Berry v. Commissioner

97 T.C. No. 23, 97 T.C. 339, 1991 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 83
United States Tax Court·Decided September 18, 1991·No. Docket No. 6978-89·Published·Cited by 32 cases

Opinion

PARKER, Judge:

By statutory notices of deficiency dated January 4, 1989, respondent determined deficiencies in petitioners’ Federal income taxes and additions to tax as follows:

Jack Berry:
Additions to tax
Year Deficiency 1982 $13,299
10,878
1983
1984
1985
1986
13,106
10,309
10,243
Crisa Berry:
Year Deficiency
1982 $6,928
1983 1,516
1984 6,378
1985 8,146
1986 8,277
Sec. 6651(a)(1) $2,057 1,506 2,018 1,210 750
Sec. 6653(a)(1) *$665 *544 *655 *515 **512
Sec. 6654 $678 294 428 198 179
Additions to tax
Sec. 6651(a)(1) $575 377 494 860 869
Sec. 6653(a)(1) *$346 *277 *319 *407
Sec. 6654 $111
55
130
110
Sec. 6661 $2,057 1,506 2,018 1,210 1,256
Sec. 6661 $575
494
860
869
*Plus 50 percent of the interest due on each deficiency under sec. 6653(a)(2).
**Addition under sec. 6653(a)(1)(A), plus 50 percent of the interest due on the deficiency under sec. 6653(a)(1)(B).

Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code as amended and in effect for the taxable years at issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.

After concessions,1 the issue remaining for decision is whether petitioners are entitled to an overpayment of their 1982 tax. In so deciding, we must consider the impact of a Form 872-A, Special Consent to Extend the Time to Assess Tax, that was executed prior to petitioners’ late filing of their 1982 tax return.

FINDINGS OF FACT

The parties submitted this case fully stipulated pursuant to Rule 122(a). The stipulation of facts and the exhibits attached thereto are incorporated herein by this reference.

Petitioners resided in Stafford, Virginia, at the time the petition was filed. Petitioners did not file Federal income tax returns for the taxable years 1982, 1984, 1985, and 1986. Petitioner Crisa A. Berry filed a return for 1983, claiming a filing status of “married filing separately.” Petitioner Jack H. Berry did not file a return for 1983. Petitioners are entitled to joint filing status for all years before the Court except 1983. Petitioners are not entitled to joint filing status for that year because petitioner Crisa A. Berry filed a “married filing separately” return for that year.2

Although no return for the taxable year 1982 had been filed, on November 8, 1985, petitioners executed and, on November 14, 1985, respondent executed a Form 872-A, Special Consent to Extend the Time to Assess Tax, for the period ended December 31, 1982.3 Paragraph 1 of this standard form supplied by respondent provides, generally, that any Federal income tax for 1982 may be assessed within 90 days after (a) the Internal Revenue Service (the Service) receives from the taxpayers a Form 872-T, Notice of Termination of Special Consent, (b) the Service mails a Form 872-T to the taxpayers, or (c) the Service mails a notice of deficiency for such period(s). Paragraph 3 states that “This agreement will not reduce the period of time otherwise provided by law for making such assessment.” Paragraph 4 states that “The taxpayer(s) may file a claim for credit or refund and the Service may credit or refund the tax within 6 (six) months after this agreement ends.”

Respondent mailed a separate notice of deficiency on January 4, 1989, to each petitioner for the taxable years 1982 through 1986. As of January 4, 1989, petitioners had not filed a Federal income tax return (Form 1040) for the taxable year 1982 and had not filed any claim for credit or refund of an overpayment of tax for the taxable year 1982. On March 30, 1989, petitioners submitted a 1982 joint Federal income tax return to the Director of Internal Revenue, Richmond District. See supra note 2.

One area originally in dispute for the years at issue concerned the Cloud Basin partnership in which petitioners were involved. The parties have now stipulated that petitioners are entitled to a “cash out-of-pocket settlement” deduction in the amount of $12,194 in the taxable year 1982 and that petitioners must report income of $3,291 from the partnership in 1984. The record is silent as to the nature of the Cloud Basin partnership, the extent of petitioners’ investment in the partnership, and whether they are general or limited partners.

Due to the various concessions by petitioners and respondent, the parties now agree that petitioners’ correct joint income tax liability for 1982 is $3,906 plus an addition to tax pursuant to section 6653(a)(1) in the amount of $195. Petitioners’ withholding credits for the taxable year 1982 are $9,700. Respondent has allowed the taxes withheld in 1982 to offset the correct tax liability for 1982 and the addition to tax. Thus, it would appear that petitioners have made an overpayment in the amount of $5,599.

OPINION

Petitioners seek to have this Court determine that they have made an overpayment of their 1982 tax. The 1982 tax in question was paid through withholding from wages. On January 4, 1989, on the date the deficiency notices were mailed to them, petitioners had not filed a return for 1982 and had not filed a claim for credit or refund of an overpayment of 1982 tax. However, in November 1985, petitioners and respondent had executed a Form 872-A consent agreement for the 1982 taxable year.

Under section 6512(b)(1), this Court has jurisdiction to determine an overpayment of tax for the year or years at issue. However, section 6512(b)(2) (now section 6512(b)(3)) limits the amount of the allowable refund or credit based on the time of payment of the tax, i.e., paid after mailing of the deficiency notice or. paid within certain limitations periods for filing a claim for credit or refund.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Berry v. Commissioner, 97 T.C. No. 23, 97 T.C. 339, 1991 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 83 (tax 1991).

97 T.C. No. 23 (Berry v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Michelson v. Commissioner
1997 T.C. Memo. 39 (U.S. Tax Court, 1997)
Stevens v. Commissioner
1996 T.C. Memo. 250 (U.S. Tax Court, 1996)
Commissioner v. Lundy
516 U.S. 235 (Supreme Court, 1996)
Robert F. Lundy v. Internal Revenue Service
45 F.3d 856 (Fourth Circuit, 1995)
Little v. Commissioner
1995 T.C. Memo. 1 (U.S. Tax Court, 1995)
Khinda v. Commissioner
1994 T.C. Memo. 617 (U.S. Tax Court, 1994)
Harrison v. Commissioner
1994 T.C. Memo. 614 (U.S. Tax Court, 1994)
R. Dan Allen v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
23 F.3d 406 (Sixth Circuit, 1994)
Rolls v. Commissioner
1994 T.C. Memo. 23 (U.S. Tax Court, 1994)
Hathaway v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 487 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Rossman v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 351 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Anderson v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 288 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Aldrich v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 290 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Phillips v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 284 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Lundy v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 278 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Freiberg v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 268 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Patronik-Holder v. Commissioner
100 T.C. No. 24 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)
Diplacido v. Commissioner
1993 T.C. Memo. 169 (U.S. Tax Court, 1993)