Gómez Tejera v. Tax Court of Puerto Rico

73 P.R. 431
CourtSupreme Court of Puerto Rico
DecidedApril 30, 1952
DocketNo. 249
StatusPublished

This text of 73 P.R. 431 (Gómez Tejera v. Tax Court of Puerto Rico) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gómez Tejera v. Tax Court of Puerto Rico, 73 P.R. 431 (prsupreme 1952).

Opinion

Mr. Justice Negrón Fernández

delivered the opinion of the Court.

On July 15, 1949 the Treasurer of Puerto Rico notified petitioner herein of his final decision on her income tax deficiencies for the tax year 1946. The.deficiency stipulated in the notice was $301.711 and it was stated that the bond to be furnished, in case of appeal to the Tax Court, should be for $325.

On August 11, 1949 the petitioner appealed from said final decision to the Tax Court. She attached to her complaint 2 a document in English dated August 5, 1949, written by Mr. Ramón Magriñá in his capacity of Vice-President and Manager of the Banco Popular de Puerto Rico — and signed also by J. Correa — notifying the Treasurer of Puerto Rico that petitioner had deposited in said Bank the sum of $325 to cover the deficiencies finally determined by the Treasurer and notified to petitioner on July 15, 1949. Said document also contained the following:

“It is understood that there shall be payable to you or to your successor in office, from such deposit insofar as the same shall be sufficient therefor, the amount of the tax as notified and appealed from, which may be finally confirmed by the Tax Court of Puerto Rico and assessed as is provided in Section 57(6) of the Income Tax Act of 1924. Such payment will be made to you upon your demand and against surrender to us of the [433]*433following documents: (a) certified copy of the final decision or decisions of the Tax Court of Puerto Rico; (b) certified copy of the notice of assessment of said tax and demand for payment; (c) certificate from you that the tax so confirmed and assessed has not been paid.
“It is further understood that this deposit shall be reimbursed to the said Mrs. Carmen Gómez Tejera upon her presentation to us of either of the following documents: (1) Original tax receipt or receipts showing payment of the amount of the income tax deficiency which may be confirmed by the Tax: Court of Puerto Rico and assessed by you as a result of the appeal from the notice of deficiency of July 15, 1949 above referred to, or (2) Certified copy of the final decision or decisions of the Tax Court of Puerto Rico showing that the entire amount determined by you as deficiency has been disallowed by the Tax Court of Puerto Rico.” 3

[434]*434The Tax Court, at the Treasurer’s behest, declared itself without jurisdiction over the case because the taxpayer had not furnished within the term and manner provided, the bond required by law.

In her brief in support of the writ of certiorari, petitioner contends that the lower court erred in holding that in order to acquire jurisdiction, a bond to secure the effectiveness of the judgment which the court might render, had to be furnished before the Treasurer of Puerto Rico and subject to his approval and, consequently, that the court erred in dismissing the complaint for lack of jurisdiction.

Section 57 (a) of the Income Tax Act, Act No. 74 approved August 6, 1925 (Sess. Laws, p. 400), as amended hy Act No. 23 of November 21, 1941 (Spec. Sess. Laws, p. 72), as provided:

“If, in the case of any taxpayer, the Treasurer determines that there is a deficiency in respect to the tax imposed by this title, the taxpayer, except as provided in subdivision (c), shall be notified of such deficiency by registered mail, but such deficiency shall be assessed in the manner established in subdivision (6). Within fifteen (15) days immediately after the date of such notice, the taxpayer may apply to the Treasurer for a reconsideration of said determination of deficiency, stating in his application the grounds on which the same is based, and the Treasurer may grant him an administrative hearing before deciding the matter, or he may deny the reconsideration requested without any hearing if, in his judgment, said application is clearly unfounded. If the taxpayer does not agree with the resolution of the Treasurer with regard to any deficiency, he may, within thirty (30) days immediately follow[435]*435ing the date on which he is notified of the resolution, file with the Court of Tax Appeals of Puerto Rico a complaint against the Treasurer, in the manner provided for in the Act creating said court; Provided, That (1) the resolution of the Treasurer on the determination of any deficiency, and (2) the furnishing of a bond by the taxpayer, subject to the approval of the Treasurer, for a sum of not less than three-fourths (%) of the amount of the tax appealed, shall each and both of them be indispensable requirements to be complied with before resorting to said court, without which the latter shall not acquire jurisdiction.” (Italics ours.)

Said Section was amended by Act No. 230 of May 10, 1949 (Sess. Laws, p. 706), providing henceforth the following:

“If, in the case of any taxpayer, the Treasurer determines that there is a deficiency in respect to the tax levied by this title, the taxpayer, except as provided in subdivision (c), shall be notified of such deficiency by registered mail, and the taxpayer may, within thirty (30) days following the date on which said notification was mailed, or within such extension of time as the Treasurer may grant to him for the purpose, apply in writing to the latter, for a reconsideration of and an administrative hearing on the matter, setting forth in his application the reasons he may have therefor. If the taxpayer does not apply for a reconsideration in the manner and within the term herein provided, or if after having applied for same the Treasurer should confirm in whole or in part the deficiency notified, the Treasurer shall in both cases notify the taxpayer by registered mail of his final decision, and the taxpayer may appeal from said final decision to the Tax Court of Puerto Rico in the manner, within the term and upon compliance with the requirements provided by law. (Italics ours.)

From the language of § 57(a) before its amendment by Act No. 230 it appears very clearly that apart from the statutory period of 30 days to file a complaint with the Tax Court — counted from the date on which notice of the resolution of the Treasurer is served, on reconsideration, on the determination of any deficiency — there are two other jurisdictional requirements before said court may take cognizance [436]*436of a complaint such as the one in the instant case, to wit: (1) that a decision on the determination of any deficiency be entered by the Treasurer and (2) that a bond be furnished by the taxpayer, subject to the approval of the Treasurer for a sum not less than three fourths of the amount of the tax appealed. Act No. 230 eliminated said requirement from the text of § 57(a), providing, however, that the taxpayer may appeal from the final decision of the Treasurer within the term and upon compliance with the requirements provided by law. These requirements and terms were fixed in turn by Act No. 235 approved May 10, 1949, establishing a uniform procedure to appeal to the Tax Court in all cases under the jurisdiction of said court.

Section 1 of said Act No.

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73 P.R. 431, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gomez-tejera-v-tax-court-of-puerto-rico-prsupreme-1952.