Berardi v. United States (In re Berardi)

276 B.R. 388, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 529, 89 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1363
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania
DecidedFebruary 22, 2002
DocketBankruptcy No. 99-23846T; Adversary No. 00-2078
StatusPublished

This text of 276 B.R. 388 (Berardi v. United States (In re Berardi)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, E.D. Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Berardi v. United States (In re Berardi), 276 B.R. 388, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 529, 89 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1363 (Pa. 2002).

Opinion

OPINION

THOMAS M. TWARDOWSKI, Bankruptcy Judge.

Before the court is Debtor/Plaintiffs (“Plaintiff’) complaint seeking declaratory relief to reduce his federal tax liability for the 1995 calendar year and his objection to the proof of claim filed by the Internal Revenue Service (“Defendant”) in the main bankruptcy case. This court heard both matters on a consolidated record.1 We now enter judgment in favor of Defendant on the complaint and we overrule Plaintiffs objection to Defendant’s proof of claim finding that Plaintiff in fact has a federal income tax deficiency for the 1995 tax year in the amount of $24,079.00, that Defendant is entitled to impose both a failure to file penalty against Plaintiff under 26 U.S.C. § 6651(a)(1) in the amount of $1,204.00 and an accuracy related penalty under 26 U.S.C. § 6662(a) in the amount of $4,816.00 and that Defendant is entitled to interest through April 20, 1998 in the amount of $5,878.00. Our findings of fact and conclusions of law follow.

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. Plaintiff owned and operated the Custom Lawn & Tree Service (“Custom Lawn”) in Fogelsville, PA during the 1995 tax year.

2. Plaintiffs income tax return for the 1995 tax year was due on extension by October 15,1996. See Defendant’s Exhibit A.

3. Plaintiff filed his 1995 United States individual income tax return (Form 1040) on November 4, 1996 reporting gross receipts (income) of $158,762.00 and expenses in the amount of $137,770.00. See Defendant’s Exhibit A.

k. Plaintiff utilized the standard deduction rather than itemize his personal expenses on his 1995 income tax return. See Defendant’s Exhibit A, Form 1040, fine 34.

5. Defendant conducted an examination of Plaintiff in 1998 and determined that Plaintiff had income of $208,061.00 in the 1995 tax year which is $49,299.00 more than he reported on his 1995 federal income tax return. This excess income consisted of $14,399.00 in excess checking account deposits and cash used to purchase $23,400.00 in gambling chips from the Claridge Casino Hotel (“Claridge”) on June 17, 1995 and $11,500.00 in gambling chips from the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort (“Taj Mahal”) on June 22, 1995.2 [391]*391These purchases are reflected on Currency Transaction Reports (“CTR”) which the Claridge and the Taj Mahal filed with Defendant. See Defendant’s Exhibits B, E; Notes of Testimony, November 15, 2000 trial (“N.T.”) at 51-52, 55-57, 94.

6. Defendant also determined that Plaintiffs expenses for the 1995 tax year totaled $113,769.00 which is $24,001.00 less than Plaintiff reported on his 1995 federal income tax return. N.T. at 52-53.

7. As a result of these discrepancies, Defendant determined that Plaintiff had underpaid his 1995 federal income tax in the amount of $24,079.00. See Defendant’s Exhibit B.

8. On August 11, 1998, Defendant sent Plaintiff a notice of deficiency which notified Plaintiff of Defendant’s intent to assess a tax deficiency of $24,079.00 for the 1995 tax year, a failure to file penalty under 26 U.S.C. § 6651(a)(1) in the amount of $1024.00 due to the fact that Plaintiff filed his 1995 income tax return late, an accuracy related penalty under 26 U.S.C. § 6662(a) of $4,816.00 for Plaintiffs underpayment of taxes for the 1995 tax year and interest to April 20, 1998 in the amount of $5,878.00. See Defendant’s Exhibit B.

9. Thereafter, Plaintiff filed a petition in the United States Tax Court challenging the proposed assessment. However, the Tax Court litigation was stayed by Plaintiffs filing of this chapter 13 bankruptcy petition on September 8,1999.

10. Plaintiff and his wife, Anabela Berar-di, testified that they went to Atlantic City on Father’s Day weekend in June of 1995 with $500.00 and left early the next morning with enough money for tolls and a meal at McDonalds. N.T. at 44, 45.

11. Plaintiff admits and we find as a fact that Plaintiff purchased over $30,000.00 worth of gambling chips from casinos on the days in question. N.T. at 44.

12. Plaintiff testified that “the money that was used to purchase those chips were derived from a conglomeration of markers drawn, and winnings earned, whereas all of the chips were converted into cash and then the cash ... again bought more gaming chips.” N.T. at 44-45.

13. Plaintiff testified that he had a maximum line of credit of $3,000.00 with each of the three casinos he visited on Father’s Day in June of 1995. N.T. at 13.

1J. At the height of his winnings, which was somewhere between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on the first day of his visit over Father’s Day weekend in June of 1995, Plaintiff had $19,000.00 in cash and had generated in excess of $30,000.00 to $40,000.00 in gambling action or winnings during the day. N.T. at 16, 20.

15. Plaintiff testified that he never cashed out $10,000.00 or more at any cashier window. N.T. at 17.

16. Alan Mackie, an employee of Defendant who has some expertise in casino records and the procedures used at casinos, testified that based upon the statements Defendant received from the casinos, it appears that Plaintiff presented $23,400.00 in cash to the Claridge on June 17. 1995 to purchase gaming chips and $11,500.00 in cash to the Taj Mahal on June 22, 1995 to purchase gaming chips. While Plaintiff testified that he cashed in chips to obtain the money to purchase the gaming chips, no records were received from the casinos to support this testimony. N.T. at 94-95.

[392]*39217. Monika Drury, a tax auditor employed by Defendant, testified that during her audit of Plaintiffs 1995 income tax return she reviewed all of the documentation Plaintiff provided to her and gave Plaintiff credit for all of the business expenses which were documented. N.T. at 61-63. Specifically, Plaintiff claimed a $14,664.00 depreciation deduction on his 1995 federal income tax return for his vehicles and mowers used in connection with his Custom Lawn business as well as a $20,992.00 deduction from gross receipts as “cost of goods” and both of these deductions were allowed in full by Defendant. Defendant disallowed $24,001.00 of business expenses claimed by Plaintiff on his 1995 federal income tax return because these expenses were not documented.

CONCLUSIONS OF LAW.

1. Section 6201 of the Internal Revenue Code authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury or his designee to assess all taxes including interest and additions to tax imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. 26 U.S.C. § 6201.

2. A presumption exists in favor of Defendant that the notice of tax deficiency is correct, and therefore, the burden of producing evidence to rebut the presumption is on Plaintiff.

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276 B.R. 388, 2002 Bankr. LEXIS 529, 89 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1363, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/berardi-v-united-states-in-re-berardi-paeb-2002.