Harrell v. Commissioner

91 T.C. No. 21, 91 T.C. 242, 1988 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 105
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedAugust 17, 1988
DocketDocket No. 15819-87
StatusPublished
Cited by28 cases

This text of 91 T.C. No. 21 (Harrell 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
Harrell v. Commissioner, 91 T.C. No. 21, 91 T.C. 242, 1988 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 105 (tax 1988).

Opinions

WHITAKER, Judge:

This cause is before us on petitioners’ motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.1 Petitioners claim that we lack jurisdiction over the deficiency determination against them because respondent, seeking to make adjustments with respect to a partnership, failed to issue a notice of final partnership administrative adjustment (FPAA).2 Respondent objects to petitioners’ motion on the basis that the partnership involved falls within the small partnership exception to the partnership audit and litigation provisions,3 and that therefore issuance of an FPAA was not required.

We have based our findings on the record and files herein.

OPINION

Petitioners resided at Dallas, Texas, at the time the petition herein was filed. During the calendar year 1983, petitioner Robert L. Harrell was a general partner in HSCC Investor Limited Partnership No. 102 (HSCC), a partnership organized and existing under Texas law. HSCC timely filed a partnership return for 1983 and petitioners reported their distributive share of the loss and investment credit from HSCC on their 1983 Federal income tax return. Respondent determined that petitioners’ distributive share of the partnership loss and investment credit for the year 1983 were both zero, and issued a statutory notice to petitioners on April 14, 1987.

We must decide whether, under the facts presented, respondent was required to comply with the partnership audit and litigation procedures enacted in 1982 as part of the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act (TEFRA). Sec. 6221 et seq.; Pub. L. 97-248, 96 Stat. 648 (1982). If he was, and no FPAA was issued, then we lack jurisdiction over this case. Frazell v. Commissioner, 88 T.C. 1405 (1987); Maxwell v. Commissioner, 87 T.C. 783 (1986).

Congress enacted the partnership audit and litigation procedures to provide a method for uniformly adjusting items of partnership income, loss, deduction, or credit that affect each partner. “Congress decided that no longer would a partner’s tax liability be determined uniquely but ‘the tax treatment of any partnership item [would] be determined at the partnership level.’ ” Maxwell v. Commissioner, supra at 787; see sec. 6221.4 A “small partnership” is excepted from these procedures, however, provided that—

(I) such partnership has 10 or fewer partners each of whom is a natural person (other than a nonresident alien) or an estate, and
(II) each partner’s share of each partnership item is the same as his share of every other item.
[Sec. 6231(a)(l)(B)(i).]

The parties agree that HSCC had 10 or fewer partners. They disagree with respect to whether the “same share” requirement found in section 6231(a)(l)(B)(i)(II) has been satisfied. Petitioners argue that the same share test should be applied to the terms of the partnership agreement, and that if disproportionate allocations of items with respect to any partner are possible under the terms of the agreement, then the test has not been satisfied. Respondent argues that to determine whether the same share requirement has been met we must look beyond the partnership agreement and determine what items were shared during the year in issue and in what proportions, or, that at the very least, he is entitled to an evidentiary hearing to determine whether special allocations were in fact made during the year.

This is the first time we have addressed this issue. The legislative history to the partnership audit and litigation provisions offers no explanation as to how the same share rule is to be applied:

i. Small partnerships
Generally, partnerships covered by the rules include any partnership required to file a return under section 6031(a).
However, the rules do not apply to partnerships consisting of 10 or fewer partners each of whom is a natural person (other than a nonresident alien) or an estate, provided that each partner’s share of any partnership item is the same as his distributive share of every other partnership item. A husband and wife (and their estates) shall be treated as one partner for purposes of this exception.
[H. Rept. 97-760 (Conf.), at 608 (1982), 1982-2 C.B. 600, 667. Emphasis added.]

The temporary regulations5 are similarly of limited assistance:

(3) “Same share.” The requirement of section 6231(a)(l)(B)(i)(II) is satisfied for a taxable year if during all periods within that taxable year each partner’s share of each of the partnership items specified in sec. 301.6231(a)(3)-lT(a)(l)(i) through (iv) is the same as that partner’s share of each of the other partnership items specified in that section during that period (even though the partner’s share of all such specified partnership items changes from period to period within that taxable year). Thus, a partner whose share of all such specified partnership items changes as a result of a sale or redemption of a partnership interest (or portion thereof) or a contribution of cash or property to the partnership during the partnership taxable year shall satisfy the same share requirement if during the period before the sale, redemption, or contribution the partner’s share of each specified partnership item is the same as all other specified partnership items and during the period after the sale, redemption, or contribution the partner’s share of each specified partnership item is the same as all other specified partnership items. For purposes of section 6231(a)(l)(B)(i)(II) and this section, if each partner’s share of each partnership item would be the same as his share or her share of every other item but for allocations made under section 704(c) or allocations made under similar principles in accordance with applicable regulations the requirement of section 6231(a)(l)(B)(i)(II) shall be considered satisfied. Similarly, special basis adjustments pursuant to sections 754, 743, and 734 shall not be taken into account in determining whether the “same share” requirement is met.
(4) Determination made annually. The determination of whether a partnership meets the requirements for the exception for small partnerships under section 6231(a)(1)(B) and this paragraph (a) shall be made with respect to each partnership taxable year. Thus, a partnership that does not qualify as a small partnership in one taxable year may qualify as a small partnership in another taxable year if the requirements for the exception under section 6231(a)(1)(B) and this paragraph (a) are met with respect to that other taxable year.
[Sec. 301.6231(a)(l)-lT(a)(3)-(4), Temporary Proced. & Admin. Regs., 52 Fed. Reg. 6789 (Mar. 5, 1987). Emphasis added.]

The partnership items referred to in these regulations are:

(i) Items of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit of the partnership;
(ii) Expenditures by the partnership not deductible in computing its taxable income (for example, charitable contributions);

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
91 T.C. No. 21, 91 T.C. 242, 1988 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/harrell-v-commissioner-tax-1988.