Federal Tax Research 10th Edition by Roby Sawyers,William Raabe,Gerald Whittenburg,Steven Gill

Exercise 8

Todd bought a used speedboat by writing a check for $23,000. When the seller presented the check to Todd's bank, it was rejected, with the bank indicating that Todd no longer had an account at the bank. The seller then requested Todd come back for an item he left behind, but the police were waiting and Todd was arrested for theft. He was handcuffed in front of his family, taken to jail, and put in a holding area with drunks until bail could be arranged. Once it was determined that the bank had made a terrible mistake, Todd sued the bank for false imprisonment and defamation. He received $200,000. Although Todd suffered no physical injury from the arrest and detention, he did have nightmares and sought psychological help for several months, and the bank paid the bills. Because Todd was physically held against his will, he thinks the $200,000 is not taxable. Is Todd correct