BLAK Invs. v. Comm'r

133 T.C. No. 19, 133 T.C. 431, 2009 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 39
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 23, 2009
DocketNo. 1283-07
StatusPublished
Cited by33 cases

This text of 133 T.C. No. 19 (BLAK Invs. v. Comm'r) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
BLAK Invs. v. Comm'r, 133 T.C. No. 19, 133 T.C. 431, 2009 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 39 (tax 2009).

Opinions

OPINION

Haines, Judge:

This case is before the Court on respondent’s motion and petitioner’s cross-motion for partial summary judgment filed pursuant to Rule 121.1 The issues are: (1) Whether the effective date of section 6707A precludes application of section 6501(c)(10) to the transaction at issue; (2) whether the transaction at issue is a listed transaction; and (3) whether the period of limitations for assessment of tax resulting from the adjustment of partnership items with respect to the transaction at issue is open for 2001 under section 6501(c)(10).

Background

BLAK Investments (the partnership) is a California general partnership created by Robert and Lori Manroe (the Manroes). The Manroes are partners of the partnership as are two trusts created by the Manroes for the benefit of their children. The petition has been brought by Robert and Lori Manroe, as trustees of the Kyle W. Manroe Trust, tax matters partner of the partnership.

I. The Transaction at Issue

On December 4, 2001, the Manroes as trustees of the Manroe Family Trust opened an account with A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. On December 10, 2001, the Manroes deposited $825,000 into the Manroe Family Trust account. On December 12, 2001, the Manroes, through the Manroe Family Trust Account, borrowed Treasury notes maturing on November 15, 2006, with a maturity value of $6,815,000. The Treasury notes were then sold on the open market for $5,481,713; i.e., the Treasury notes were sold short.2 Of the proceeds, $2,491,233 was allocated to Mr. Manroe and $2,990,480 was allocated to Ms. Manroe.

On December 12, 2001, the Manroes contributed the short sale proceeds, the $825,000 previously deposited into the Manroe Family Trust account, and the obligation to cover the short sale to the partnership in exchange for a combined 95.2964-percent partnership interest. The two trusts for the children each contributed $20,000 in exchange for respective 2.3518-percent partnership interests.

Mr. Manroe reported a $2,866,688 capital contribution to the partnership, of which $2,491,233 was proceeds from the short sale. Ms. Manroe reported a $3,440,025 capital contribution to the partnership, of which $2,990,480 was proceeds from the short sale. Neither of their contributions was reduced by the partnership’s obligation to cover the short sale.

On December 28, 2001, the partnership redeemed Mr. Manroe’s partnership interest for $380,988.3 Of that amount, Mr. Manroe received $330,988 and 82,645 Swiss francs having a fair market value of $50,000. On December 28, 2001, the partnership redeemed Ms. Manroe’s partnership interest for $457,185. That amount did not include any foreign currency.

On December 31, 2001, Mr. Manroe converted his 82,645 Swiss francs into U.S. dollars in the amount of $45,931.

On January 11, 2002, the partnership covered the short sale by purchasing Treasury notes with a face value of $6,815,000 maturing on November 16, 2006, for $5,600,567.

II. The Manroes’ Position on the Tax Consequences of the Transaction

The Manroes claim that upon making their initial contributions to the partnership their total basis in their partnership interests was $6,306,713, equal to the total short sale proceeds of $5,481,713 and the $825,000 cash. See sec. 722. The Manroes took the position that the obligation to cover the short sale was not a liability for purposes of section 752(b).

Mr. Manroe claims that when the partnership redeemed his partnership interest, he recognized no gain or loss because the money distributed did not exceed his basis in the partnership. See sec. 731(a). He claims that his basis in the Swiss francs became $2,585,700; i.e., his total basis in the partnership interest less the cash distributed. See sec. 732(b). Mr. Manroe further claims that when he converted his Swiss francs into U.S. dollars he recognized an ordinary loss of $2,539,769. The purported loss was claimed on Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss, of the Manroes’ joint 2001 Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. The loss was reported as being from “Culebra Trading Partners, Ltd.”, although it was attributable to the transaction described above.

Ms. Manroe claims that when the partnership redeemed her partnership interest, she recognized a short-term capital loss of $2,982,840, equal to her basis less the amount of money received. See secs. 731(a)(2), 741. The short-term capital loss was claimed on Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses, of the Manroes’ 2001 Form 1040. The claimed loss offset $1,474,391 of short-term capital gains for 2001. The Manroes claimed a $458,190 carryover loss on their 2002 return.4

Neither the partnership nor the Manroes attached a disclosure statement to its or their 2001 return. They did not file a copy of a disclosure statement with respondent’s Office of Tax Shelter Analysis. No material adviser provided respondent with information regarding the partnership’s or the Manroes’ participation in the transaction. See sec. 6112.

III. Procedural History

On October 13, 2006, respondent issued the partnership a notice of final partnership administrative adjustment (fpaa). Respondent determined that the partnership was a sham, was formed and availed of solely for the purpose of overstating the bases of partnership interests, and lacked economic substance. Respondent contends that the consequence of these determinations, if they are sustained, would be the dis-allowance of the losses the Manroes claimed on their 2001 and 2002 joint returns and imposition of accuracy-related penalties determined at the partnership level upon the partners. See sec. 6221.

The tax matters partner timely petitioned the Court for review of the FPAA, asserting among other things that the statute of limitations bars the determination of a liability with respect to partnership items or affected items for 2001. Respondent, in his answer, asserted that section 6501(c)(10) applies to the transaction because it constituted a listed transaction requiring disclosure. Petitioner denied the applicability of section 6501(c)(10) in its reply. On November 30, 2007, the Court filed respondent’s motion for partial summary judgment on the statute of limitations issue. On March 10, 2008, the Court filed petitioner’s cross-motion for partial summary judgment on the same issue. A hearing on the motions was held in San Diego, California.

Discussion

I. The Period of Limitations for Partnerships and Their Partners Generally

Under the general rule set forth in section 6501(a), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is required to assess tax (or send a notice of deficiency) within 3 years after a Federal income tax return is filed. In the case of a tax imposed on partnership items, section 6229 sets forth special rules to extend the period of limitations prescribed by section 6501 with respect to partnership items or affected items. See sec. 6501(n)(2); Rhone-Poulenc Surfactants & Specialties, L.P. v. Commissioner, 114 T.C. 533, 540-543 (2000). Section 6229 provides in pertinent part:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
133 T.C. No. 19, 133 T.C. 431, 2009 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 39, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/blak-invs-v-commr-tax-2009.