Concepts in Federal Taxation 2013 Murphy 20th

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Concepts in Federal Taxation 2013 Murphy 20th Edition Solutions Manual

Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

Chapter Losses – Deductions and Limitations

Many of the classification rules for deductions also apply to losses. Deductions are current
expenditures made for the production of current income. Losses result when an entity's
deductions exceed the income generated, or when the disposition of an asset results in
less than a full recovery of the asset's capital investment.

Free-Writing Assignment: Discussion Question 2 offers a good starting point for the
chapter. Ask students to provide examples of each type of loss along with their discussions
of the basic differences between annual and transaction losses.

Teaching Tip #1: Students may have difficulty understanding the relationship of
deductions and losses. You might want to spend some time on Discussion Question 1.

Teaching Tip #2: Comprehensive Problem 92 covers most of the salient issues
discussed in Chapter 7. It can be used as a good summary of this chapter and also makes
a good exam question.

Writing assignments Suggested problems to use for writing integration include Problems
19, 44, 49, 59, 62, and 69; and Tax Planning Case 97.

Alternative Writing Assignment: The following is a fun case concerning the question of
what is a casualty for tax purposes:

Assume you are an accountant in the tax department of Rubley, Musgrave, and
Elway, CPAs. Last Saturday morning you were in Watchill's Donuts, as is your
norm. Just as you finish reading Doonesbury and start on your second apple
fritter, a gentleman sits down beside you. He introduces himself as Fred O.
McDonald, a farmer from Wiggins. He says he recognizes you as "that CPA who
frequents the donut shop." Fred has a problem and asks tax advice from you.

Last Tuesday farmer McDonald planned to remove stumps from a pasture. So,
he drove out to the pasture, lit a stick of dynamite and tossed it near the base of
a stump. Fred's playful dog Boomer saw his master throw the "stick" and
scampered to fetch it. As Boomer picked up the stick, Fred yelled at the dog.
Boomer, thinking he was going to be punished, ran under Fred's pickup truck

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Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

where he dropped the dynamite stick. The dog escaped harm just as the truck
was totally destroyed by the blast.

Fred wonders if he can deduct the loss of the truck for tax purposes. Draft a letter to
Fred O. McDonald to answer his question.

Lecture Outline

I. Annual losses, also called activity losses, are contrasted with transaction losses
(Examples 1 and 2)
A. Use Figure 7-1 as a summary schematic for the treatment of all losses.
Figure 7-2 shows the treatment of annual losses.

II. Net Operating Losses (Problems 17 to 19)

A. An annual loss incurred in trade or business operations
1. Allowed to mitigate inequities caused by taxpayers with uneven
patterns of income and marginal tax rates which differ among tax years
(Examples 3 and 4)
2. Carryback, for 2 years (Examples 5 and 6)
a. Loss can be used in prior years to create a refund
b. Must apply loss to earliest year first
c. Taxpayer may elect to forego carryback
3. Carryforward, for 20 years of any unused carryback loss
a. Loss is used to offset income in future periods
b. No immediate, current-year tax savings
c. Taxpayer may elect to carry forward only (Example 7)
1. Use when prior years' income taxed at relatively low
marginal rates, or
2. Future years expected to be at relatively higher rates
B. For an individual with a negative taxable income amount
1. NOL not necessarily implied
2. Only business expenses cause NOLs ("Operating" refers to trade or
business activity)
3. Personal deductions do not (e.g., exemptions, itemized deductions,
etc.) -- although those items do reduce Taxable Income
4. Exception for personal casualty and theft losses, which are deemed
business-related for NOL purposes

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Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

5. The detailed computations are beyond the scope of this textbook

III. Tax Shelter Losses

A. Activities designed to minimize the effect of tax on wealth accumulation.
1. Dominant business purpose lacking in the activity.
2. Primary motivation is tax reduction.
3. Tax shelters are vehicles for tax law abuse.

