Cochrane v. Commissioner

107 T.C. No. 2, 107 T.C. 18, 1996 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 32
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 7, 1996
DocketDocket No. 2002-95.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 107 T.C. No. 2 (Cochrane 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
Cochrane v. Commissioner, 107 T.C. No. 2, 107 T.C. 18, 1996 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 32 (tax 1996).

Opinion

OPINION

Ruwe, Judge:

Respondent determined deficiencies in and additions to petitioner’s Federal income taxes as follows:

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The issues for decision are: (1) Whether petitioner received taxable income as determined by respondent for each of the years in issue; (2) whether petitioner is liable for an addition to tax for fraud under section 6653(b)1 for each of the years in issue; (3) whether petitioner is liable for an addition to tax for substantial understatement of income tax under section 6661 for 1984; and (4) whether petitioner is liable for an addition to tax for failure to pay estimated tax under section 6654 for 1986.

Prior to trial, the Court granted respondent’s motion to impose sanctions pursuant to Rule 104(c), as a result of petitioner’s failure to obey our order that he respond to requests for admission. We ordered that the matter contained in respondent’s requests be taken as established for purposes of this case. Because of the importance of this ruling to the outcome of this case, we will explain the relevant procedural history as well as the reasoning behind our imposition of sanctions.

Procedural Background

From the inception of this case, petitioner demonstrated that he intended to rely upon frivolous positions. For example, attached to his amended petition was a document entitled “Preliminary Statement and Refusal for Cause”, in which petitioner purports to reject respondent’s notices of deficiency. Among the reasons given were that petitioner was a “nontaxpayer (i.e., not liable for any true tax class of taxable income)” and that he was not a “U.S. person” but rather “a foreign person residing in a foreign state (i.e., California Republic).” On May 15, 1996, petitioner filed a motion to review the sufficiency of the notice of deficiency, in which he made essentially the same arguments and also asserted that “studies also prove that a shrewd and criminal Constructive Fraud has been slipped over America by government under counterfeit ‘color of law’”, and that he will “‘squarely challenge’ the fraudulent usurping and octopus-like JURISDICTION authority” asserted over him. The record contains similar instances of petitioner’s conduct, but the above examples are sufficient to show the nature of petitioner’s approach in this case.

On March 18, 1996, respondent served petitioner with requests for admission. The requests consisted of 41 paragraphs, including 9 attached exhibits. Respondent’s statements of fact were clear, concise, and understandable. They were couched in unequivocal terms, which facilitate unequivocal responses. On April 22, 1996, petitioner filed an objection to respondent’s requests for admission.

On May 6, 1996, respondent filed a motion to review the sufficiency of petitioner’s objections to respondent’s requests for admission. On May 9, 1996, this Court ordered petitioner to respond to the requested admissions on or before May 20, 1996. The order expressly warned petitioner that if he failed to comply, the Court would be inclined to impose sanctions pursuant to Rule 104(c), the provisions of which were quoted in the order. On May 28, 1996, we granted petitioner’s request for an extension of time to June 10, 1996, in which to file his response.

On June 10, 1996, petitioner served respondent with petitioner’s supplemental response to the requests for admission. In responses 31 through 33, petitioner admitted that the 1983, 1984, and 1985 Federal income tax returns attached as exhibits to respondent’s requests for admission “represent return information filed by petitioner for 1983, 1984, and 1985”. However, petitioner qualified these admissions and noted an objection to these exhibits “if they constitute improper forms to utilize for his correct filing status during these periods.”2

Petitioner’s remaining answers were evasive and unresponsive, as illustrated by the following examples:

(1) In request for admission (request) 1, respondent asserted that during the years in issue, petitioner worked as an engineering technician for General Dynamics Corp. and Rohr Industries, Inc., in San Diego and Chula Vista, California, respectively. In petitioner’s response, he stated that he

is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of respondent’s allegations. Respondent has not identified the term “employed” to be defined within the subject matter or scope of any statute and implementing regulation.
In further reply, Petitioner had no contract of employment with either General Dynamics Corporation or Rohr Industries.

(2) In request 3, respondent asserted that petitioner resided at 1655 Oleander Avenue, Chula Vista, California, during the years in issue. In response, petitioner stated that he “is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief as to the truth of respondent’s allegations. * * * respondent has not defined ‘residing’ under a statute or section of a statute and its implementing regulations.”

(3) In request 5, respondent asserted that petitioner did not reside outside the United States at any time during the years in issue. In response, petitioner again stated that he lacked sufficient information to answer. In addition, he stated that “respondent does not cite any statute * * * defining ‘reside’ or ‘United States’ in order to specify any of several possible definitions applicable to these terms.”

(4) In request 6, respondent asserted that petitioner did not receive any income from sources outside the United States during the years in issue. In response, petitioner stated that “respondent does not cite statute and its implementing regulation defining the terms ‘income’ or ‘United States’ used in the allegation.”

(5) In request 10, respondent asserted that petitioner reported on his tax returns for 1983 through 1985 that certain wages were excluded from gross income as income earned while physically present in a foreign country during the entire 12 months of the taxable year. In response, petitioner contended that the “Statements are presumptive of law and are not facts susceptible to admission or denial by petitioner.” In addition, petitioner stated that “respondent does not define the term ‘wages’ or the term ‘taxable years’ used in reference to petitioner in this case” and that “respondent fails to identify any * * * authority for establishing California [as a] state under federal revenue jurisdiction.”

(6) In requests 15 through 17, respondent asserted that during 1984 through 1986, petitioner conducted a tax return preparation and tax counseling business and that petitioner received, but failed to report, fees in 1984, 1985, and 1986. Respondent listed the names of specific payors and the amounts they paid to petitioner. In response, petitioner stated that respondent failed to identify “by statute and regulation any activity for which petitioner would receive income from ‘fees’, or a statute and regulation identifying any amount in question as a ‘fee’.”

(7) In requests 34 through 39, respondent attached copies of canceled checks and asserted that petitioner received these checks from clients of his tax return preparation and tax counseling business in exchange for services rendered.

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Cochrane v. Commissioner
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Bluebook (online)
107 T.C. No. 2, 107 T.C. 18, 1996 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cochrane-v-commissioner-tax-1996.