109
UNITED STATES TAX COURT
FRED B. AND GEORGIA ELANE BERRY, Petitioners v.
COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Docket No. 1119-98. Filed March 29, 2000.
Rufus E. Wolff, for petitioners.
Donald E. Edwards, for respondent.
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION
COLVIN, Judge: Respondent determined that petitioners have
a $15,570 deficiency in income tax for 1995.
The issue for decision is whether petitioners operated their
farm and horse-breeding activity for profit in 1995. We hold
that they did not.
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Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in
effect during the year in issue. Rule references are to the Tax
Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.
FINDINGS OF FACT
A. Petitioners
Petitioners lived in Roland, Arkansas, when they filed their
petition. They have five grown children, three through previous
marriages.
Petitioner Elane Berry (Mrs. Berry) spent time on her
grandparents’ farm when she was a child. She bought a horse when
she was 9. When she was 15, she raised a filly born to a mare
that she had bought. She worked full time as an x-ray technician
after she graduated from high school.
Petitioner Fred Berry (Dr. Berry) graduated from Tulane
University Medical School in 1949. He has practiced medicine
since then. Dr. and Mrs. Berry were married in 1972. Dr. Berry
could not work for 2 months in 1985 because he was ill. In 1991,
Dr. Berry cashed in one of his retirement plans and received
about $17,000.
Dr. Berry and his sister inherited some apartment houses,
which his sister managed, and mutual funds, which Dr. Berry
managed. Dr. Berry’s sister began liquidating the apartment
houses around 1991. The amount Dr. Berry received is not stated
in the record. In 1994, Dr. Berry liquidated some of the mutual
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funds in 1994, but he kept as much as possible because they were
appreciating in value rapidly.
Mrs. Berry worked part time as the office manager for Dr.
Berry’s surgical clinic until he closed the clinic in 1995. Dr.
Berry has practiced medicine at the White River Rural Health
Service since then.
B. Petitioners' Farm
1. Starting the Horse-Breeding Activity
Dr. and Mrs. Berry bought a 127-acre farm in Roland,
Arkansas, in 1974 and moved to the farm in 1979. Petitioners
grew soybeans in 1979 and started a horse-breeding activity in
1980 which they called Berry Lane Farm.
2. Racking Horses
Petitioners decided to breed racking horses. Racking horses
and Tennessee walking horses have the same bloodlines. Tennessee
walking horses walk with at least three feet on the ground, over-
striding rear legs, a reaching motion in their front legs, and a
nodding head. Racking horses walk with at least one foot on the
ground, a folding motion in their front legs, and heads that are
steadier than those of Tennessee walking horses.
Petitioners decided to breed racking horses because they
thought racking horses were increasing in popularity faster than
any other kind of horse and were more affordable than Tennessee
walking horses. In addition, Mrs. Berry believed that the
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training techniques used to develop a Tennessee walking horse’s
gait were cruel.
3. Advice From Others
Heidi Haskins, a friend of petitioners who raised horses,
recommended that they buy a broodmare in foal. Petitioners
bought two broodmares in foal in 1980. However, petitioners did
not have a plan for selling the colts born to those broodmares
and had difficulty selling them.
At a time not specified in the record, Mrs. Berry sought
advice from Ann Yeiser (Yeiser), who published a racking horse
magazine. Yeiser told Mrs. Berry that petitioners had received
bad advice on what broodmares to buy and that they needed a
better trainer. Yeiser suggested several trainers for
petitioners to use, including Joe Dan Carter (Carter).
Petitioners hired Carter to be their trainer in 1985.
Carter has been a professional horse trainer since 1976. He
bought a horse from petitioners, apparently in 1995 or later. On
a date not stated in the record, Carter told petitioners that
their horses would sell better if they bred famous Tennessee
walking horses. Carter sold one of petitioners’ horses for
$24,000 in 1996.
James Roberts (Roberts) is an analyst for the Tennessee Farm
Bureau Federation. Mrs. Berry met him in 1988 or 1989. Roberts
has shown racking horses since 1988. He was vice chairman of the
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Racking Horse Association’s promotions committee in 1999. He has
shown and has tried to sell petitioners’ horses at events.
On a date not specified in the record, Mrs. Berry asked
Roberts for advice about raising horses and farming. Roberts
advised Mrs. Berry to breed her horses with higher quality
horses. He also advised her to train more of her horses as
Tennessee walking horses. He advised her to reduce her farm
expenses and to find better ways to market her animals.
