Abraham v. United States

81 Fed. Cl. 178, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1429, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 76, 2008 WL 818003
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedMarch 24, 2008
DocketNo. 07-558C
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 81 Fed. Cl. 178 (Abraham v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Abraham v. United States, 81 Fed. Cl. 178, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1429, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 76, 2008 WL 818003 (uscfc 2008).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BRADEN, Judge.

I. RELEVANT FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY.1

On July 24, 2007, Plaintiff filed a pro se Complaint in the United States Court of Federal Claims alleging breach of contract by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). See Compl. at 1.

Following the death of Plaintiffs mother, the Complaint alleges that Plaintiff became concerned about the “accuracy or propriety” of her executor’s planned estate tax filings. Id. ¶¶ 1-3. After seeking advice from counsel, the Complaint alleges that Plaintiff contacted the IRS by phone to discuss his concerns. Id. ¶4. The IRS agent on duty advised Plaintiff to send a letter to the IRS discussing his concerns about estate tax filings and to pay his share of the estate taxes due. Id. ¶¶ 6-7. The Complaint alleges that the IRS agent also advised Plaintiff that he would be entitled to an award of any deficiency taxes collected by the IRS. Id. ¶ 8.

On March 9, 1998, Plaintiff forwarded a check for $109,292 to cover his share of taxes due. Id. ¶ 10; see also Ex. 1. In addition, Plaintiff advised the IRS that he suspected “the ownership interests of the executors’ [180]*180family limited partnerships were intentionally inaccurate for the purpose of evading taxes” and that “the monies the executors, [and] beneficiaries, purportedly used to pay for their respective interests in the [limited partnerships] had not been accounted for as taxable assets[.]” Compl. ¶ 11; see also Ex. 1. Subsequently, the IRS audited the estate, found that the ownership interests asserted were inaccurate, and determined that funds used by the executors to pay for the interests in the limited partnerships were not properly accounted for as taxable assets. Id. After several years of litigating with the Estate, in 2006 the IRS collected a tax deficiency of $1,125,210. See Estate of Abraham v. Comm’r of Internal Revenue, 408 F.3d 26, 28, amended by 429 F.3d 294 (1st Cir.2005); see also Compl. ¶¶ 13-16.

On October 25, 2006, Plaintiff sent the IRS an “Application for Reward for Original Information.” See Richard Abraham v. Comm’r of Internal Revenue, No. 8308-07W (T.C., June 13, 2007) (“Abraham”), slip. op. at 2. On January 11, 2007, the IRS informed Plaintiff that he did not meet the IRS’s criteria for a reward, but Plaintiff had the right to bring a suit in the United States Court of Federal Claims. Id. On January 19, 2007, Plaintiff requested reconsideration. Id. On February 27, 2007, Plaintiff received a letter from the IRS again stating: “we have considered the information you supplied and determined that the information does not warrant reopening your claim for a reward.” Compl. ¶ 15.

On March 12, 2007, Plaintiff filed a Complaint in the United States Tax Court that was dismissed on June 13, 2007 for lack of jurisdiction. See Abraham, No. 8308-07W, slip. op. at 1.

In response, on July 24, 2007, Plaintiff filed a Complaint in the United States Court of Federal Claims alleging a breach of contract and demanding 10-15% of the $1,125,210 deficiency collected by the IRS, pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 7623.2 On October 23, 2007, the [181]*181Government filed a Motion To Dismiss. On November 14, 2007, Plaintiff filed an Opposition To Government’s Motion To Dismiss And Motion For Summary Judgment. On December 14, 2007, the Government filed an Opposition To Plaintiffs Motion For Summary Judgment, And Reply In Support Of Defendant’s Motion To Dismiss. On December 27, 2007, Plaintiff filed an Affidavit In Support Of Plaintiffs Motion For Summary Judgment.

II. DISCUSSION.

A. Jurisdiction.

The jurisdiction of the United States Court of Federal Claims is established by the Tucker Act. See 28 U.S.C. § 1491. This Act authorizes the court “to render judgment upon any claim against the United States founded either upon the Constitution, or any Act of Congress or any regulation of an executive department, or upon any express or implied contract with the United States, or for liquidated or unliquidated damages in cases not sounding in tort.” 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(1). The Tucker Act, however, is “a jurisdictional statute; it does not create any substantive right enforceable against the United States for money damages ... the Act merely confers jurisdiction upon it whenever the substantive right exists.” United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. 392, 398, 96 S.Ct. 948, 47 L.Ed.2d 114 (1976). Therefore, in order to pursue a substantive right within the jurisdictional reach of the Tucker Act, a plaintiff must identify and plead an independent contractual relationship, constitutional provision, federal statute, or executive agency regulation that provides a substantive right to money damages. See Todd v. United States, 386 F.3d 1091, 1094 (Fed.Cir.2004) (“[Jjurisdietion under the Tucker Act requires the litigant to identify a substantive right for money damages against the United States separate from the Tucker Act[.]”); see also Fisher v. United States, 402 F.3d 1167, 1172 (Fed.Cir.2005) (en banc) (“The Tucker Act does not create a substantive cause of action; in order to come within the jurisdictional reach and the waiver of the Tucker Act, a plaintiff must identify a separate source of substantive law that creates the right to money damages.”). The burden of establishing jurisdiction falls upon the party asserting jurisdiction. See FW/PBS, Inc. v. Dallas, 493 U.S. 215, 231, 110 S.Ct. 596, 107 L.Ed.2d 603 (1990) (holding that the burden is on the party seeking to exercise jurisdiction clearly to allege facts sufficient to establish jurisdiction); see also RCFC 12(b)(1).

B. Standard For Decision On A Motion To Dismiss, Pursuant To RCFC 12(b)(1).

A challenge to the “[United States Court of Federal Claims’] general power to adjudicate in specific areas of substantive law ... is properly raised by a [Rule] 12(b)(1) motion.” See Palmer v. United States, 168 F.3d 1310, 1313 (Fed.Cir.1999); see also RCFC 12(b)(1) (“Every defense, in law or fact, to a claim for relief in any pleading, whether a claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim, shall be asserted in the responsive pleading thereto if one is required, except that the following defenses may at the option of the pleader be made by motion: (1) lack of jurisdiction over the subject matter[J”). When considering whether to dismiss an action for lack of subject matter jurisdiction, the court is “obligated to assume all factual allegations to be true and to draw all reasonable inferences in plaintiff’s favor.” See Henke v. United States, 60 F.3d 795, 797 (Fed.Cir.1995). Nonetheless, the plaintiff bears the burden of establishing jurisdiction by a preponderance of the evidence. See Reynolds v.

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81 Fed. Cl. 178, 101 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1429, 2008 U.S. Claims LEXIS 76, 2008 WL 818003, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/abraham-v-united-states-uscfc-2008.