Caylor-Nickel Clinic, P.C. v. Indiana Department of State Revenue

569 N.E.2d 765, 1991 Ind. Tax LEXIS 5, 1991 WL 46608
CourtIndiana Tax Court
DecidedApril 4, 1991
Docket49T05-9002-TA-00009
StatusPublished
Cited by48 cases

This text of 569 N.E.2d 765 (Caylor-Nickel Clinic, P.C. v. Indiana Department of State Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Caylor-Nickel Clinic, P.C. v. Indiana Department of State Revenue, 569 N.E.2d 765, 1991 Ind. Tax LEXIS 5, 1991 WL 46608 (Ind. Super. Ct. 1991).

Opinion

FISHER, Judge.

Caylor-Nickel Clinic, P.C. (Caylor-Nick-el) appeals the Indiana Department of State Revenue's (Department) assessment of gross income tax and interest of $136,-980.57 for its fiscal year ending April 80, 1987. This matter is before the court on the parties' cross motions for summary judgment.

FACTS

Caylor-Nickel, an Indiana professional corporation, provides health care services in Bluffton, Indiana. It determines its tax liability on a fiscal year basis, beginning May 1 and ending April 30. For the tax years ending April 30, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1989, Caylor-Nickel qualified for the small business corporation tax returns on or before August 15 of each year. For the 1987 fiscal year, however, Caylor-Nickel filed its federal corporation income tax return, Form 1120, and its Indiana Special Corporation Income Tax Return, IT-208C, on January 15, 1988. Caylor-Nickel reported a loss for fiscal 1987 on both the state and federal returns. Caylor-Nickel did not previously file state or federal returns for the 1987 fiscal year nor did it obtain extensions of time to file the 1987 returns.

On July 19, 1988, the Department issued a Notice of Tax Due in the amount of $133,592.12 for unpaid 1987 Indiana gross income tax, 1 interest, and penalties. The Department asserts that Caylor-Nickel waived the small business corporation exemption allowed under IC 6-2.1-8-24.5 for the 1987 fiscal year because it neither filed Form IT-208C nor filed for an extension of time to file by August 15, 1987.

Following a hearing on Caylor-Nickel's protest, the Department issued its Letter of Findings denying the protest as to the tax and interest but waiving the penalties. The Department then denied a request for rehearing and on February 2, 1990, issued a Notice of Assessment of gross income tax and interest in the amount of $186,-980.57.

Caylor-Nickel filed an Original Tax Appeal and Petition to Enjoin the Collection of Tax. By subsequent agreement and this court's order, an Agreed Order of Injunetion was entered, enjoining the Department's collection from Caylor-Nickel of gross income tax and interest for the 1987 fiscal year pending the original tax appeal.

STANDARD OF REVIEW

Cross motions for summary judgment do not alter the standard for granting summary judgment. Aetna Ins. Co. v. Rodriquez (1986), Ind.App., 496 N.E.2d 1321, 1323; Ind.Rules of Procedure, Trial Rule 56(C). Each motion must be considered separately to determine whether there is a genuine issue of material fact and the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Aetna, 496 N.E.2d at 1323 (citing Ebert v. *767 Grain Dealers Mut. Ins. Co. (1973), 158 Ind.App. 379, 303 N.E.2d 693). Neither Caylor-Nickel nor the Department asserts in their cross motions for summary judgment that a genuine issue of material fact exists.

ISSUES AND DECISION

The issues before the court on the parties' cross motions are:

I. Whether, as a matter of law, timely filing of Form IT-208C is a condition precedent to claiming the small business corporation gross income tax exemption provided in IC 6-2.1-3-24.57?
II. Whether Form IT-208C is an information return, as defined by 45 LA.C. 15-11-6, subject to the penalty exacted under IC 6-8.1-10-67
III. Whether August 15, 1987, is the due date of Form IT-208C for a taxpayer with a fiscal year ending April 80, 1987, pursuant to IC 6-2.1-5-2(c) and 45 L. A.C. 1-1-1727?

I

Whether timely filing of Form IT-208C is a condition precedent to claiming the small business corporation exemption from state gross income tax "is purely a matter of statutory construction and is therefore subject to a ruling by summary judgment." Indianapolis Historic Partners v. State Bd. of Tax Comm'rs (1990), Ind.Tax, 563 N.E.2d 1345, 1347 (citing Faris Mailing, Inc. v. Indiana Dep't of State Revenue (1990), Ind.Tax, 557 N.E.2d 713, 715). A small business corporation is exempt from Indiana gross income tax:

(a) For purposes of this section, 'small business corporation' has the same definition that term has in Section 1861(b) of the Internal Revenue Code [26 U.S.C. § 1861(b)]....
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) gross income received by a small business corporation is exempt from gross income tax.
(c) A small business corporation is not exempt from gross income tax under this section for a taxable year if for that taxable year twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the small business corporation's gross income consisted of passive investment income (as defined in Section 1862(d)(8)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code [26 U.S.C. § 1862(d)(8)(D) ]).

IC 6-2.1-38-24.5 (footnotes omitted).

The taxpayer claiming exemption has the burden of showing the terms of the exemption statute are met. St. Mary's Medical Center v. State Bd. of Tax Comm'rs (1989), Ind.Tax, 534 N.E.2d 277, 281 (quoting Indiana Ass'n of Seventh-Day Adventists v. State Bd. of Tax Comm'rs (1987), Ind.Tax, 512 N.E.2d 936, 938). The Depart ment's Information Bulletin #62 2 prescribed Form IT-208C, the Special Corporation Income Tax Return, as the only return a small business corporation must file to satisfy IC 6-2.1-5-2(a), requiring all taxpayers with a gross income of $1,000 or more in a taxable year to file a gross income tax return, and IC 6-2.1-38-24.5(d), requiring a small business corporation taxpayer to file annual proof of its status.

The top portion of Form IT-208C contains questions, the answers to which provide prima facie proof that during the period of assessment the taxpayer met the definition of a small business corporation and met the requirements of the passive investment test. Caylor-Nickel filed Form IT-208C on January 15, 1988, for the 1987 fiscal year. Furthermore, Caylor-Nickel and the Department stipulated, and the court finds, Caylor-Nickel met the requirements of IC 6-2.1-3-24.5(a), (b), and (c) for the 1987 fiscal year. The controversy therefore focuses on the meaning of IC 6-2.1-3-24.5(d):

(d) Any corporation that claims an exemption under this section shall annually provide the department with proof that it *768 is a small business corporation. The corporation must provide that proof on or before the due date of its gross income tax return (including any extensions granted by the department).

The foremost goal of statutory construction is to determine and give effect to the true intent of the legislature. Johnson County Farm Bureau Coop. Ass'n v. Indiana Dep't of State Revenue (1991), Ind.Tax, 568 N.E.2d 578, 580 (citing Scheid v. State Bd. of Tax Comm'rs (1990), Ind.

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569 N.E.2d 765, 1991 Ind. Tax LEXIS 5, 1991 WL 46608, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/caylor-nickel-clinic-pc-v-indiana-department-of-state-revenue-indtc-1991.