4. Operating the Farm and Horse-Breeding Activity
Mrs. Berry has managed petitioners’ farm and horse-breeding
activity since 1979. She supervises the farm’s employees and
does manual labor on the farm. Before 1995, Mrs. Berry worked
part time for Dr. Berry. She could schedule her work at the
office to accommodate her work at the farm. She worked on
petitioners’ farm and horse-breeding activity 60 to 70 hours per
week in 1995. Dr. Berry worked on the farm only occasionally.
Petitioners had one to five employees during each year from
1985 through the year in issue. The record does not state how
many employees petitioners had at any one time.
Mrs. Berry read magazines and journals about horses and took
courses and seminars on breeding at the University of Tennessee
at Murfreesboro. She learned how to artificially inseminate
broodmares. She offered this service for a flat fee.
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In 1995, Mrs. Berry was a member of the Futurity Breeders
Association, the Amateur Association, the Pleasure Association,
and the Arkansas Racking Horse Association. Mrs. Berry rode a
horse only once or twice in 1995.
Mrs. Berry takes horses to a 9-day racking horse celebration
held at Decatur, Alabama, every September, at which the Racking
Horse Breeders Association selects the world champions for the
year. Mrs. Berry usually enters horses in a 3-to-4-day show at
Shelbyville, Tennessee, a 4-day spring celebration, and some 1-
day horse shows. Mrs. Berry washes, grooms, and clips her horses
and braids their manes for the shows, but she usually does not
show the horses herself. Potential customers see petitioners’
horses at shows.
5. Books and Records for the Farm and Horse-Breeding
Activity
Mrs. Berry kept a disbursement journal and general ledger
for the farm from 1981 through the year in issue. She also kept
records of horses that she bought and sold and the births and
deaths of horses on petitioners’ farm. Petitioners had a
separate bank account for their farm.
6. The Number of Horses on Petitioners’ Farm
Petitioners had the following numbers of horses on their
farm:1
1
Petitioners’ summary states that they had six broodmares
(continued...)
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Brood
Year Show mares Weanlings Yearlings 2 Year 3 Year Stallions
1980 1 2 0 0 0 0 0
1981 4 8 6 1 0 0 0
1982 4 8 8 6 1 0 1
1983 3 12 9 8 3 0 2
1984 4 16 9 7 7 3 2
1985 6 14 6 7 1 1 1
1986 2 10 4 5 1 0 1
1987 2 8 6 3 1 1 1
1988 4 7 5 5 2 0 1
1989 2 5 2 3 1 0 1
1990 2 5 5 2 1 1 1
1991 1 5 4 5 0 1 1
1992 1 5 4 4 4 0 1
1993 1 5 3 3 4 1 1
1994 1 6 4 3 3 3 1
1995 1 6 4 3 3 2 1
1996 0 6 5 3 3 1 1
1997 0 7 3 4 1 0 1
1998 0 13 9 4 3 0 1
7. The Number of Horses That Petitioners Sold
Petitioners sold the following numbers of horses from 1982
through 1998:
1
(...continued)
in 1994. Petitioners do not explain why their records are
inconsistent.
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Total Number Highest
Year sales sold sales price
1982 $6,900 3 $5,000
1983 352 1 352
1984 16,170 13 3,700
1985 17,471 15 2,500 (twice)
1986 7,400 6 2,000
1987 4,260 4 1,260
1988 9,950 9 2,700
1989 2,000 2 1,500
1990 8,900 4 3,400
1991 5,000 2 3,800
1992 7,150 4 4,000
1993 750 1 750
1994 4,588 4 2,400
1995 4,905 4 2,400
1
1996 36,600 6 24,000
1997 6,300 2 3,600
1998 2,000 1 2,000
1
Petitioners’ next highest price in 1996 was $3,750.
