Citibank, N.A. v. South Dakota Department of Revenue

2015 SD 67, 868 N.W.2d 381, 2015 S.D. LEXIS 116, 2015 WL 4598017
CourtSouth Dakota Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 29, 2015
Docket26933
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 2015 SD 67 (Citibank, N.A. v. South Dakota Department of Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering South Dakota Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Citibank, N.A. v. South Dakota Department of Revenue, 2015 SD 67, 868 N.W.2d 381, 2015 S.D. LEXIS 116, 2015 WL 4598017 (S.D. 2015).

Opinion

WILBUR, Justice.

[¶ 1.] Citibank, Inc. (“Citibank”) filed a tax refund claim with the South Dakota Department of Revenue in 2012 requesting a return of a portion of bank franchise taxes paid for the tax years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. The Department of Revenue denied the tax refund claim. Citibank requested a hearing with the Office of Hearing Examiners (“OHE”). OHE found that the refund claim was time-barred by the three-year statute of limitations contained in SDCL 10-59-19. Consequently, OHE dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction. The circuit court affirmed OHE. Citibank appeals. We affirm.

Background

[¶2.] Citibank 1 timely filed United States federal income tax returns with the *384 Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) on behalf of itself and its consolidated group for each of the following taxable years: 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 (the “Federal Tax Returns”). Citibank also timely filed bank franchise tax returns with the South Dakota Department of Revenue (the “Department”) for the same years. The IRS subsequently conducted an audit of the Federal Tax Returns. During the course of the audit, Citibank requested a reduction in its taxable income for the taxable years 1999 and 2000. Citibank made this request because it changed its method of accounting beginning with the 2001 tax year. 2 Citibank’s application of the new accounting method resulted in the double reporting of interchange fees that were previously reported on its 1999 and 2000 tax returns. The IRS and Citibank agreed to extend the federal statutory period of limitations for auditing the Federal Tax Returns to June 30, 2012, for assessments, and December 31, 2012, for claims for refunds. As part of a settlement with Citibank, the IRS agreed in 2012 to reduce Citibank’s taxable income for the taxable years 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 by the respective amounts of $789,426,457; $120,873,512; $10,357,119; and $14,054,954.

[¶ 3.] The parties to this action stipulated that the State of South Dakota did not have “personal knowledge” of the Federal Tax Returns until March 2012. On March 16, 2012, and within 60 days of the IRS’s final decision, Citibank filed amended bank franchise tax returns with the Department reflecting its reduced taxable income for tax years 1999 and 2000 and requested a refund of the bank franchise taxes on returns that were due and paid in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003, for taxable years 1999 through 2002. 3 The refund request filed with the Department totaled $29,945,132, excluding interest. 4 The circuit court noted that at the time of its decision, the approximate total accrued interest on the refund claim was $21,5.00,000.

[¶ 4.] The Department denied Citibank’s request for a refund of bank franchise taxes on April 9, 2012. The Department concluded that the refund claim was filed after the three-year statute of limitations had expired pursuant to SDCL 10-59-19. Citibank requested an administrative hearing before OHE, contending that it had timely filed its refund claim in compliance with ARSD 64:26:02:06. Citibank and the Department stipulated to all material facts and evidence and filed cross motions for summary judgment. The Department also filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.

[¶ 5.] On March 15, 2013, OHE granted the Department’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. OHE rejected Citi *385 bank’s argument that ARSD 64:26:02:06 allowed it to file a refund claim after the expiration of the three-year statute of limitations. OHE concluded that it did “not have jurisdiction” because “Citibank failed to file its request for refund within the three year limitations period contained in SDCL 10-59-19.” Citibank appealed to the circuit court. The circuit court affirmed OHE’s decision on November 22, 2013. Citibank raises the following issues for our review:

1. Whether OHE correctly granted the Department’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction because Citibank failed to comply with procedural requirements in SDCL chapter 10-59 when filing its tax refund request.
2. Whether the circuit court erred as a matter of law in rejecting Citibank’s equitable tolling argument.
3. Whether the circuit court erred as a matter of law in affirming the denial of Citibank’s motion for summary judgment.

Analysis

[¶ 6.] 1. Whether OHE correctly granted the Department’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction because Citibank failed to comply with procedural requirements in SDCL chapter 10-59 when filing its tax refund request.

[¶ 7.] Citibank and the Department stipulated to all materials facts; therefore, our review is limited to “whether the circuit court properly interpreted and applied the law.” See Rushmore Shadows, LLC v. Pennington Cnty. Bd. of Equalization, 2013 S.D. 73, ¶ 7, 838 N.W.2d 814, 816. “The interpretation and application of a tax statute is a question of law that we review de novo.” Id. “Statutes that ‘impose taxes are to be construed liberally in favor of the taxpayer and strictly against the taxing body.’ ” Id. (quoting Butler Mach. Co. v. S.D. Dep’t of Revenue, 2002 S.D. 134, ¶ 6, 653 N.W.2d 757, 759).

[¶ 8.] But we have consistently required strict compliance with statutes of limitation. Jorgensen Farms, Inc. v. Country Pride Corp., 2012 S.D. 78, ¶ 30, 824 N.W.2d 410, 419 (quoting Murray v. Mansheim, 2010 S.D. 18, ¶ 21, 779 N.W.2d 379, 389); see also Dakota Truck Underwriters v. S.D. Subsequent Injury Fund, 2004 S.D. 120, ¶ 17, 689 N.W.2d 196, 201 (“Traditionally, compliance with statutes of limitations is strictly required and doctrines of substantial compliance or equitable tolling are not invoked to alleviate a claimant from a loss of his right to proceed with a claim.”). “[Statutes of limitation ensure a ‘speedy and fair adjudication of the rights of the parties.’ ” Murray, 2010 S.D. 18, ¶ 21, 779 N.W.2d at 389 (quoting Moore v. Michelin Tire Co., Inc., 1999 S.D. 152, ¶ 25, 603 N.W.2d 513, 521). “In most cases, this important principle underlining the statute of limitations is appropriately advanced by refusing to judicially modify the harsh effect imposed by a statute of limitations.” Dakota Truck Underwriters, 2004 S.D. 120, ¶ 18, 689 N.W.2d at 201. “[T]he United States Supreme Court has recognized, and this Court has embraced, the need to protect the government’s strong interest in financial stability and the State’s ability to engage in sound fiscal planning as the strong underlying justification for, limitations periods for tax refunds.” Ernst & Young v. S.D. Dep’t of Revenue, 2004 S.D. 122, ¶ 17, 689 N.W.2d 449, 454 (quoting Pourier v. S.D. Dep’t of Revenue (Pourier I),

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Bluebook (online)
2015 SD 67, 868 N.W.2d 381, 2015 S.D. LEXIS 116, 2015 WL 4598017, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/citibank-na-v-south-dakota-department-of-revenue-sd-2015.