IV. At-Risk Rules (Problem 20)

A. Loss deductions limited to amounts actually invested
1. Limitations designed to bring a sense of economic reality to deductions,
i.e., can't recover more than invested or "at risk"
2. Amounts not deductible as a result of the limitation may be carried
forward and deducted in the first year when limits don't apply --
taxpayer has something "at risk"
B. Exhibit 7-1 demonstrates the calculation for the At-Risk amount (Examples 8
and 9)
C. A borrower is not liable for nonrecourse debt (NR). It does not increase the
At-Risk amount (Example 10)
D. Exceptions to general rules for nonrecourse financing of real estate activities
(Examples 11 and 12)
1. Taxpayer will be deemed at-risk for NR amount, thus increasing the At-
risk amount as long as
2. Financing is with reasonably commercial terms -- at arm's length
(Example 13)

V. Passive Activity Losses (PALs)

A. Definition (Problems 26 and 27)
1. Any trade or business in which taxpayer does not materially participate.
(Example 14) A material participant has
a. Involvement on a regular, continuous, and substantial basis
b. For > 500 hours per year (about 10 hours per week), or
c. > 100 hours per year and > any other individual
2. Rental activities are passive by definition
a. Exceptions exist for significant service rentals and material
participation in a real property trade or business

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Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

1. Significant service rentals like hotels, car rentals, ski

rentals, video rentals, golf course fees, etc. (Examples
15 and 16) are not deemed passive
2. No significant personal service activities like common
real estate rentals, e.g., apartments, offices, warehouses,
etc., are passive (Example 17)
3. Limited Partnership Interests are always passive
a. Most states' laws prohibit limited partners from participating in
operating activities (Example 18)
b. General partners in a limited partnership likely would not be
passive -- however, they are subject to the material participation
test like any other taxpayer
4. Working Interest in Oil & Gas is not passive since it represents an
outright ownership interest of the operator (Example 19)
5. Real estate professional exception (Problem 29; Examples 20 and 21)
permits loss deductions for taxpayers actually working in real estate
business (Figure 7-3)
a. > 50% of taxpayer's work is in real estate
b. Taxpayer performs > 750 hours in the realty activity
c. Taxpayer materially participates > 500 hours in the real property
trade or business, e.g., construction, development,
management, leasing, and/or brokering business activity
B. Types of Income -- Necessary for classification
1. Portfolio = unearned income from holding an investment asset
a. Ex., dividends, interest, royalties, annuities
b. The sale of the asset also produces portfolio income
c. Rarely will the taxpayer have negative net portfolio income
2. Active = salaries, wages, business income (Examples 22 and 23)
3. Passive
a. Passive activity losses (PALs) only deductible to extent of
passive income generated (PIG) -- this is the reason for the
necessity of income classification by taxpayers
C. Taxpayers subject to the limits
1. All noncorporate taxable entities
2. Conduit entities pass the losses through (Example 24)
3. Two classes of taxpayers are not subject to PAL limitations:

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Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

a. Publicly held corporations (PAL can offset both active income

and portfolio)
b. Closely held corporations (PAL offset active income, but not
portfolio) [Discussed in Chapter 13]
1. 5 or fewer shareholders own > 50% of stock
D. General Rules for PALs. Note: Net passive income or gains are treated no
differently than other income. Only losses are subject to the limitations.
E. Passive losses only deductible to extent of passive income -- this initial
calculation determines whether the taxpayer has a net passive loss or net
passive income position (Example 25)
F. Suspended losses result for the situation where a net passive loss results
(Example 26) -- carried forward, indefinitely, and deducted against passive
income in a future year(s)