8. Petitioners' Income From Farm Products, Horse Show
Prizes, Stud Fees, and Boarding Fees
Mrs. Berry usually entered horses in six to eight shows each
year. Petitioners boarded horses for other people and provided
stud services from 1982 through 1997. Petitioners received the
following amounts of horse show prize money, stud fees, and fees
for boarding horses:
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Horse
show
prize Stud Boarding
Year Total money fees fees
1982 $2,137 $471 -0- $1,666
1983 402 117 $250 35
1984 1,423 50 1,050 323
1985 1,524 25 1,300 199
1986 2,250 -0- 1,850 400
1987 1,552 103 1,200 249
1988 400 -0- 400 -0-
1989 1,005 211 500 294
1990 3,227 1,343 930 954
1991 3,957 2,331 1,054 572
1992 5,274 2,263 1,050 1,961
1993 8,935 1,634 2,250 5,051
1994 7,036 1,085 1,200 4,751
1995 6,607 1,765 400 4,442
1996 14,308 2,469 3,100 8,739
1997 17,253 3,350 5,100 8,803
Petitioners received the following amounts of income from
growing and selling grain (includes wheat and soybeans), pecans,
and hay and from hauling horses:
Horse
Year Total Grains Pecans Hay hauling
1981 $1,396 – -- $1,396 --
1982 6,494 $5,428 -- 1,066 --
1983 2,809 2,533 -- 276 --
1984 4,472 3,938 -- 534 --
1985 8,067 7,670 –- 397 --
1986 20 – -- 20 --
1987 2,197 2,030 -- 167 --
1988 13,894 13,432 $120 342 --
1989 8,703 6,851 -- 1,852 --
1990 2,150 1,329 -- 821 --
1991 9,514 8,295 –- 527 $692
1992 10,476 4,347 335 752 5,042
1993 10,703 3,385 95 1,883 5,340
1994 13,974 5,261 166 956 7,591
1995 6,377 3,630 385 1,065 1,297
1996 5,392 3,331 98 1,695 268
1997 6,650 2,979 75 3,184 412
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C. The Racking Horse Association Registry
The Racking Horse Association maintains a registry of racking
horses. It planned to close its registry around 1995 to limit the
racking horses in the registry to those with a specific gait.
D. Petitioners' Farm and Nonfarm Income and Farm Losses
Petitioners had the following amounts of gross receipts and
losses from their horse and farm activity from 1982 through 1997:2
Farm
loss not Farm loss Reported
Gross including including Schedule F
Year receipts1 depreciation depreciation loss
1982 $15,531 $75,980 $113,480 $115,186
1983 3,564 93,830 132,070 132,385
1984 22,015 91,922 131,341 N/A
1985 27,037 59,215 94,675 104,923
1986 9,670 52,846 58,096 81,077
1987 8,009 53,787 63,787 66,751
1988 24,244 32,145 35,595 39,340
1989 11,708 35,596 39,628 49,130
1990 14,277 36,458 40,348 50,360
1991 18,470 36,299 41,285 45,310
1992 22,900 32,516 38,209 42,535
1993 20,388 41,246 41,246 45,290
1994 25,598 39,309 43,178 45,845
1995 17,890 38,128 41,247 43,596
1982-95
Total 241,301 719,277 914,185 861,728
1996 56,300 29,900 45,158 37,689
1997 30,203 39,116 39,116 42,539
1982-97
Total 327,804 788,293 998,459 941,956
1
This column is the total income from paragraphs B-7 and B-8
above.
2
The amounts in the first three columns are from
petitioners’ financial records. The amounts in the last column
are from petitioners’ income tax returns.
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Petitioners reported on their income tax returns the
following amounts of nonfarm income from 1982 through 1997:
Pension Nonfarm
Year Wages income income
1982 $239,580 $260,552
1983 188,900 240,135
1984 N/A N/A
1985 124,905 148,064
1986 93,500 107,521
1987 101,000 121,102
1988 70,000 78,497
1989 51,200 $38,492 101,178
1990 28,500 104,000 142,238
1991 54,000 47,000 116,373
1992 126,883 28,000 169,090
1993 119,700 24,500 157,815
1994 144,340 236,966
1995 139,390 154,309
1982-95
Total 1,481,898 241,992 2,033,840
1996 144,854 152,416
1997 144,354 170,963
1982-97
Total 1,771,106 241,992 2,357,219
Nonfarm income includes wages and proceeds from the sale of
investments and inherited property.
