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Designated Orders: 3/26/2018 – 3/30/2018

Posted on Apr. 13, 2018

Guest blogger Caleb Smith of the University of Minnesota bring us the designated orders from the last week of March. These orders do not offer unique insights but Caleb does a nice job of categorizing them and providing useful insights. With a minor exception, this week is surprisingly light on cases with the Graev issue. Keith

There were six designated orders during the final week of March, none of which were particularly consequential. There is, however, a common thread that runs through them all: the extra work that the Tax Court puts in with pro se parties. The orders (all of which involve pro se taxpayers) can be categorized as follows:

  • Where the Petitioner “Files and Forgets”

Anderson v. C.I.R., Dkt. No. 30766-15L

Hoffer v. C.I.R., Dkt. No. 17545-15L

In two of the designated orders, the petitioner appears to have filed in court and then washed their hands of having to deal with what comes thereafter. As Judge Gustafson notes in Anderson v. C.I.R., it is the petitioner’s duty to prosecute the case after filing the petition, and failure to do so can result in dismissal. But the Court does not dismiss such cases without giving quite a few opportunities to the petitioner, and generally requires the IRS to give a fairly detailed account of their attempts to reach the individual.

Judge Gustafson stops short of dismissing the case because of their own concern that the taxpayer may have changed addresses (without notifying the Court, as they are required to do under Rule 24(b)). Judge Gustafson even goes the extra mile in providing numerous addresses the taxpayer may be found, and ordering the Tax Court Clerk to send standing pretrial orders to each of them. Kudos to Judge Gustafson.

Similarly, Judge Leyden gives more than a fair shake to the petitioners in Hoffer v. C.I.R. Though the petitioners appear to occasionally send (some) information to the IRS during the CDP process, they never quite give what is asked, and they never really participate in the CDP hearings. When it is docketed in court, the IRS files a motion for summary judgment which Judge Leyden sets for hearing in Indiana. The petitioner does not show up (usually, a bad sign for your prospects, but in this case perhaps excusably because of medical problems). Judge Leyden still does not grant summary judgment because there was, nonetheless, a dispute on material facts (apparently, the IRS acknowledged that it had made some computational errors, but insisted that they were non-material). The case is remanded to Appeals to work out the issues at a supplemental CDP hearing. The IRS tries multiple times to set a supplemental hearing and to receive supplemental information… but the petitioners seem to place it on the back-burner.

It is something of an open question as to whether Judge Leyden goes the extra mile, or simply as far as the law requires, in her final decision. Clearly, Judge Leyden gives the petitioners more than enough of their opportunity to be heard in court. But Judge Leyden also affirmatively required that the IRS show proof that it complied with IRC § 6751(b) for the accuracy penalty without it appearing as if the petitioners raised the issue (the CDP hearing was solely on collection grounds). As noted before here, it is unclear if every judge would go this far with 6751. Nonetheless, for Judge Leyden when the IRS failed to show this the taxpayer was due a limited win: relief from the IRC 6662 penalty that had been applied against them.

  • Where the Petitioner Files… But Really Shouldn’t Have

Graham v. C.I.R., Dkt. No. 9815-17SL

Wendt et al v. C.I.R., Dkt No. 11366-17S

Then there are the cases where the petitioners are engaged, but really should have left things alone. Sometimes, the IRS can make quick work of the case through summary judgment. In Graham v. C.I.R., the taxpayer seems unwilling to do much of anything (file back year tax returns, submit financial statements) except combat the IRS, in this case by filing a “Motion to Deny Summary Judgment.” Judge Armen has little trouble finding for the IRS in this case, but just to be sure that the petitioner gets the picture (that this is over and done with) adds a provision at the end of the order advising the petitioner not to show up in court on April 30 (the original calendar call). Kudos to Judge Armen in making that clear to the taxpayer.

Wendt et al v. C.I.R. is another instance where the petitioner really should have left things alone, but decided to keep fighting. This order also comes to us on a summary judgment motion, but this time through a bench opinion rendered after a hearing on that motion.

The facts (and law) are simple enough. Taxpayers claimed two education benefits (American Opportunity Credit as well as tuition and fees deduction) for the same student and the same expenses. For those keeping track, this is a “no-no” sometimes given the vaguely disgusting label of “double-dipping.” Also for those keeping track, arguing that you didn’t elect to take a credit when your tax return shows that you did is unlikely to carry the day. Convoluted legal arguments that you didn’t elect the credit “under the Internal Revenue Code” (even if you admit you took the credit on the tax return) are also unlikely to meet welcoming arms of the Court.

Judge Carluzzo notes that the petitioner’s testimony (and legal argument) could result in a worse outcome for the taxpayer: a higher deficiency, because the American Opportunity Credit is more valuable than the tuition and fees deduction. In essence, a hardnosed IRS attorney (or possibly the Court) could have held the petitioners’ feet to the fire on their own testimony. Kudos to Judge Carluzzo (and the IRS) for not pushing for that result, tempting though it may have been.

  • Where the Petitioner Files… And it is Unclear if They Should Have

Bell v. C.I.R., Dkt. No. 1973-10L

Saustegui v. C.I.R., Dkt. No. 20674-17

Finally, the last two designated orders involve taxpayers that clearly could use assistance from counsel in getting to the correct outcome, whatever that may be. In Bell v. C.I.R. Judge Gustafson explicitly puts out the bat-signal for LITCs in North Carolina to assist with one petitioner in a case that has apparently been dragging for eight years. In Saustegui v. C.I.R. Judge Guy does not advise the pro se party to request LITC assistance, but from the looks of it such counsel may be helpful (though one is never sure the party will be receptive). Instead, in denying the petitioner’s motion for summary judgment where evidentiary issues clearly persist, Judge Armen strongly encourages the petitioner to meet with IRS counsel and try to work things out. Perhaps an enterprising LITC or pro bono practitioner in the Miami area may nonetheless be willing to lend a hand.

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