VI. Active participant exception allowed for taxpayers not meeting real estate
professional test (Figure 7-3; Problems 30 to 34; Examples 27 and 28)
A. Taxpayer owns at least a 10% interest in the activity -- thus, excludes
investments in real estate investment trusts and other large "deals"
B. Significant and bona fide involvement is necessary
1. Only means keeping records,
2. Arranging financing,
3. Collecting rents, or simply
4. Arranging for a management service to do these.
C. Permits up to $25,000 loss deductions annually, unless not a "middle-income"
taxpayer
1. Deduction amount reduced for taxpayers otherwise qualifying, but
having AGI between $100,000 and $150,000 ($25,000 maximum is
reduced 50 cents for each dollar of AGI)
2. For AGI over $150,000, no loss deduction
3. Any excess over the $25,000 limit can be carried forward to a
subsequent year
D. Dispositions permit suspended PAL to be deductible
1. By Sale (Problem 39; Examples 29 and 31)
a. Consistent with the legislative intent of getting rid of abusive tax
shelters -- release of the suspension is an incentive
b. Frees the suspended loss of the sold activity to be released and
used to offset income any other classification

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Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

c. Allocation of net suspended loss is necessary -- only the sold

activity's loss is deductible. Allocation based on the relative
amount of loss from each activity.
2. Upon Death (Problems 40 and 41; Examples 32 to 34)
a. Amount of deduction of suspended loss limited to
1. Excess of suspended loss over any unrealized gain on
the activity -- the beneficiary receives a stepped-up basis
= fair market value. Unrealized gain = FMV - adjusted
basis in the hands of the decedent.
2. Unrealized gain is never taxed -- a double benefit would
result if a loss deduction = unrealized gain is permitted.
So, only excess of loss over the gain is deductible
3. Not deductible when the investment asset is transferred by Gift
(Problems 42 to 45; Examples 35 and 36)
a. Receipt of a gift is nontaxable. A double benefit would result if
the loss were also allowed.

VII. Transaction Losses result from a single disposition of property (Problems 45 and
46)
A. Figure 7-4 provides a summary

VIII. Trade or Business Losses

A. Business casualty and theft losses (Problems 47 to 50)
1. Casualty results from some sudden, unexpected, and/or unusual event
a. Actual physical damage must occur
b. Theft losses treated like casualties (fully destroyed)
2. Rules for property fully destroyed (Examples 37 to 39)
a. Deduct basis amount less insurance recovery
b. Gains from business losses discussed in Chapter 12
3. Rules for property partially destroyed (Examples 40 to 42)
a. Amount of loss is lesser of,
1. Decline in value of the property (equals cost of repair), or
2. Adjusted basis of the property.
b. Capital recovery concept limits the loss deduction to adjusted
basis amount

IX. Investment Related Losses

A. Capital losses (Example 43; Problems 51 to 53)

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Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

1. Net Capital Losses of individuals

a. $3,000 annual deduction limitation
b. Excess carried forward and netted in subsequent years
2. Net Capital Losses of corporations (Example 44; Problems 54 to 56)
a. No capital loss deduction against non-capital gain income
1. Carry back 3 years
2. Unused carryback amount carried forward 5 years
maximum
B. Specially Treated Investment Losses
1. Losses on Small Business Stock (Examples 45 and 46; Problems 57
and 58)
a. Deduct up to $50,000 per person ($100,000 married couples)
per year
b. Excess over $50,000 ($100,000) netted with other CG/CL
1. Excess subject to usual Capital Loss limits
c. To qualify, stock must be bought directly from the corporation at
original issue
1. Corporate capitalization  $1 million
2. Losses on Related Party Sales (Problems 60 to 62)
a. Defer or disallow deduction for related party sales
1. Lack of arm's length character (Example 47)
b. Subsequent gains realized on sale of the property to unrelated
party
1. Recognized gain reduced by amount of deferred loss
(Example 48)
2. A loss cannot be created or increased by using deferred
loss (Examples 49 and 50)
c. Applies to trade or business property too (Example 51)
3. Wash Sales (Examples 52 to 54; Problems 63 to 65)
a. Occurs when a security is sold at a loss, and during the 30-day
period before or after the sale date,
1. Seller buys substantially identical securities
2. Application of substance-over-form doctrine
b. Losses are disallowed because the sale lacks economic
substance -- disallowances do not apply to realized gains
1. Disallowed loss amount is added to basis of replaced
shares

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Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

