Branson v. Department of Revenue

644 N.E.2d 1193, 268 Ill. App. 3d 818, 206 Ill. Dec. 140, 1994 Ill. App. LEXIS 1566
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedDecember 6, 1994
Docket4-93-0826
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 644 N.E.2d 1193 (Branson v. Department of Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Branson v. Department of Revenue, 644 N.E.2d 1193, 268 Ill. App. 3d 818, 206 Ill. Dec. 140, 1994 Ill. App. LEXIS 1566 (Ill. Ct. App. 1994).

Opinion

JUSTICE STEIGMANN

delivered the opinion of the court:

In July 1989, the Illinois Department of Revenue (Department) issued notices of penalty liability (NPLs) to plaintiff, Carl E. Branson, and his wife, Bonnie Branson, as responsible parties pursuant to section 13½ of the Retailers’ Occupation Tax Act (Act) (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1991, ch. 120, par. 452½). The penalties assessed related to unpaid taxes, interest, and penalties owed by Carbon, Inc. (Carbon), which operated Branson’s Family Restaurant, from June 1986 through the restaurant’s closing in January 1987. An administrative law judge (ALJ) recommended upholding the penalty assessment against plaintiff and recommended dismissing the assessment against Bonnie. The Department accepted both of the ALJ’s recommendations.

On appeal to the circuit court, the court ruled that plaintiff had the responsibility for filing corporate tax returns and paying the taxes due, but because the Department failed to prove plaintiff wilfully failed to pay the taxes, the court reversed the Department’s determination of plaintiff’s liability. The Department appeals, arguing that it established a prima facie case of plaintiff’s wilfulness in failing to pay the sales taxes, and that plaintiff failed to negate that proof.

We affirm in part and reverse in part.

I. BACKGROUND

At the hearing before the ALJ, the Department offered into evidence its group exhibit No. 1 under the certification of records signed by the Department’s Director. The exhibit consisted of (1) NPL No. 1881 issued July 31, 1989, to Bonnie showing a total liability of $26,372.11; (2) NPL No. 1880 issued on July 31, 1989, to plaintiff showing a total liability of $26,372.11; (3) United States Post Office return receipt cards signed by plaintiff; (4) a protest letter dated August 10, 1989, signed by William P. Gavin for both plaintiff and Bonnie; (5) notice of hearing dated February 15, 1989, setting the matters for hearing; (6) a discontinuation of tax form signed by plaintiff in his capacity as president of Carbon dated March 30, 1987, and received by the Department on April 12, 1987; and (7) an Illinois business taxpayers’ application for registration naming plaintiff as president and Bonnie as secretary, signed by plaintiff.

Plaintiff and Bonnie objected to the admission of this group exhibit because the certification of records did not specifically identify the documents within the exhibit purportedly being certified. The ALJ overruled their objection and admitted the exhibit into evidence in its entirety. Plaintiff then moved to dismiss the Department’s case on the ground that the Department did not prove the essential elements of a prima facie case, but the ALJ denied the motion.

In 1986 and 1987, plaintiff worked at both the Carbon restaurant and another restaurant owned by a separate corporation. Until February 1986, he was shareholder, officer, and director of both corporations and kept the corporate records. After February 1986, he became sole shareholder, officer, and director of Carbon.

Plaintiff was in charge of quality control of the food, quality of help, managers, and overseeing the operation of the Carbon restaurant, which was open 24 hours a day. He hired Marion Comp as bookkeeper for Carbon just prior to the incorporation of Carbon in late 1985. Comp’s duties consisted of paying bills, making bank deposits, and tallying daily receipts.

In order to pay the retailers’ occupation tax (sales tax), the restaurant kept a daily log, which totaled all receipts. These daily logs were forwarded to the TAGS Company (TAGS), an accounting firm, to prepare tax forms, and then returned to Comp, who in turn presented them to plaintiff for his signature. Comp wrote the checks to pay the taxes, and plaintiff introduced a photocopy of a check to the Department for such taxes signed by Marion Comp, dated in December 1985.

In early December 1986, plaintiff discovered problems with Carbon’s corporate finances. Comp was on vacation, and plaintiff attempted to pay the daily bills. Although the corporate checkbook showed a positive cash amount, the bank informed him of an overdraft. Carbon continued to function as a corporation 30 to 40 days thereafter until January 25, 1987.

The Department does not dispute that plaintiff did not know, prior to January 25, 1987, that Illinois sales tax had not been paid nor returns filed. Plaintiff testified that he never chose one creditor to pay before the State. He discovered sales tax was owed to the State when confronted by a revenue agent after the Carbon restaurant ceased operations. Carbon had no funds in its account on January 25, 1987, and plaintiff used personal funds to pay Carbon’s employees.

On cross-examination, plaintiff admitted he was the sole shareholder and director of Carbon. He spoke to Comp daily and saw daily receipts on a pinup board. He was also aware of overhead costs and cash flow problems during the summer of 1986. When Comp returned from vacation in December 1986, plaintiff became aware that the bank was correct and Comp’s bookkeeping was incorrect. Also, suppliers began complaining of insufficient funds checks and were subsequently paid in cash. While Comp was away, plaintiff found a drawer full of unpaid bills, but he did not examine them to see whether any were obligations owed to the State of Illinois.

The restaurant’s checks were given to TAGS for reconciliation on a monthly basis. Comp dealt with TAGS, but plaintiff reviewed the TAGS monthly statement. When he decided to close the business in January 1987, he did not contact the Department to see if the corporation owed any outstanding assessments as a result of sales tax returns. As treasurer of Carbon, plaintiff admitted that he was the officer in charge of Carbon’s financial affairs and was obligated to collect sales tax from its customers and remit the funds to the State. He signed the discontinued business form dated January 14, 1987, but actually closed the restaurant on January 25, 1987. He assumed tax returns were mailed for October, November, and December 1986. He spoke to Comp, but she "did not know a lot herself.” Prior to the closing, he learned the corporation was three months delinquent in rent. During December 1986 and January 1987, he drew a weekly salary.

Based upon this evidence, the ALJ found that plaintiff was a responsible party and had wilfully failed to pay the taxes at issue. The ALJ recommended the penalty assessment be finalized in its entirety. The Department accepted the ALJ’s decision, and plaintiff filed this action for administrative review.

The circuit court held that the Department failed to prove plaintiff acted wilfully and remanded the case to the Department for further evidence on the issue of plaintiffs wilfulness. The parties filed a joint motion to modify that order because neither had any additional evidence on the issue of wilfulness to present, and they wished to proceed to appeal to the appellate court on the basis of the existing record. The circuit court then reversed the Department’s determination and ruled that because the record contained no evidence of plaintiff’s wilfulness, the Department’s determination of plaintiff’s liability was against the manifest weight of the evidence. This appeal followed.

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Bluebook (online)
644 N.E.2d 1193, 268 Ill. App. 3d 818, 206 Ill. Dec. 140, 1994 Ill. App. LEXIS 1566, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/branson-v-department-of-revenue-illappct-1994.