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A Journey Through Rule 81(i) – Designated Orders: August 19 – 23, 2019

Posted on Oct. 22, 2019

There were only four orders this week. The first and most interesting order explores Rule 81, which governs the taking and use of depositions in the Tax Court. Two CDP orders and a tax protester in a deficiency case round out this week’s orders.

Docket Nos. 16634-17L, 15789-17, Raley v. C.I.R. (Order Here)

This short order from Judge Buch strikes from the record Respondent’s lodging of a document entitled “Respondent’s Designation of Deposition Testimony To Be Used At Trial.” Judge Buch characterizes Respondent’s filing as “an attempt to put into the evidentiary record of this case a deposition of a non-party taken pursuant to a stipulation under Rule 81(d) . . . .” For those practitioners who don’t often take depositions in cases before the Tax Court (myself included), a brief review of Rule 81 is called for.

Rule 81 provides that a party may take depositions only where (1) the parties agree to do so under Rule 81(d), or (2) the party seeking the deposition applies for permission from the Court under Rule 81(b). Compared to Rule 30 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, which requires an application only in limited circumstances, the Tax Court has much more discretion under its Rules to allow an unconsented deposition. But here, the parties stipulated, and so didn’t need Court permission to take the deposition.

Now we have a deposition. But what can we do with it? Rule 81(i) governs use of the deposition in the Court. Rule 81(i) is analogous, but not identical, to FRCP 32.

At the trial . . . any part or all of a deposition, so far as admissible under the rules of evidence applied as though the witness were then present and testifying, may be used against any party who was present or represented at the taking of the deposition or who had reasonable notice thereof, in accordance with the following provisions:

1. The deposition may be used by a party for the purpose of contradicting or impeaching the testimony of the deponent as a witness;

2. The deposition of a party may be used by an adverse party for any purpose;

3. The deposition may be used for any purpose if the Court finds: (A) That the witness is dead; (B) that the witness is at such a distance from the place of trial that it is not practicable for the witness to attend, unless it appears that the absence of the witness was procured by the party seeking to use the deposition; (C) that the witness is unable to attend or testify because of age, illness, infirmity, or imprisonment; (D) that the party offering the deposition has been unable to obtain attendance of the witness at trial, as to make it desirable in the interests of justice, to allow the deposition to be used; or (E) that such exceptional circumstances exist, in regard to the absence of the witness at the trial, as to make it desirable in the interests of justice, to allow the deposition to be used.

So, to summarize, the deposition may be used in three circumstances: (1) impeaching the deponent as a witness at trial; (2) for any purpose, if the deponent is a party; and (3) purposes related to the unavailability of a witness at trial, including death, distance, inability to attend or compel attendance, or other exceptional circumstances.

Here, Respondent, according to Judge Buch, simply attempted to put the entire deposition into the record. That won’t work, because Respondent didn’t even identify how Respondent intended to use the deposition. Without at least this, the Court has no basis to determine whether the deposition will be permissibly used under Rule 81(i).

Respondent’s counsel didn’t take this lying down. A week later, Judge Buch issued a subsequent order in this case. The parties held a conference call with Judge Buch, and explained that the deponent would be unavailable for trial—one of the reasons a deposition can be used, for any reason, under Rule 81(i)(3). Judge Buch accordingly vacated the August 21 order, retitled Respondent’s filing of the deposition as a “Motion Under Rule 81(i),” and ordered the parties to stipulate to the admissibility of so much of the deposition as possible. That stipulation was filed on September 6, and the Court accordingly granted Respondent’s motion under Rule 81(i) on September 18.

Docket Nos. 5227-18L, 4986-18L, Koham v. C.I.R. (Order Here)

This CDP case from Judge Buch involves petitioners who don’t appear sympathetic. The liability arose from the taxpayer’s self-assessment of income tax liabilities on returns they filed for 2013 and 2014. The taxpayers filed an OIC, but listed “patently excessive” expenses (e.g., $9,500 for housing expenses). In the interim, the Service filed a NFTL, and so Petitioners elected to pursue the OIC through the CDP procedures.