OPINION
A. Whether Petitioners Operated Their Farm and Horse-Breeding
Activity for Profit in 1995
The issue for decision is whether petitioners operated their
farm and horse-breeding activity for profit in 1995. A taxpayer
conducts an activity for profit if he or she does so with an
actual and honest profit objective. See Osteen v. Commissioner,
62 F.3d 356, 358 (11th Cir. 1995), affg. in part and revg. on
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other issues T.C. Memo. 1993-519; Surloff v. Commissioner, 81
T.C. 210, 233 (1983); Dreicer v. Commissioner, 78 T.C. 642, 645
(1982), affd. without opinion 702 F.2d 1205 (D.C. Cir. 1983). In
deciding whether petitioners operated their horse-breeding
activity for profit, we apply the following nine nonexclusive
factors: (1) The manner in which the taxpayer carried on the
activity; (2) the expertise of the taxpayer or his or her
advisers; (3) the time and effort expended by the taxpayer in
carrying on the activity; (4) the expectation that the assets
used in the activity may appreciate in value; (5) the success of
the taxpayer in carrying on other similar or dissimilar
activities; (6) the taxpayer's history of income or loss with
respect to the activity; (7) the amount of occasional profits, if
any, which are earned; (8) the financial status of the taxpayer;
and (9) whether elements of personal pleasure or recreation are
involved. See sec. 1.183-2(b), Income Tax Regs. No single
factor controls. See Osteen v. Commissioner, supra; Brannen v.
Commissioner, 722 F.2d 695, 704 (11th Cir. 1984), affg. 78 T.C.
471 (1982); sec. 1.183-2(b), Income Tax Regs. Petitioners have
the burden of proof. See Golanty v. Commissioner, 72 T.C. 411,
426 (1979), affd. without published opinion 647 F.2d 170 (9th
Cir. 1981).
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B. Whether We Should Treat 1995 as the Startup Year of
Petitioners’ Farm and Horse Activity
Petitioners contend that we should treat 1995 as the startup
year of their farm and horse activity because, in 1995, Mrs.
Berry began to work full time on the farm, to supervise employees
more closely, to organize activities better, and to repair and
expand the barn to accommodate more broodmares. Petitioners
contend that, even if they did not have a profit motive before
1995, they did in 1995.
It is true that Mrs. Berry worked full time on the farm in
1995. However, we do not view Mrs. Berry’s change to full time
as the commencement of petitioners’ farm and horse activity. The
record does not show how much more time Mrs. Berry devoted to the
farm in 1995 than in prior years. Mrs. Berry worked part time as
Dr. Berry’s office manager before 1995. She had a flexible
schedule that allowed her to work on the farm when needed.
Repairing and expanding the barn was not the commencement of
petitioners’ farm and horse activity because the barn had
accommodated 16 broodmares before 1995. Petitioners’ use of
improved breeding stock after 1995 is not directly relevant to
whether petitioners had a profit motive during 1995.
Petitioners contend that their hay, stud, and horse boarding
activities increased in 1995 and thereafter when Mrs. Berry
worked on the farm full time. We are not convinced that their
activities increased significantly or even at all in 1995 because
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petitioners’ gross receipts in 1995 from (a) hay were less than
in 1981, 1982, 1987, and 1993; (b) stud fees were less than from
1984 to 1987, the same as in 1988, and less than from 1989 to
1994; and (c) boarding fees were less than in 1993 and 1994.
Petitioners contend that this case is like Feistman v.
Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1982-306, affd. 718 F.2d 1110 (9th Cir.
1983), in which we held that a taxpayer changed a stamp and coin
collecting hobby to a business. We disagree. During the years
in issue, the taxpayer in Feistman undertook activities
consistent with those of a retailer and inconsistent with those
of a hobbyist. He (a) bought 100 first day covers for each new
stamp issued, far more than he needed as a collector; (b)
regularly displayed merchandise for sale at shows and swap meets;
(c) received a business tax registration certificate with a
“retail sales” classification; (d) bought and sold inventory; and
(e) received authority from credit card companies to accept
charges. The taxpayer in Feistman changed his activity in
several respects that showed that he operated it for profit.
Petitioners did not.
We do not treat 1995 as the first year of petitioners’ horse
and farm activity.
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C. Applying the Factors
1. Manner in Which the Taxpayer Conducts the Activity
Maintaining complete and accurate books and records,
conducting the activity in a manner substantially similar to
comparable businesses which are profitable, and making changes in
operations to adopt new techniques or abandon unprofitable
methods suggest that a taxpayer conducted an activity for profit.
See Engdahl v. Commissioner, 72 T.C. 659, 666-667 (1979); sec.
1.183-2(b)(1), Income Tax Regs.
