Several years ago John Johnson, who is in the lending business, loaned Sara $30,000 to purchase an automobile to be used for personal purposes. In August of the current year, Sara filed for bankruptcy, after paying back $1,000 of the loan to John. John was notified by the bankruptcy court that he could not expect to receive more than an additional $4,000. John has contacted you about the possibility of taking a bad debt deduction for the current year. Required:
Write a letter to John that contains your advice as to whether he can claim a bad debt deduction for the current year. Also prepare a memo for the tax files. John's address is 100 Tyler Lane, Erie, PA 16563.