GRIGORACI v. COMMISSIONER

2002 T.C. Memo. 202, 84 T.C.M. 186, 2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 207
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 12, 2002
DocketNo. 7628-00; No. 7890-00; No. 9573-00
StatusUnpublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 2002 T.C. Memo. 202 (GRIGORACI 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
GRIGORACI v. COMMISSIONER, 2002 T.C. Memo. 202, 84 T.C.M. 186, 2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 207 (tax 2002).

Opinion

VICTOR GRIGORACI AND JUDITH A. GRIGORACI, ET AL., 1 Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
GRIGORACI v. COMMISSIONER
No. 7628-00; No. 7890-00; No. 9573-00
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 2002-202; 2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 207; 84 T.C.M. (CCH) 186;
August 12, 2002, Filed

*207 Decision will be entered for petitioners on individual tax issues. Order of dismissal will be entered with respect to partnership return issues.

Charles W. Wright (an officer of the tax matters partner), for petitioners in docket Nos. 7890-00 and 9573-00.
Mary Ann Waters and T. Keith Fogg, for respondent.
Laro, David

LARO

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

LARO, Judge: These cases were consolidated for trial, briefing, and opinion. In docket No. 7628-00, Victor and Judith A. Grigoraci (separately Mr. Grigoraci and Mrs. Grigoraci, respectively, and collectively the Grigoracis) sought redetermination under section 6213 of a deficiency for tax on self-employment income and a negligence accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(a). 2 Respondent determined a deficiency of $ 12,670 and an accuracy-related penalty of $ 2,534 for 1996.

*208 In docket numbers 7890-00 and 9573-00, petitions were brought under section 6226 by the Tax Matters Partners of two partnerships: Trainer, Wright & Associates (TWA) and Grigoraci, Trainer, Wright & Paterno (GTWP). 3 The petitioners in these cases sought readjustment of certain adjustments made by respondent to the partnerships' 1996 tax returns.

Both partnerships reported on Schedules K-1, Partner's Share of Income, Credits, Deductions, Etc., that the partners in each partnership were corporations. Respondent determined that the partners of record were not the true and actual partners, but that the actual partners were the individuals who owned the corporations.

We decide the following issues:

1. Whether our decision as to the identity of the partners must be made at the partner level or at the partnership level. We hold that our decision must be made at the partner*209 level. Accordingly, pursuant to the request of respondent, we shall dismiss the proceedings to the extent that they apply at the partnership level.

2. Whether we have jurisdiction to review the notice of deficiency issued to the Grigoracis. We hold that we have jurisdiction to review a portion of the notice of deficiency.

3. Whether the Grigoracis are liable for self-employment tax. We hold they are not.

4. Whether the Grigoracis are liable for an accuracy-related penalty under section 6662(a). We hold they are not.

             FINDINGS OF FACT

Some facts were stipulated. We incorporate by this reference the parties' stipulation of facts and accompanying exhibits.

TWA is a partnership, and its principal place of business is in Huntington, West Virginia. TWA provides public accounting services to its clients. A notice of final partnership administrative adjustment (FPAA), dated April 14, 2000, determined adjustments to TWA's 1996 partnership return. The notice was issued to Charles William Wright CPA Accounting Corp. (Wright S Corp.), as Tax Matters Partner of TWA. The FPAA described the disputed adjustment to TWA's partnership return as:

 *210   It has been determined that the following individuals are the

   actual partners of the partnership: Donald E. Trainer (with a

   profits interest of 50 percent), and Charles W. Wright (with a

   profits interest of 50 percent). It has also been determined

   that the following pass-thrus [sic] are not actual partners of

   the partnership: Donald E. Trainer, CPA, A/C (also known as

   Donald E. Trainer Accounting Corp.), and Charles William Wright,

   CPA, A/C (also known as Charles William Wright, CPA, Accounting

   Corp.). 4

GTWP is a partnership with its principal place of business in Charleston, West Virginia. 5 GTWP also is in the business of providing public accounting services to its clients. An FPAA, dated April 14, 2000, determined an adjustment to GTWP's 1996 partnership return. The FPAA was issued to Wright S Corp., as the Tax Matters Partner of GTWP. The FPAA described the disputed adjustment to GTWP's partnership return as:

*211    It has been determined that the following individuals are the

   actual partners of the partnership: Donald E. Trainer (with a

   profits interest of 23 percent), Charles W. Wright (with a

   profits interest of 23 percent), and Victor Grigoraci (with a

   profits interest of 54 percent). It has also been determined

   that the following pass-thrus [sic] are not actual partners of

   Donald E. Trainer Accounting Corporation), Charles William

   Wright, CPA, A/C (also known as Charles William Wright, CPA,

   Accounting Corporation), and Victor Grigoraci, CPA, A/C (also

   known as Victor Grigoraci, CPA, Accounting Corporation).

In 1996, Wright S Corp. was an S corporation under section 1361. Its sole shareholder was Charles Wright, an individual. Mr. Wright is a certified public accountant and has been affiliated with TWA or its predecessors, since 1972. 6

*212 In 1996, Donald E.

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2002 T.C. Memo. 202, 84 T.C.M. 186, 2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 207, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grigoraci-v-commissioner-tax-2002.