Chambers v. Comm'r

2016 T.C. Memo. 72, 111 T.C.M. 1332, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 72
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedApril 21, 2016
DocketDocket No. 22032-14
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2016 T.C. Memo. 72 (Chambers 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
Chambers v. Comm'r, 2016 T.C. Memo. 72, 111 T.C.M. 1332, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 72 (tax 2016).

Opinion

HORACE MONROE CHAMBERS, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Chambers v. Comm'r
Docket No. 22032-14
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 2016-72; 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 72; 111 T.C.M. (CCH) 1332;
April 21, 2016, Filed

Decision will be entered under Rule 155.

*72 Horace Monroe Chambers, Pro se.
Randall Craig Schneider, for respondent.
KERRIGAN, Judge.

KERRIGAN
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

KERRIGAN, Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency of $3,441 and additions to tax under section 6651(a)(1) and (2) of $774 and $465, respectively, with respect to petitioner's Federal income tax for tax year 2011.

Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the year at issue, and all Rule references are to the Tax *73 Court Rules of Practice and Procedure. We round all dollar amounts to the nearest dollar.

The issues for our consideration are whether petitioner received unreported taxable income of $35,257 and whether petitioner is liable for additions to tax under section 6651(a)(1) and (2).

FINDINGS OF FACT

Petitioner resided in California when he filed the petition.

For tax year 2011 petitioner did not file an income tax return. Pursuant to section 6020(b), respondent completed a substitute for return for petitioner for tax year 2011. Respondent allowed petitioner one exemption and the standard deduction.1 The income shown on the return is $35,257.

Petitioner*73 is an annuitant of the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). The records of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) show that in tax year 2011 petitioner received a gross annuity of $46,392. The records also reflect that $35,257 was distributed to petitioner and $11,134 was distributed to his former spouse.

*74 Respondent concedes that petitioner's gross annuity distribution amount should have been reduced by $3,152. This reduction reflects petitioner's contributions to his retirement plan.

OPINION

Petitioner has the burden of proving that respondent's determinations are in error, including the determination of unreported income. SeeRule 142(a); Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111, 115, 54 S. Ct. 8, 78 L. Ed. 212, 1933-2 C.B. 112 (1933). The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, to which an appeal in this case would lie, seesec. 7482(b)(1)(A), has held that for the presumption of correctness to attach to the notice of deficiency in unreported income cases such as this, the Commissioner must establish "some evidentiary foundation" connecting the taxpayer with the income-producing activity or demonstrating that the taxpayer actually received unreported income, see Weimerskirch v. Commissioner, 596 F.2d 358, 361-362 (9th Cir. 1979), rev'g67 T.C. 672 (1977); see also Edwards v. Commissioner, 680 F.2d 1268, 1270-1271 (9th Cir. 1982) (holding that the Commissioner's determination of a deficiency is presumptively correct once some substantive evidence*74 is introduced demonstrating that the taxpayer received unreported income).

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Related

Welch v. Helvering
290 U.S. 111 (Supreme Court, 1933)
Commissioner v. Gooch Milling & Elevator Co.
320 U.S. 418 (Supreme Court, 1944)
United States v. Boyle
469 U.S. 241 (Supreme Court, 1985)
Harris v. Commissioner
1998 T.C. Memo. 332 (U.S. Tax Court, 1998)
HIGBEE v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE
116 T.C. No. 28 (U.S. Tax Court, 2001)
Weimerskirch v. Commissioner
67 T.C. 672 (U.S. Tax Court, 1977)
Naftel v. Commissioner
85 T.C. No. 30 (U.S. Tax Court, 1985)

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Bluebook (online)
2016 T.C. Memo. 72, 111 T.C.M. 1332, 2016 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 72, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/chambers-v-commr-tax-2016.