Harris v. Commissioner

1987 T.C. Memo. 33, 52 T.C.M. 1414, 1987 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 33
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Harris v. Commissioner. Read the opinion of the Court — 51 T.C.M. 635
United States Tax Court·Decided January 14, 1987·No. Docket No. 2531-86.·Unpublished

Opinion

STEVE W. HARRIS, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Harris v. Commissioner
Docket No. 2531-86.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1987-33; 1987 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 33; 52 T.C.M. (CCH) 1414; T.C.M. (RIA) 87033;
January 14, 1987.
*33 Steve W. Harris, pro se.
Ralph W. Jones, for the respondent.

SCOTT

MEMORANDUM OPINION

SCOTT, Judge: On September 22, 1986, respondent filed a motion in the above-entitled case for judgment on the pleadings in which he stated that petitioner on January 27, 1986, filed a petition with the Court alleging disagreement with the statutory notice of deficiency dated October 24, 1985, but without attaching a copy of the notice of deficiency to the petition. Respondent on March 31, 1986, filed his answer to the petition. Respondent further states in his motion that the petition does not contain petitioner's social security number as required by Rule 34(b)(1) of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of this Court; 1 the Internal Revenue Service office where the returns for the periods involved were filed, as required by Rule 34(b)(1); the taxable periods in controversy as required by Rule 34(b)(3); the amounts of deficiencies and additions to tax in dispute as required by Rule 34(b)(3); or clear and concise assignments of errors and statement of facts as required by Rule 34(b)(4) and (5); and for these reasons petitioner has failed to state a claim upon which relief*34 can be granted.

By Order dated September 24, 1986, petitioner was directed on or before October 22, 1986, to file a reply to respondent's motion specifically stating whether he objects to the granting of the motion and if he objects, the basis of his objections. No response or document proporting to be a response was received from petitioner. On October 31, 1986, the Court issued an order reciting in brief form the facts heretofore recited and directing that on or before November 16, 1986, each party file with the Court the document, if any, which that party considers to be a notice of deficiency issued to petitioner in this case. No response was received from petitioner, but on November 14, 1986, the Court received from respondent a document which is stated to be the notice of deficiency that forms the basis of the Court's jurisdiction in the above-entitled case.

The notice of deficiency issued by respondent to petitioner in the above-entitled case determines deficiencies in and additions to petitioner's Federal income taxes as follows:

Additions to Tax
YearDeficiencySec. 6651 2Sec. 6653(a)Sec. 6654Sec. 6661
1981$4,850$1,213$243$370
19824,6171,154231449
198317,7504,4388881,0851,775
*35

For returns required to be filed after December 31, 1981, if the penalty under Sec. 6653(a) applies, the penalty under Sec. 6653(a)(2) will also apply in an amount to be determined.

The petition filed by petitioner in effect alleges that the notice of deficiency is not within the authority of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue to issue since this notice amounts to a claim which respondent should be required to prove rather than placing a burden on petitioner to establish anything. Petitioner states that the Government is claiming money from him and before he has a duty to respond, the Government should be required to establish its claim. The petition sets forth in detail, item by item, the statements in the notice of deficiency referring in each instance to these statements as a "set of numbers" and to the letter as "a machine-generated" document and to "a machine-generated Form 4549A, Schedule 1, Department of Treasury -- Internal Revenue Service Income Tax Examination Changes, Return Form 1040."

The gist of petitioner's assignment of errors is that*36 the burden is on the Government to show that he did have income and does owe tax and that he is not required to make any showing until the Government has made proof to this effect.

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Harris v. Commissioner, 1987 T.C. Memo. 33, 52 T.C.M. 1414, 1987 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 33 (tax 1987).

1987 T.C. Memo. 33 (Harris v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.