Grandbouche v. Commissioner

99 T.C. No. 31, 99 T.C. 604, 1992 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 86
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 30, 1992
DocketDocket No. 26785-90
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 99 T.C. No. 31 (Grandbouche 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
Grandbouche v. Commissioner, 99 T.C. No. 31, 99 T.C. 604, 1992 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 86 (tax 1992).

Opinion

OPINION

Jacobs, Judge:

Respondent determined a deficiency in petitioner’s 1987 Federal income tax as follows:

Additions to tax
Deficiency Sec* 6653(a)(1)(A) Sec, 6653(a)(1)(B) Sec. 6654 Sec, 6661
$238,606 $11,930 1 $12,881 $59,652

All section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for 1987, and unless otherwise indicated, all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.

The matters presently before the Court are a motion under Rule 103(a)(7) for a protective order filed by the National Commodity and Barter Association/National Commodity Exchange (ncba/nce; ncba and nce); a supplemental motion under Rule 103(a)(7) for a protective order filed by ncba/nce; and a motion under Rules 103(a)(9) and 147(b) filed by Affiliated National Bank-Littleton (the bank) for an award of costs and expenses relating to a subpoena duces tecum.

Background

The facts recited herein are derived from moving papers and affidavits provided by the parties and ncba/nce. Recital of those facts for purposes of this opinion implies no conclusion on our part that they will ultimately be established at trial or otherwise.

Petitioner was a resident of San Jose, California, at the time she filed her petition. She is the widow of John Grandbouche (Grandbouche). Grandbouche was the founder of NCBA and NCE (a “service wing” of NCBA), and various other groups involved in the tax protester movement. Grandbouche died in 1986.

Grandbouche, NCBA, NCE, and individuals associated with them have been under investigation by respondent over a number of years because of their suspected tax protester activities.1

NCBA has been described as an “unincorporated, voluntary, political association of individuals whose members promote individual civil liberties, and extensive tax and monetary reforms”. Holderbaum v. United States, 589 F. Supp. 107, 108 (D. Colo. 1984). ncba, in its own words, “espouses dissident views on the federal tax system and advocates a return to currency backed by gold and/or silver”. Voss v. Bergsgaard, 774 F.2d 402, 405 (10th Cir. 1985). More specifically, it has been found that:

NCBA is an association dedicated to limited government, privacy in personal and financial affairs, and the protection of private property. NCBA advocates * * * the abolition of the Internal Revenue Service, and a return to the gold standard. It disputes the constitutionality of the Federal Reserve System and many of the federal administrative agencies. * * *
NCBA also provides its members with various financial services. For example, members can participate in a plan under which NCBA pays legal expenses for IRS audits and criminal tax prosecutions. * * * NCBA operates, through its wing NCE, a service through which members can purchase precious metals and pay bills with a minimum of recordkeeping. * * *
[In re Grand Jury Proceeding, 842 F.2d 1229, 1230 (11th Cir. 1988).]

In addition, NCE has been described as a “warehouse bank” which operates as follows:

members send their federal reserve notes to the NCE, which converts the notes into silver and gold. Thereafter, when directed by a payout authorization signed by a customer, the NCE reconverts the silver and gold into federal reserve notes and makes payment directly to the customer’s designated creditors. NCE literature claims that the NCE protects customer privacy “by providing a bill-paying service through which you can pay your creditors without generating a paper trail in the Federal Reserve System which is traceable back to you.” That same literature declares that “should [NCE] receive an order from a court of competant [sic] authority directing that records of an account-holder be turned over to the I.R.S., etc., the legal resources of [NCBA] will fight the order.” [Heinold Hog Market, Inc. v. McCoy, 700 F.2d 611, 612-613 (10th Cir. 1983); citations omitted.]

Further, NCE has been found to be an organization designed to operate in secrecy, leave no paper trail, and avoid service of process by means of the following:

[NCE] [provides] a bill paying service that leaves no paper trail through the Federal Reserve System (even NCE’s cancelled checks representing payment of bills for its account holders are destroyed after 90 days). To avoid taxation and scrutiny from any source, Grandbouche designed an “unincorporated association” apparently with no formal governing structure, oral irrevocable delegations, and no paper records (except the “Common Law” contract, the ledger showing gold and silver balances, and checks that cleared within the last 90 days). * * * [Id. at 616.]

On audit respondent determined that petitioner had unreported income for 1987 from certain NCBA currency transactions. Such deficiency determination was based on certain currency transaction reports (Form 4789) which the bank completed and submitted to respondent. These reports reflected currency transactions involving NCBA and NCE which referenced petitioner’s Social Security number. Petitioner timely filed a petition with this Court for review of respondent’s determinations.

Thereafter, on October 9, 1991, respondent served a subpoena duces tecum on Cindy S. Hathaway (Ms. Hathaway) in her capacity as a vice president of the bank (the first subpoena). The first subpoena commanded Ms. Hathaway to appear before the Court on November 4, 1991, and to bring with her:

The following records and any other written documents in your possession and control and/or to which you have access and a right to possession and control of or relating to all banking transactions between December 1, 1986, and February 1, 1988, in the name of Joanna M. Grandbouche or using or referencing the Social Security number of Joanna M. Grandbouche, * * *, including specifically, but without limitation, the following:
1. All Internal Revenue Service Forms 1099 issued to Joanna M. Grandbouche or under * * * [her] taxpayer identification number.
2. All signature cards, bank statements, checks, microfilm of checks, deposit slips, and microfilm, or other record, of deposit items for each bank account in the name of Joanna M. Grandbouche.
3. All signature cards, bank statements, checks, microfilm of checks, deposit slips, and microfilm, or other record, of deposit items for each bank account in the name of the National Commodity and Barter Association and/or the National Commodity Exchange, including, specifically, hut without limitation for account number 014 756 3.
4. All Form 4789 Currency Transaction Reports completed in the name of the National Commodity and Barter Association and/or the National Commodity Exchange.
5. All Form 4789 Currency Transaction Reports completed in the name of Joanna M.

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Grandbouche v. Commissioner
99 T.C. No. 31 (U.S. Tax Court, 1992)

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Bluebook (online)
99 T.C. No. 31, 99 T.C. 604, 1992 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 86, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grandbouche-v-commissioner-tax-1992.