First determine the tax issue. Then research the issue and determine your conclusion. Finally, write up your results using the following format:
-Issue (Describe the tax issue, i.e., the question that you are researching
-Conclusion (The answer to the tax question)
-Discussion of Reasoning and Authorities
1) Deducting Charitable Contributions.....
Your clients, Sonny and his wife Honey, believe in worshiping Ta-Ra, the Sun God. To practice their religious beliefs, they take a weeklong trip to Hawaii to worship Ta-Ra. The cost of this pilgrimage (including airfare, hotel, and meals) is $2,800. Sonny wants to know if he can deduct the cost of this trip as a charitable contribution.
Research Aids: Kessler, 87 T.C. 1285 (1986)