Dela Rosa v. Department of Revenue

832 P.2d 1228, 313 Or. 284, 1992 Ore. LEXIS 107
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedJune 5, 1992
DocketOTC 2749, 2933 SC S36064, SC S37622
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 832 P.2d 1228 (Dela Rosa v. Department of Revenue) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Dela Rosa v. Department of Revenue, 832 P.2d 1228, 313 Or. 284, 1992 Ore. LEXIS 107 (Or. 1992).

Opinion

*286 GRABER, J.

This opinion concerns two decisions of the Tax Court. In one case, the Tax Court held that taxpayer was subject to Oregon state personal income tax for tax year 1982, because he was a resident of Oregon, but held that taxpayer’s challenges to assessments for tax years 1980,1981, and 1983 were not properly before the Tax Court, dela Rosa v. Dept. of Rev., 11 OTR 201 (1989). We affirm those holdings. In the second case, the Tax Court held that taxpayer was subject to Oregon state income tax for tax year 1984. (Unpublished opinion.) We do not review the merits of that holding, because taxpayer did not file a timely and proper notice of appeal in this court with respect to the second case.

TAX YEAR 1980

Defendant Department of Revenue (the Department) canceled its 1980 assessment after discovering that it had not held a conference about the alleged deficiency within one year of taxpayer’s request for a conference. For 1980, therefore, there was no remaining assessment for taxpayer to appeal and no substantive issue for the Tax Court to consider. The Tax Court did not err in not considering the 1980 tax year on the merits.

TAX YEARS 1981 AND 1983

The Department dismissed taxpayer’s appeals for 1981 and 1983 on the ground that he had not filed timely administrative appeals for those years. The Tax Court agreed and affirmed the opinion and order of the Department.

ORS 305.280(2) provides that an appeal to the Director of the Department of Revenue from any notice of assessment issued by the Department with respect to (among other things) personal income tax “shall be filed within 90 days from the date of the notice.” ORS 305.275(4) provides (with exceptions not relevant here) that

“no person shall appeal to the Oregon Tax Court or other court on any matter arising under the revenue and tax laws administered by the department unless the person first exhausts the administrative remedies provided before the department and the director.”

*287 See Mullenaux v. Dept. of Revenue, 293 Or 536, 539-40, 651 P2d 724 (1982) (analyzing and applying ORS 305.275(4)).

The Department issued the 1981 notice of assessment on April 8, 1985. Taxpayer appealed on November 4, 1985, over 200 days later.

The Department issued the 1983 notice of assessment on September 5,1986. Taxpayer did not appeal the 1983 notice of assessment within 90 days after its issuance but, instead, seeks to rely on the earlier appeal dated November 4, 1985.

Taxpayer filed the 1981 appeal too late and the 1983 appeal too early. His only argument is that he misunderstood the appeal process. Both the 1981 and 1983 notices of assessment contained advice concerning taxpayer’s appeal rights, however, and taxpayer does not challenge the adequacy or accuracy of the written instructions and notices that he received. The Tax Court did not err in holding that tax years 1981 and 1983 were not properly before it.

TAX YEAR 1984

With respect to 1984, the Tax Court entered a judgment on September 11, 1990. Although taxpayer filed a variety of papers with this court, he did not file a notice of appeal from the Tax Court judgment concerning tax year 1984 until November 6,1990 — 56 days after the Tax Court entered its judgment.

ORS 305.445 provides for appeal to this court from a final judgment of the Tax Court; “such appeals * * * shall be in accordance with the procedure in equity cases on appeal from a circuit court.” Appeals in equity cases must be filed within 30 days after the entry of judgment. ORS 19.026(1). ORS 19.033(2)(b) provides that filing an appeal within the time prescribed by ORS 19.026(1) is a jurisdictional requirement. Thus, taxpayer’s appeal was too late.

Because taxpayer appealed too late, this court is without jurisdiction to entertain.his appeal. ORS 305.445; ORS 19.026(1); ORS 19.033(2)(b). See also South Beach Marina, Inc. v. Dept. of Rev., 301 Or 524, 526-27, 724 P2d 788 (1986) (failure to file notice of appeal of Tax Court judgment within 30 days was a jurisdictional defect, citing ORS *288 305.445, ORS 19.026(1), and ORS 19.033(2)(b)); Multistate Tax Commission v. Dow Chemical Co., 295 Or 831, 833, 671 P2d 108 (1983) (same).

By order dated December 11, 1990, this court dismissed taxpayer’s appeal concerning tax year 1984 for want of jurisdiction. Taxpayer has moved for reconsideration of the dismissal. That motion is denied.

TAX YEAR 1982

Taxpayer timely and properly appealed the notice of assessment for tax year 1982. Accordingly, we consider the merits of his claim with respect to that year.

The personal income tax laws of this state impose a tax “for each taxable year on the entire taxable income of every resident of this state.” ORS 316.037(l)(a). The tax laws also define the term “resident of this state.” In the year relevant to this appeal, ORS 316.027(1) 1 provided:

“ ‘Resident’ or ‘resident of this state’ means:
“(a) An individual who is domiciled in this state unless the individual (A) maintains no permanent place of abode in this state, (B) does maintain a permanent place of abode elsewhere, and (C) spends in the aggregate not more than 30 days in the taxable year in this state; or
“(b) An individual who is not domiciled in this state but maintains a permanent place of abode in this state and spends in the aggregate more than 200 days of the taxable year in this state is presumed to be a resident unless the individual proves that the individual is in the state only for a temporary or transitory purpose.”

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Bluebook (online)
832 P.2d 1228, 313 Or. 284, 1992 Ore. LEXIS 107, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/dela-rosa-v-department-of-revenue-or-1992.