The settlement officer calculated a monthly net income for the taxpayers of $987, after reducing their monthly expenses to the IRS collection standards amounts. The SO found a reasonable collection potential of $312,361—far greater than the corresponding tax liability of $35,117 and dwarfing petitioners’ offer of $2,500.

The SO offered a streamlined installment agreement of $332 per month (i.e., the total liability divided by 72 months). But Petitioner didn’t accept it and the SO issued a Notice of Determination that sustained the NFTL. Petitioners proceeded to the Tax Court, arguing in their response to Respondent’s eventual motion for summary judgment that the SO made a “blanket rejection” of the OIC.

There was simply nothing here for the Court—or frankly, the IRS—to work with. Petitioners provided no evidence of an IRS error with the expense calculation to lower the “reasonable collection potential”; no purported special circumstances that would justify acceptance of an offer for less than the reasonable collection potential; and no further allegations (e.g., that the SO failed to verify all applicable statutory and procedural requirements). They complained of the SO’s “blanket rejection” of the OIC; instead it seems the SO considered the circumstances and rejected the OIC for a fair reason. Pro se CDP litigants should take note: your reasons for seeking reversal must be well-grounded in the facts and law.

Docket No. 24599-17L, Marra v. C.I.R. (Order Here)

Another CDP case, this time from Chief Special Trial Judge Carluzzo. Respondent filed a motion for summary judgment, while Petitioner moved to remand the case to IRS Appeals. The primary issue is whether Petitioner may challenge the underlying liability pursuant to IRC § 6330(c)(2)(B). Respondent objects because they believe Petitioner did not raise the underlying liability during the CDP hearing itself, and is therefore precluded from raising that issue before the Tax Court. See Giamelli v. Commissioner, 129 T.C. 107, 112-13 (2007). Petitioner responded that, in fact, he raised the issue in a Form 1127, Application for Extension of Time for Payment of Tax Due to Hardship, which he allegedly submitted during the CDP hearing.Judge Carluzzo notes a further disagreement to whether Petitioner had reasonable cause for failure to pay the underlying liability, in addition to the liability itself.

Because Judge Carluzzo finds there to be a continuing dispute regarding the underlying liability, he denies Respondent’s motion for summary judgment, because genuine issues of material fact remain in dispute (though the order does not detail precisely what facts are material or in dispute).

Further, Judge Carluzzo denies Petitioner’s motion to remand—likely because the issue centers on the underlying liability. If the Court finds that Petitioner did raise the underlying liability at the hearing, then the Court may consider it de novo without need for remand. See Sego v. Commissioner, 114 T.C. 604, 610 (2000). If not, then it’s a moot point anyway. In any case, remand doesn’t make sense here.

Docket No. 322-19, Barfield v. C.I.R. (Order Here)

Finally, Judge Guy defeats a classic tax protester tactic. In an earlier proceeding, Petitioner alleged an issue regarding tax year 2015. But at that time, the Service hadn’t issued a notice of deficiency for 2015. So, Respondent moved to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction as to 2015, which the court granted.

Later, the Service did issue a notice of deficiency for 2015. Petitioner asked the Tax Court for review, and filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that the earlier proceeding had dismissed the 2015 tax year, and thus, was res judicata as to this new proceeding. Respondent filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings in response.

Judge Guy parries this tax protester’s attempt to nullify the Service’s notice of deficiency and grants Respondent’s motion for judgment on the pleadings. Because Petitioner didn’t allege any errors or facts with respect to Respondent’s notice—aside from the baseless res judicata argument—Judge Guy found that “the petition . . . fails to raise any justiciable issue.” Judge Guy also warns petitioner about the section 6673 penalty, but does not impose one. A review of the case’s docket suggests that Petitioner heeded Judge Guy’s warning, as there have been no further filings in this docket.

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