Hanby v. Commissioner

26 B.T.A. 670, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1275
CourtUnited States Board of Tax Appeals
DecidedJuly 19, 1932
DocketDocket No. 30009.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 26 B.T.A. 670 (Hanby v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Board of Tax Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hanby v. Commissioner, 26 B.T.A. 670, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1275 (bta 1932).

Opinion

OPINION.

Matthews:

This is a proceeding for the redetermination of deficiencies in income and excess-profits taxes and penalties amounting to $43,385.99, which were assessed against the petitioner for the taxable years 1917 to 1921, inclusive, as follows:

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The assessment of this total amount was made by the respondent in November, 1924, under the provisions of section 274 (d) of the Revenue Act of 1924, and the petitioner filed a claim for abatement of the full amount of the additional taxes and penalties so assessed. For the year 1917 a penalty of 50 per cent of the excess-profits tax was imposed for failure to file an excess-profits-tax return and there was also imposed, in accordance with the provisions of section 3176 of. the Revised Statutes, a penalty of 100 per cent of the tax on Form 1040 for the willful making of a false and fraudulent return. For each of the other taxable years the penalty imposed represented 50 per cent of the additional tax assessable, as provided in section 250 (b) of the Revenue Acts of 1918 and 1921, for the making of a false and fraudulent return with intent to evade the tax. The computation of these additional taxes and penalties, with the sections of the statutes imposing such penalties, was set out in detail in a [671]*67130-day letter addressed to the petitioner by the respondent under date of October 11, 1924. The amounts assessed in November, 1924, for each year correspond exactly in amount to the additional taxes and penalties set forth in the letter of October 11, 1924. Under date of June 3,1927, the petitioner was notified by the Commissioner that his claim for abatement would be rejected in full, “ for the reason that sufficient information has not been submitted to justify this office in abating any part of the tax and penalty assessed for the years in question,” and that a petition might be filed with the Board of Tax Appeals contesting in whole or in part the correctness of “ this determination.” A petition was filed by the petitioner on July 29,1927, contesting the total amount of tax and penalties, paragraph 4 of which reads as follows:

4. The determination of tax and penalties set forth' in the said notice of deficiency is based upon the following errors:
(a) Examination of boohs and records of petitioner in violation of statutes.
(b) Statutes of limitations.
(c) Full and final settlement previously made with respondent as provided by law.
(d) Computation of tax and penalties erroneous, based upon improper data and records, and not in accordance with facts.
(e) Indictment, trial and acquittal of petitioner upon the charge of having wilfully attempted to evade payment of proper taxes for the years 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1921.

In his petition the petitioner alleged the receipt, of the letter of October 11, 1924, setting forth the computation of additional taxes and penalties for the years 1917 to 1921, inclusive, and attached a copy of said letter to the petition. He also alleged that on or about November 29, 1924, respondent made a summary assessment against the petitioner in the amount shown in the respondent’s letter of October 11,1924, Paragraph 7 of the petition reads:

Petitioner is informed and believes and upon such information and belief alleges that the amounts assessed against him by respondent as penalties for the years 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920 and 1921 are and have been assessed against him upon the ground that petitioner unlawfully and wilfully attempted to evade payment of income tax, additional tax and surtax imposed and to be paid by him for said respective years.

In his answer the respondent admitted that the amount in controversy was additional taxes and penalties for the years 1917 to 1921, but denied that he erred as alleged, and also entered a general denial of all material allegations of fact contained in the petition.

When the case came on for hearing and after the opening statements of counsel for both parties, there were introduced in evidence, on behalf of petitioner, income-tax returns filed by the petitioner for the years 1917, 1918 and 1919 on the respective dates of March 15, 1918, March 14, 1919, and March 12, 1920, and amended income-tax returns for the years 1917% 1918 and 1919, all of which amended [672]*672returns were filed on May 29, 1923. Two canceled checks in the respective amounts of $12,880.55 and $7,263.22 were submitted in evidence by the petitioner. The first of these checks was dated June 15, 1923, and was signed by the petitioner, and the second was a cashier’s check, dated September 10, 1923. Both checks were endorsed by the collector of internal revenue on September 11, 1923. Petitioner also offered in evidence certain correspondence between the petitioner and the respondent, together with a certificate of over-assessment for 1917, dated September 24, 1923, in the amount of $60.21. No oral testimony was offered on behalf of the petitioner, and after the introduction of the above described documentary evidence counsel for the petitioner rested their case.

Thereupon, the respondent assumed the burden of proving fraud. The testimony of a number of witnesses and numerous documents were offered and received in evidence over objection of counsel for petitioner. The evidence admitted conclusively proved that petitioner was guilty of fraud in the preparation and filing of his income-tax returns for the years involved herein. A false, record book Avas kept by the petitioner and his accounts were deliberately manipulated in order that his taxable gain might be understated. False entries were made in order that his records might conform to the false reports of income which he had submitted. The testimony of a number of witnesses and voluminous documentary evidence which was introduced at the hearing leave no room for doubt that the petitioner filed false and fraudulent returns for the purpose of evading taxes.

No evidence was offered by the petitioner to rebut the evidence introduced by the respondent with respect to the issue of fraud. Nor Avas any evidence offered to show that the deficiencies in taxes proper for the years involved, as determined by the respondent, were erroneous. At the hearing petitioner abandoned the issue raised in the petition relative to the unlawful examination of his books.

The points upon which petitioner relies, as set forth in his brief, are as f oIIoavs :

1. No penalties may be asserted or collected by respondent for any of the years involved upon the basis of fraud, because the question of fraud has not been properly put in issue by the respondent.
2. The deficiencies asserted for the years 1917 and 1918 are barred by the statute of limitations.
3. In 1923, petitioner and respondent, pursuant to the provisions of Section 3229 of the Revised Statutes, entered into a binding agreement of settlement and compromise of petitioner’s tax and penalty liability for the years 1917, 1918, and 1919, and no further liability for those years may be asserted by respondent.
4. The assertion or collection of a penalty for the year 1921 is barred, because of petitioner’s former trial and conviction upon the identical charge here urged by respondent as the basis for suelda penalty.

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Related

Boulez v. Commissioner
76 T.C. 209 (U.S. Tax Court, 1981)
Parks v. Commissioner
33 T.C. 298 (U.S. Tax Court, 1959)
Hanby v. Commissioner
26 B.T.A. 670 (Board of Tax Appeals, 1932)

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Bluebook (online)
26 B.T.A. 670, 1932 BTA LEXIS 1275, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hanby-v-commissioner-bta-1932.