Cinema '84 v. Commissioner

294 F.3d 432
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit
DecidedMay 21, 2002
DocketDocket Nos. 00-4263(L), 00-4265(C) and 00-4267(C)
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 294 F.3d 432 (Cinema '84 v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cinema '84 v. Commissioner, 294 F.3d 432 (2d Cir. 2002).

Opinion

PER CURIAM:

In this consolidated appeal of three consolidated tax cases, petitioners-appellánts and appellant appeal from orders entered by the United States Tax Court in favor of respondent-appellee Commissioner of Internal Revenue (the “Commissioner”). See First Blood Assocs. v. Comm’r, No. 00-4267 (Tax Court Docket Nos. 623-92, 13014-92, 12062-94, 15641-92); Greenberg Bros. P’ship No. 12 v. Comm’r, No. 00-4265 (Tax Court Docket No. 22780-91); Cinema ’84 v. Comm’r, No. 00A263 (Tax Court Docket No. 621-92). We granted the parties’ joint motion to consolidate the three consolidated tax cases into one appeal, because the cases concern the tax treatment of a set of partnerships with overlapping issues and similar factual background.

These cases arise from the Commissioner’s investigation of certain related partnerships formed to market a number of [435]*435motion picture films. There are three distinct issues on appeal. With respect to the first issue, decided by the Tax Court in a consolidated case under the name Greenberg Bros. Partnership No. 4 v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 111 T.C. 198, 1998 WL 525708 (1998), petitioners-appellants and appellant Jo Ann Scarfia, who are partners in the partnerships, appeal on the ground that the Tax Court erred when it concluded that they were not entitled to a “consistent settlement” pursuant to 26 U.S.C.§ 6224(c).1, 2

The second issue was decided by the Tax Court in First Blood Assocs. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 75 T.C.M. (CCH) 2565, 1998 WL 341844 (1998). In this appeal, petitioners-appellants Joseph E. and Bernice L. Goodwin assert that the Tax Court erred when it concluded that they had not completed a binding settlement agreement with the Commissioner in 1992.3

With respect to the third issue, decided by the Tax Court in First Blood Assocs. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 75 T.C.M. (CCH) 2138, 1998 WL 170137 (1998) and in Greenberg Bros. Partnership No. 12 v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 75 T.C.M. (CCH) 2164, 1998 WL 188871 (1998), petitioner-appellant Karin Locke and appellant Jo Ann Scarfia claim that the Tax Court erred when it retained jurisdiction over Scarfia and over Locke because of partnership items listed in the tax returns that they jointly filed with their respective husbands, who had earlier filed petitions in bankruptcy.4

We address each of the issues in turn, reviewing the Tax Court’s conclusions of law de novo and its findings of fact for clear error. See, e.g., Estate of Gloeckner v. Comm’r, 152 F.3d 208, 212 (2d Cir.1998).

1. Greenberg Bros. Partnership No. J v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 111 T.C. 198 (1998)

A. Consistent Settlement

Petitioners-appellants and appellant (collectively, “appellants”) are partners in a partnership to market certain motion pic[436]*436ture films. They seek a “consistent settlement agreement” pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 6224(c) that mirrors in part a settlement reached between the Commissioner and partners Stanley and Betty Block (“Block settlement agreement”). In the Block settlement agreement, the Blocks and the Commissioner agreed to certain tax treatment of partnership items and of related nonpartnership items.5 Appellants contend that the Commissioner should afford them the same terms as the Blocks for treatment of partnership items, pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 6224(c).

The Block settlement agreement was comprised of twenty numbered paragraphs. Some of the relevant provisions are as follows:

1. No adjustment to the partnership items shall be made for the taxable years 1982 through 1994 for purposes of this settlement.
2. The taxpayers are entitled to claim their distributive share of the partnership losses from 1982 through 1994 only to the extent they are at risk under I.R.C. § 465.
3. The taxpayers[’] amount at risk for 1982 through 1990 is their capital contribution to the partnership.
4. The taxpayers!’] capital contribution to the partnership is their share of partnership losses as shown on the partnership tax return for 1982. There are no amounts at risk available under this paragraph to carry[ ] forward against losses claimed after 1982.
10. No additions to tax under I.R.C. §§ 6653(a), 6661, 6659, or 6662 will be asserted with respect to the taxpayers!’] investment in the partnership for 1982 through 1994.

(Pet’r’s Mot. for Entry of Order to Compel Resp’t to Extend Offers of Consistent Settlement to Movants, Ex. A, at 1-2.) Appellants assert that under 26 U.S.C. § 6224(c) they are entitled to the terms of paragraph 1 (a partnership item) but need not accept the terms of paragraph 3 (a nonpartnership item), among others.

Section 6224(c) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) forms part of the Tax Equity & Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA), Pub.L. No. 97-248, 96 Stat. 324 (1982). It states in relevant part:

(c) Settlement agreement. — In the absence of a showing of fraud, malfeasance, or misrepresentation of fact—
(1) Binds all parties. — A settlement agreement between the Secretary and 1 or more partners in a partnership with respect to the determination of partnership items for any partnership taxable year shall ... be binding on all parties to such agreement....
(2) Other partners have right to enter into consistent agreements. — If the Secretary enters into a settlement agreement with any partner with respect to partnership items for any partnership taxable year, the Secretary shall offer to any other partner who so requests settlement terms for the partnership taxable year which are consistent with those [437]*437contained in such settlement agreement. ...

26 U.S.C. § 6224(c).

Temporary regulations were promulgated by the Commissioner to implement Section 6224(c).6 The relevant portion of those regulations provides as follows:

(a) In general. If the Service enters into a settlement agreement with any partner with respect to partnership items, the Service shall offer to any other partner who so requests in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section settlement terms which are consistent with those contained in the settlement agreement entered into.
(b) Requirements for consistent settlements. “Consistent” settlement terms are those based on the same determinations with respect to partnership items.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Michael C. Winter and Lauren Winter v. Commissioner
135 T.C. No. 12 (U.S. Tax Court, 2010)
Winter v. Comm'r
135 T.C. No. 12 (U.S. Tax Court, 2010)
Jaffe v. Comm'r
2004 T.C. Memo. 122 (U.S. Tax Court, 2004)
Cinema '84 v. Comm'r
122 T.C. No. 13 (U.S. Tax Court, 2004)
Mackey v. Comm'r
2004 T.C. Memo. 70 (U.S. Tax Court, 2004)
Gingerich v. United States
82 F. App'x 35 (Federal Circuit, 2003)
Cinema '84 v. Commissioner Of Internal Revenue
294 F.3d 432 (First Circuit, 2002)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
294 F.3d 432, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cinema-84-v-commissioner-ca2-2002.