X. Personal Use Losses

A. Generally, not deductible (Problems 71 and 72)
B. Only exception is for Personal Casualty and Theft Losses (Example 55;
Problems 66 to 70)
1. Measured as the lesser of
a. decline in property value, or
b. the property's basis
2. This measurement disallows losses due to normal wear & tear from
personal use
3. Limitations
a. Reduce deduction by amount of insurance proceeds (must file a
claim if insurance exists)
b. Reduce each occurrence/event by $100 (Example 56)
1. Administrative convenience
2. Eliminates small and nuisance claims
c. Reduce total losses by the annual limitation = 10% x AGI
(Examples 57 and 58)

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Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

Annotated Bibliography

LOSSES CAN BE TRICKY by Leonard G. Weld and Michael L. Holland, 93 Strategic Finance 10, 12,
61 (July 2011)
The tax treatment of losses on the sale of securities is more complex than the treatment of
gains because of restrictions and limitations such as related party and wash sale rules

CLAIMING PASSIVE ACTIVITY CREDITS by Albert B. Ellentuck, The Tax Adviser (August 2007)
www.aicpa.org/pubs/taxadv/online/aug2007/casestud.htm
A case study to determine whether a passive activity credit can be taken by an individual
shareholder of S Corporation stock.

LOSSES TRUST DEDUCTED WERE NOT FROM PASSIVE ACTIVITY by Claire Y. Nash, Journal of
Accountancy Online (November 2003), www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/nov2003/taxcases.htm#losses
A discussion of Mattie K. Carter Trust v. United States, 256 F Supp 2d 536 (Tex. 2003).

EMERGING AUDIT ISSUES IN THE APPLICATION OF THE PASSIVE LOSS PROVISIONS TO REAL
ESTATE by Patricia Eason, Tim Krumwiede and Raymond A. Zimmerman, 75 Taxes - The Tax
Magazine 575 - 580 (Oct. 1997)
The provisions for Passive Losses and the new audit issues are discussed.

TAX COURT EXPLORES THE BOUNDARIES OF MATERIAL PARTICIPATION IN PASSIVE ACTIVITIES

by Richard M. Lipton 85 Journal of Taxation 348-55 (Dec. 1996).
Analyzes the Tax Court memorandum decision in Mordkin, which upheld the validity of the
more-than-500-hours test in Temp. Reg. 1.469-5T(a)(1) in a case that involved the owner of a
ski-lodge condominium who participated in short-term rentals of two units.

NONRECOURSE DEBT REVISITED, RESTRUCTURED AND REDEFINED by Linda Sugin, 51 Tax Law
Review 115-74 (Fall 1995).
Suggests that the current legal foundation for the tax treatment of nonrecourse debt (which
treats debt as a true obligation) is flawed, in that it does not reflect economic reality or
correctly measure income. Recommends redefining nonrecourse debt as an investment by the
lender.

LOSS DEDUCTIONS by John Harllee, Jr. and John C. McCoy, Jr. Tax Management U.S. Income
Series Portfolio No. 527, 1994, 188 pages.
Detailed analysis of what constitutes a realized and identifiable loss and of who is entitled to
claim a loss. Also, addresses specific losses, such as abandonment, war and confiscation
casualty, theft, and wagering losses.

1993 TAX LEGISLATIVE CHANGES TO THE PASSIVE ACTIVITY LOSS RULES by Richard M. Lipton.
Taxes: The Tax Magazine, Oct 1993, vol 71, n10, p 611-619.
Changes allow full-time real estate developers to offset income with passive losses just as
other business can. These changes provide tax equity concerning passive losses while
preventing tax shelters.

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Concepts in Federal Taxation 2013 Murphy 20th Edition Solutions Manual

Instructor’s Manual
Ch 7: Losses – Deductions and Limitations

DEDUCTING BOTH BUSINESS AND PERSONAL CASUALTY LOSSES Profit-Building Strategies for
Business Owners, March 1990, vol 20, n3, p 7(2).
Defines casualty and involuntary conversion. What information you will need for the IRS.
Explains how to figure fair market value and when to take the deduction.

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