GAUTHIER v. COMMISSIONER

2002 T.C. Summary Opinion 15, 2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 15
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedFebruary 15, 2002
DocketNo. 1625-01S
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2002 T.C. Summary Opinion 15 (GAUTHIER 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
GAUTHIER v. COMMISSIONER, 2002 T.C. Summary Opinion 15, 2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 15 (tax 2002).

Opinion

BRYAN K. GAUTHIER, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
GAUTHIER v. COMMISSIONER
No. 1625-01S
United States Tax Court
T.C. Summary Opinion 2002-15; 2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 15;
February 15, 2002, Filed

*15 PURSUANT TO INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 7463(b), THIS OPINION MAY NOT BE TREATED AS PRECEDENT FOR ANY OTHER CASE.

Bryan K. Gauthier, pro se.
Scott T. Welch, for respondent.
Powell, Carleton D.

Powell, Carleton D.

POWELL, Special Trial Judge: This case was heard pursuant to the provisions of section 7463 of the Internal Revenue Code in effect at the time the petition was filed.1 The decision to be entered is not reviewable by any other court, and this opinion should not be cited as authority.

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner's 1998 Federal income tax and an addition to tax under section 6651(a)(1) of $ 3,433 and $ 321, respectively. After concessions by the parties,2 the issues are (1) whether petitioner is liable for the additional tax under section 72(t)*16 and (2) whether petitioner is liable for the addition to tax under section 6651(a)(1). Petitioner resided in New Orleans, Louisiana, when the petition in this case was filed.

The facts may be summarized as follows. During 1998, petitioner received a distribution of $ 4,388.25 from a section 401(k) retirement plan and $ 2,470.32 from an employee stock option plan (ESOP). Regions Bank Delchamps, Inc. was the trustee for both plans. Petitioner included both distributions in gross income on his 1998 Federal income tax return, but he did not pay*17 any additional tax under section 72(t). During 1998, petitioner had not attained the age of 59-1/2. Petitioner did not claim any deduction for a dependency exemption on his 1998 return.

Respondent received petitioner's 1998 Federal income tax return on July 19, 1999. The return was mailed during that month, the exact date, however, is unclear. Petitioner had not obtained an extension of time within which to timely file his 1998 tax return.

             Discussion

Distributions From Retirement Plans

Section 72(t)(1) provides:

   If any taxpayer receives any amount from a qualified retirement

   plan (as defined in section 4974(c)), the taxpayer's tax under

   this chapter for the taxable year in which such amount is

   received shall be increased by an amount equal to 10 percent of

   the portion of such amount which is includible in gross income.

[6] A "qualified retirement plan" is defined as, inter alia, "a plan described in section 401(a) which includes a trust exempt from tax under section 501(a)". Sec. 4974(c)(1). Petitioner contends that the ESOP was not a qualified retirement plan. The record is devoid of any*18 factual bases for this assertion. Furthermore, respondent introduced into evidence a letter from respondent that determined that the ESOP was a qualified retirement plan. See sec. 409. We find that the ESOP was a qualified retirement plan.3

With regard to the distribution from the section 401(k) plan, petitioner does not dispute that it was a qualified retirement plan. Rather, he contends that the exception to section 72(t)(1) contained in section 72(t)(2)(B) applies to the distribution from the section 401(k)

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2002 T.C. Summary Opinion 15, 2002 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 15, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gauthier-v-commissioner-tax-2002.