Petitioners maintained a separate general journal and bank
account for the farm. However, they did not have a written
business plan, income projections, or profit plans. This
suggests that they did not operate their farm and horse activity
for profit. See Westbrook v. Commissioner, 68 F.3d 868, 873, 878
(5th Cir. 1995) (no written business plan, financial projections,
or estimates for return of capital), affg. T.C. Memo. 1993-634;
Osteen v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1993-519; cf. Phillips v.
Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1997-128 (written financial plan not
required for 32-horse farm where business plan evidenced by
action).
Petitioners contend that they had a business plan, which was
for Mrs. Berry to work full time on the farm and for them to have
at least 11 broodmares. We disagree. Petitioners did not
credibly show how they intended to make the farm profitable.
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Petitioners had at least 11 broodmares in 1983, 1984, and 1985,
and had some of their largest losses in those years.
Petitioners contend that they spent cautiously in 1995,
which shows that they had a profit objective. We are not
convinced that petitioners spent cautiously in 1995. They spent
less in 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1993 than they did in 1995. Also,
petitioners’ level of spending is inconsistent with their claimed
business plan of having 11 good-quality broodmares. To comply
with their business plan, it appears that petitioners needed to
spend more to buy more broodmares. This factor favors
respondent.
2. The Expertise of the Taxpayers or Their Advisers
Efforts to gain experience, a willingness to follow expert
advice, and preparation for an activity by extensive study of its
practices may indicate that a taxpayer has a profit motive. See
sec. 1.183-2(b)(2), Income Tax Regs.
By 1995, Mrs. Berry had learned a lot about breeding and
raising racking and Tennessee walking horses. People sought her
advice about horse breeding. However, there is no evidence that
Mrs. Berry sought or acquired expertise in the financial aspects
of horse breeding.
Petitioners contend that they consulted Carter, Roberts, and
Yeiser as experts. There is no evidence that Carter or Yeiser
advised petitioners how to make their farm and horse activity
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profitable. At a time not specified in the record, Roberts
advised Mrs. Berry to cut her farm expenses, improve her
marketing, concentrate on Tennessee walking horses, and increase
and improve her broodmare bloodlines. There is no evidence that
Mrs. Berry followed his advice, except to buy four broodmares
with better bloodlines in 1998. Petitioners did not adequately
seek and follow advice relating to the economic aspects of their
horse activity. See Burger v. Commissioner, 809 F.2d 355, 359
(7th Cir. 1987), affg. T.C. Memo. 1985-523; Glenn v.
Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1995-399, affd. without published
opinion 103 F.3d 129 (6th Cir. 1996); see also Golanty v.
Commissioner, 72 T.C. at 432. This factor favors respondent.
3. Taxpayer's Time and Effort
The fact that a taxpayer devotes much time and effort to
conducting an activity may indicate that he or she has a profit
objective. See sec. 1.183-2(b)(3), Income Tax Regs. Mrs. Berry
spent long hours on the activity beginning in February 1995.
This factor favors petitioners.
4. Expectation That Property Used in the Activity Would
Appreciate in Value
A taxpayer may intend to make an overall profit when
appreciation in the value of assets used in the activity is
realized. See Bessenyey v. Commissioner, 45 T.C. 261, 274 (1965),
affd. 379 F.2d 252 (2d Cir. 1967); sec. 1.183-2(b)(4), Income Tax
Regs. There is an overall profit if net earnings and appreciation
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are enough to recoup losses sustained in prior years. See Bessenyey
v. Commissioner, supra. Petitioners concede that they did not
expect their land or any asset other than their horses to increase
in value but contend that the offspring of the higher quality
broodmares that they bought after 1995 are worth more than those
born in prior years. We disagree. Petitioners offered no evidence
of the value of offspring of higher quality broodmares they bought
after 1995. This factor favors respondent.
5. Taxpayer's Success in Other Activities
The fact that a taxpayer previously engaged in similar
activities and made them profitable may show that the taxpayer has a
profit objective. See sec. 183-2(b)(5), Income Tax Regs. Mrs.
Berry’s work as office manager at her husband’s clinic is not
sufficiently similar to operating a farm and horse activity to
indicate that she could do so successfully. This factor favors
respondent.
6. Taxpayer's History of Income or Losses
A history of substantial losses may indicate that the taxpayer
did not conduct the activity for profit. See Golanty v.
