Demes v. United States

52 Fed. Cl. 365, 89 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 2153, 2002 U.S. Claims LEXIS 94, 2002 WL 602735
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedApril 18, 2002
DocketNo. 00-471T
StatusPublished
Cited by120 cases

This text of 52 Fed. Cl. 365 (Demes v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Demes v. United States, 52 Fed. Cl. 365, 89 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 2153, 2002 U.S. Claims LEXIS 94, 2002 WL 602735 (uscfc 2002).

Opinion

OPINION

MILLER, Judge.

This tax ease is before the court on defendant’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction under RCFC 12(b)(1) or for failure to state a claim under RCFC 12(b)(4). Defendant’s motion raises as its principal issue whether plaintiffs’ claim for a refund is barred by the statute of limitations because the carryback for losses that plaintiffs claim is predicated on a personal nonbusiness debt, which carries a shorter limitations period than a business debt. Specifically, defendant argues that plaintiffs’ status as shareholders does not allow them to claim a loss on a bad debt and relegates them to a tax treatment as short-term capital loss. Defendant also challenges whether plaintiffs properly can plead a claim for a refund as a breach of contract or under the Fifth Amendment. Argument is deemed unnecessary.

FACTS

George B. Demes and Helen M. Demes (“plaintiffs”) are individual taxpayers residing in Park Ridge, Illinois. Plaintiffs filed a Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return for tax year 1989 (the “1989 Return”), reflecting total income of $151,022.00, taxable income of $108,799.00, tax liability of $33,467.00, and a $1,201.00 penalty for underpayment of estimated tax. On December 18, 1992, plaintiffs remitted $53,431.72 to the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”), in satisfaction of their 1989 tax liability, plus accumulated penalties and interest. Plaintiffs also filed a Form 1040, U.S. Individual Tax Return for tax year 1992 (the “1992 Return”), reflecting total income of $1,251.00, adjusted gross income of $1,251.00, negative taxable income of $20,523.00, zero total tax, zero total payments, zero overpaid, and zero owed.1 According to the schedules filed with the 1992 Return, plaintiffs had experienced $153,380.00 in taxable capital gains, representing $162,926.00 from the sale of rental real estate known as the Annetta Hotel, offset by a $9,546.00 loss from the sale of plaintiffs’ interest in the Alsip Bank. The capital gain income was itself offset by losses [367]*367of $137,545.00 from plaintiffs’ interest in certain S corporations, identified as the Annetta Hotel, Century 21, Investors I, Ltd. (“Century I”), and Century 21, Investors II, Ltd. (“Century II”).

Plaintiffs allege that the 1989 Return and the 1992 Return were erroneous, because plaintiffs should have claimed all their losses as long-term losses or as return of capital on non-taxable transactions. The 1992 Return also was erroneous because it should not have reflected monies received on the sale of the Annetta Hotel as ordinary income. Although plaintiffs’ allegations as to the circumstances of these errors are not entirely clear, it appears that their errors were related to errors contained in the tax returns filed by the partnerships in which plaintiffs had an interest.2 According to plaintiffs, Ron Ward, identified as an accountant, and Alexander Sarovich, identified as plaintiffs’ partner, prepared the 1992 tax returns for the Annetta Hotel, Century I, and Century II. Mr. Saro-vich also maintained the books and records for the Annetta Hotel and Century I, as well as for an entity known as the Demes Saro-vich Partnership. Plaintiffs allege that Messrs. Sarovich and Ward wilfully withheld the existence of plaintiffs’ partnership business records, including the partnership returns, from plaintiffs, thereby precluding them from realizing their entitlement to a tax refund.3

On September 21, 1998, plaintiffs filed a Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return for the tax years 1989 (the “1989 Amended Return”) and 1992 (the “1992 Amended Return”). The 1989 Amended Return reflected a net loss of adjusted gross income, attributable to losses from the sale of business property, and sought a refund of taxes paid in the amount of $34,668.00. The 1992 Amended Return also reflected a net loss of adjusted gross income, this time reporting a negative adjusted gross income of $179,224.06, negative taxable income of $200,998.06, zero total tax, zero total payments, zero overpaid, and zero owed. The 1992 Amended Return differed in that plaintiffs eliminated the $153,380.00 in taxable income found on the 1992 Return and changed the losses from the sale of the Alsip Bank from $9,546.00 to $3,000.00. Furthermore, instead of reporting a $137,545.00 combined loss for its S corporations, plaintiffs claimed a $92,637.33 loss on the sale of the Annetta Hotel as a loss on the sale of business property and a $69,002.73 non-passive loss on income from S corporations for the Annetta Hotel and Century I. The 1992 Amended Return reported a net decrease of $180,475.06 in adjusted gross income from the 1992 Return, but did not claim a refund.

By letter dated March 29, 1999, the IRS disallowed plaintiffs’ claim for a refund for 1989, on the ground that it was not timely filed.4 By letter dated April 9, 1999, plain[368]*368tiffs appealed. On February 24, 2000, the IRS denied the appeal, on the following grounds:

Your [sic] were unable to document that you incur the losses as shown on your amended return. You also failed to establish the losses were of the type that would extend statute to seven (7) years. You also failed to establish that you had a loss of the type that would create a net operating loss.

On August 7, 2000, plaintiffs filed the instant complaint, alleging entitlement to their claimed refund on the following theories: Count I, the Government’s obligation to refund tax overpayments under the tax code; Count II, breach of implied contract as created by the tax code; Count III, a taking of plaintiffs’ property in contravention of the Fifth Amendment; and Count IV, denial of due process in violation of the Fifth Amendment. Plaintiffs seek recovery of the $53,421.72 paid to the IRS pursuant to the 1989 Return and $108,862.44 in prejudgment interest, calculated at 20% per annum.

In response to defendant’s motion for a more definite statement, plaintiffs explained that the 1989 Amended Return reflects a carryback loss from advances plaintiffs made to the Annetta Hotel and to Century I realized in 1992.5 Defendant now moves to dismiss the complaint for lack of jurisdiction, arguing alternatively that plaintiffs’ claim is time barred and that the complaint fails to state a claim.

DISCUSSION

1. Standards for motion to dismiss

When a federal court reviews the sufficiency of the complaint, whether on the ground of lack of subject matter jurisdiction or for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, “its task is necessarily a limited one.” Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 236, 94 S.Ct. 1683, 40 L.Ed.2d 90 (1974). “The issue is not whether a plaintiff will ultimately prevail but whether the claimant is entitled to offer evidence to support the claims.” Id. The court must accept as true the facts alleged in the complaint, Reynolds v. Army & Air Force Exch. Serv., 846 F.2d 746, 747 (Fed.Cir.1988), and must construe such facts in the light most favorable to the pleader, Henke v. United States, 60 F.3d 795, 797 (Fed.Cir.1995) (court obligated “to draw all reasonable inferences in plaintiffs favor”).

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52 Fed. Cl. 365, 89 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 2153, 2002 U.S. Claims LEXIS 94, 2002 WL 602735, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/demes-v-united-states-uscfc-2002.