Question
You are to prepare a tax research memo regarding the following fact pattern. Your memo should include five sections: Facts, Issues, Applicable Law, Analysis, and
You are to prepare a tax research memo regarding the following fact pattern. Your memo should include five sections: Facts, Issues, Applicable Law, Analysis, and Conclusion.
Facts: Your client, a German named Werner, presented you with the following facts. Werner visited his brother Klaus, who immigrated to the United States eight years ago and has been living in Washington, DC. At the time, Werner was under contract to a German soccer team and was expected to return to the team to begin play for the fall 2018 season. Werners brother Klaus had fallen in love with American football and was a huge Washington Redskins fan. The Redskins had recently lost their regular kicker to an injury. They picked up a new kicker on waivers, but he was a disappointment. Knowing of Werners kicking ability, Klaus was convinced that Werner could help the Redskins. Klaus took Werner to a Redskins workout and introduced him to the kicking coach. As a result, Werner was given a tryout by the Redskins, who were desperate for a good kicker. Werners performance was far superior to others at the tryout, and the Redskins offered him the job. Werner was reluctant to accept the offer because he had planned to return to Germany in a few weeks to continue his soccer career. Considerable encouragement from Klaus and the Redskins organization seemed to be in vain until the Redskins, at Klauss suggestion, offered Werner a $100,000 bonus. At this point, Werner overcame his reluctance and signed a contract, which Klaus co-signed as a witness and interpreter. Economically speaking, the regular salary offered by the Redskins was considerably more attractive than his salary as a soccer player in Germany. Grateful to his brother for assisting as an interpreter and negotiator, and for encouraging him to stay, Werner instructed the Redskins to pay $15,000 of the negotiated bonus directly to Klaus. Klaus reported the $15,000 as other income on his 2018 income tax return and paid the appropriate tax. After examining Werners 2018 tax return, the IRS made a deficiency assessment claiming that the $15,000 paid to Klaus constituted income to Werner and should thus be included in his income. Your manager has asked you to prepare a tax research memo indicating how Werner should treat the $15,000 for tax purposes.
Who reports the income on their tax return? Should Klaus or Werner report the $15,000 as income on their tax return? (Include applicable law to support)
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