Commissioner, supra at 427; sec. 1.183-2(b)(6), Income Tax Regs. A
taxpayer may have a profit objective even if the activity has a
history of losses, see Bessenyey v. Commissioner, supra at 274,
because losses during the initial stage of an activity do not
necessarily indicate that the activity was not conducted for profit,
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see Engdahl v. Commissioner, 72 T.C. at 669; sec. 1.183-2(b)(6),
Income Tax Regs. We have said that the startup phase of a horse-
breeding activity may be 5 to 10 years for standard bred horses.
See Engdahl v. Commissioner, supra.
Petitioners have a long history of substantial losses in their
farm and horse activity. Petitioners contend that they incurred
losses due to unforeseen circumstances such as Dr. Berry’s 2-month
illness in 1985 and the reopening of the racking horse registry in
1997. We disagree. We are not convinced that Dr. Berry’s illness
in 1985 prevented petitioners from buying broodmares in 1992, 1993,
1994, and 1995, because in those years income from his medical
practice had increased to more than $119,000, and he had additional
income from other sources. Petitioners contend that the reopening
of the racking horse registry in 1997 caused their losses in 1995.
We disagree. Petitioners have offered no evidence about the
reopening of the registry or how the reopening caused their losses
in earlier years. This factor favors respondent.
7. Amount of Occasional Profits, If Any
Small occasional profits with large continuous losses do not
indicate that the taxpayer had a profit objective. See sec. 1.183-
2(b)(7), Income Tax Regs. Petitioners had gross receipts from
selling pecans and grains, from providing stud services, and
boarding and hauling horses. The record does not indicate the
amount of expenses that were related to these activities. Even if
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those activities were profitable, those small amounts of receipts do
not offset the large losses that petitioners had each year from 1980
to 1995. This factor favors respondent.
8. Financial Status of the Taxpayer
The receipt of a substantial amount of income from sources
other than the activity, especially if the losses from the activity
generate large tax benefits, may indicate that the taxpayer does not
intend to conduct the activity for profit. See sec. 1.183-2(b)(8),
Income Tax Regs. Petitioners had nonfarm income of $154,309 in
1995. Their nonfarm income exceeded their farm losses from 1980 to
1997. See Rinehart v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1998-205 (taxpayers
lacked a profit objective where taxpayer earned between $166,000 and
$170,000 per year during the years in issue). Petitioners’ losses
sheltered a large amount of their income in 1995. This factor
favors respondent somewhat.
9. Elements of Personal Pleasure
The presence of recreational or personal motives in conducting
an activity may indicate that the taxpayer is not conducting the
activity for profit. See sec. 1.183-2(b)(9), Income Tax Regs. A
taxpayer's enjoyment of an activity does not show that the taxpayer
lacks a profit objective if the activity is, in fact, conducted for
profit as shown by other factors. See Jackson v. Commissioner, 59
T.C. 312, 317 (1972); sec. 1.183-2(b)(9), Income Tax Regs. However,
if the possibility for profit is small compared to the possibility
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for gratification, the latter possibility may be the primary
motivation for the activity. See White v. Commissioner, 23 T.C. 90,
94 (1954), affd. per curiam 227 F.2d 779 (6th Cir. 1955).
Petitioners point out that no person in their family rode horses for
pleasure in the year in issue. However, Mrs. Berry testified that
she has always enjoyed horses. This factor is neutral.
D. Conclusion
We conclude that petitioners did not operate their farm and
horse-breeding activity for profit in 1995 for purposes of section
183.3
The record contains information about events that occurred
after 1995, on which both parties rely. The post-1995 information
shows that the pre-1995 pattern of activity and losses generally
3
Some of petitioners’ activities may have been for profit,
such as those involving their crops and the hauling and boarding
of horses. However, petitioners do not contend that they had
more than one activity, and they have not provided any basis for
us to decide the amount of their expenses that were related to
activities that may have been for profit.
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continued through 1998.4 Our conclusion would be the same whether
or not we considered post-1995 events.
To reflect the foregoing,
Decision will be entered
under Rule 155.
4
Petitioners sold one horse for $24,000 in 1996. This
appears to be an anomaly because the sales prices of all of the
other horses that they sold after 1995 were similar to sales
prices before 1995. Petitioners received the notice of
deficiency in this case in 1997, and they expanded the number of
higher quality broodmares in 1998. Petitioners’ actions after
1997 may have been influenced by the pendency of this case and
show little or nothing about their intent in 1995. See Taube v.
Commissioner, 88 T.C. 464, 482 (1987); Lundquist v. Commissioner,
T.C. Memo. 1999-83; Brockenbrough v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo.
1998-454.