Bugaboo Timber Co. v. Commissioner

101 T.C. No. 31, 101 T.C. 474, 1993 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 72
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 22, 1993
DocketDocket Nos. 13786-90, 22353-90
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 101 T.C. No. 31 (Bugaboo Timber Co. v. Commissioner) 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
Bugaboo Timber Co. v. Commissioner, 101 T.C. No. 31, 101 T.C. 474, 1993 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 72 (tax 1993).

Opinion

Fay, Judge:

These cases were consolidated solely for purposes of our consideration of the procedural issue whether Forms 872-S, Consents to Extend the Time to Assess Tax Attributable to Items of an S Corporation, were signed by the tax matters person (tmp)1 of each entity or a person with written authorization to sign so that the period of limitations for assessment is open.

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

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found. The stipulations of fact and attached exhibits are incorporated herein by reference.

Bugaboo Timber Co. (Bugaboo) and Davidson Industries, Inc. (Industries),2 were S corporations with their respective principal places of business located in Oregon on the date the petitions were filed.

Bugaboo

Bugaboo was incorporated in 1959 and elected to be treated as an S corporation in 1983. Bugaboo used a fiscal year ending October 31. Throughout the fiscal year 1985, 25 percent of the stock of Bugaboo was owned by each of (1) Gertrude J. Morgan and (2) Vernon R. Morgan (husband and wife), and (3) FloRetta J. Young and (4) Robert C. Young (husband and wife). During the fiscal year 1985, the shareholders who were officers and directors of Bugaboo were:

President and director. Mr. Young
Vice president and director . Mrs. Morgan
Secretary-treasurer and director . Mr. Morgan

Mr. Morgan, as secretary-treasurer since 1962, ran the day-to-day operations in the office of Bugaboo, and Mr. Young worked the equipment in the field. Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Young had only minimal involvement in Bugaboo.

The bylaws of Bugaboo, as approved in 1959, provide that the secretary-treasurer shall “sign all stock certificates and other documents issued by [Bugaboo]”, keep “an accurate system of accounting”, and “perform other duties as may be required of him by the directors.” The minutes of a March 3, 1964, special meeting of the directors of Bugaboo state as follows:

Motion was made, seconded and unanimously passed that the following Resolution be passed:
RESOLVED that Vernon R. Morgan, as Secretary-Treasurer * * * is empowered * * * to make any contracts * * * in the corporate name; to pay debts, to sue upon, defend, compromise or adjust any controversies involving rights, both personal and property, and to act in any complaints, proceedings or suits with all powers; to appear and vote for the Corporation at any corporate or other meetings, and to make, do and transact all and every kind of business of whatsoever nature or kine [sic] * * *. He is authorized to execute and acknowledge any and all instruments necessary or proper to carry out the foregoing powers.
Whether or not enumerated, Vernon R. Morgan, as Secretary-Treasurer of the Corporation, shall have full power and authority to do and perform all and every act and thing he deems desirable for the benefit of the Corporation.
This authority as granted requires no further action of the Board of Directors in reviewing or authorizing Vernon R. Morgan, its Secretary-Treasurer, to so act.

Mr. Morgan does not have an accounting background but was in charge of tax matters for Bugaboo with the help of its outside C.P.A., Thomas G. Windedahl. The Form 1120S, U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation, for Bugaboo for the fiscal year 1985, filed in January 1986, was signed by Mr. Morgan as secretary-treasurer. The Schedules K-l attached to the return reflected the names of the shareholders and that each owned 25 percent of the stock and had an equal share of income. The return did not require, or include, a designation of a TMP for Bugaboo.

Thomas G. Windedahl, who had prepared the financial statements and returns of Bugaboo since about 1974, testified that, at some point, the Internal Revenue Service revenue agent who conducted the examination advised him that a consent to extend the period of limitations for the fiscal year 1985 was needed. By letter dated October 19, 1988, addressed to Mr. Morgan as TMP for Bugaboo, the agent stated:

Enclosed is a Form 872-S, Consent to Extend the Time to Assess Tax Attributable to Items of an S Corporation, for Bugaboo Timber Co.’s tax year ended October 31, 1985.
* * * Bugaboo Timber is a TEFRA entity and the consent form requires the signature of the “Tax Matters Person”. * * * In the case of Bugaboo Timber Co. all of the shareholder interests are the same. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the “Tax Matters Person” by looking at an alphabetical listing of the shareholders. Again that would make you the “Tax Matters Person”.
I would appreciate your consideration for signing the enclosed Form 872-S and returning it to me within the next two weeks if at all possible.

The Form 872-S, which provided that the limitations period be extended through December 31, 1989, was signed by Mr. Morgan on the line designated for TMP and by a group manager for the Internal Revenue Service and dated December 13, 1988. Copies of the executed Form 872-S were sent by letters to: (1) Thomas G. Windedahl; (2) one of the attorneys for Bugaboo; and (3) Mr. Morgan addressed as TMP of Bugaboo.

Mr. Morgan executed a Form 2848, Power of Attorney and Declaration of Representative, for Bugaboo relating to the fiscal year 1985 without reference to his title or office on December 13, 1988.

A letter dated February 7, 1989, addressed to Mr. Morgan as TMP for Bugaboo from the revenue agent forwarded engineering and valuation reports relating to Bugaboo. A letter dated March 10, 1989, addressed to Mr. Morgan as TMP for Bugaboo from the Portland, Oregon, District Director stated that the Internal Revenue Service was beginning an examination of Bugaboo for the fiscal year 1985.

In September 1989, a second Form 872-S, which provided that the limitations period be extended Tor the fiscal year 1985 to June 4, 1990, was signed by Mr. Morgan on the line designated for TMP and by an acting group manager for the Internal Revenue Service. The second Form 872-S was forwarded by September 11, 1989, letter addressed to Mr. Morgan, TMP of Bugaboo, from the revenue agent. Copies of the executed second Form 872-S were apparently forwarded to: (1) Thomas G. Windedahl; (2) the attorney for Bugaboo; and (3) Mr. Morgan addressed as TMP for Bugaboo.

Thomas G. Windedahl testified that he told Mr. Morgan which line to sign on the Forms 872-S. He testified also that he was aware of a space to designate the TMP beginning with the 1987 returns but did not designate the TMP for his partnership or S corporation clients and was not sure he “ever looked up in the directions to what a tax matters person was.” Mr.

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Bugaboo Timber Co. v. Commissioner
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Bluebook (online)
101 T.C. No. 31, 101 T.C. 474, 1993 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 72, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bugaboo-timber-co-v-commissioner-tax-1993.