Jung v. Internal Revenue Serv. (In re Jung)

597 B.R. 872
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Wisconsin
DecidedFebruary 21, 2019
DocketCase No.: 18-12211-7; Adversary No.: 18-52
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 597 B.R. 872 (Jung v. Internal Revenue Serv. (In re Jung)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, W.D. Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jung v. Internal Revenue Serv. (In re Jung), 597 B.R. 872 (Wis. 2019).

Opinion

Courts view sections 1334 and 157 in the context of section 505(a) of the Code. Section 505(a) gives bankruptcy courts authority to decide certain tax matters. This section provides:

[T]he court may determine the amount or legality of any tax, any fine or penalty relating to a tax, or any addition to tax, whether or not previously assessed, whether or not paid, and whether or not contested before and adjudicated by a judicial or administrative tribunal of competent jurisdiction.
The court may not so determine the amount of a tax, fine, penalty, or addition to tax if such amount or legality was contested before and adjudicated by a judicial or administrative tribunal of competent jurisdiction before the commencement of the case under this title.

11 U.S.C. § 505(a)(1)-(2).

Core proceedings include "determinations as to the dischargeability of particular debts." 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(I).

The Seventh Circuit defines "core proceedings" as:

A proceeding is core under section 157 if it invokes a substantive right provided by title 11 or if it is a proceeding that, by its nature, could arise only in the context of a bankruptcy case.

Diamond Mortg. Corp. of Illinois v. Sugar , 913 F.2d 1233, 1239 (7th Cir. 1990) (citation omitted). Among the list of actions found by law to fall within the scope of a "core proceeding" are "determinations as to the dischargeability of a particular *876debt." The action here conforms exactly to this category.

Indeed, determination of dischargeability does not exist outside bankruptcy. It arises under Title 11. Determination of tax liability is a prerequisite to determining dischargeability. The broad grant of jurisdiction to hear tax disputes supports the exercise of jurisdiction.

Most courts hold that section 505(a) is not an independent jurisdictional basis outside 28 U.S.C. § 1334. United States v. Zellers (In re CNS, Inc.) , 255 B.R. 198, 201 (N.D. Ohio 2000) ("The subject matter jurisdiction of bankruptcy courts over tax proceedings is derived from the jurisdiction of the federal district courts under 28 U.S.C. § 1334...."). Thus, any exercise of jurisdiction under section 505(a) must stem from one of the three components of 28 U.S.C. § 1334 : arising under, arising in, or related to a bankruptcy case. Although section 505(a) is not an independent grant of jurisdiction, courts recognize "[t]he legislative history is indicative of Congressional intent to vest the bankruptcy courts with a fairly broad jurisdictional grant under § 505(a)." In re Schmidt , 205 B.R. 394, 397 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 1997) (citing a 1977 Congressional House Report).

A proceeding "arises under" Title 11, under sections 1334 and 157, when the action is based on a right or remedy explicitly provided in Title 11. Zerand-Bernal Grp., Inc. v. Cox , 23 F.3d 159, 161 (7th Cir. 1994). Courts within the Seventh Circuit are split about whether a proceeding brought under section 505(a)"arises under" Title 11. The Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois opined "[t]he determination of tax liability provided for by § 505(a) 'arises under' the Bankruptcy Code." In re UAL Corp. , 336 B.R. 370, 371 (Bankr. N.D. Ill. 2006). The Southern District of Indiana held differently:

By filing their motion under § 505, the Debtors are not invoking a "substantive right" under that statute, but rather a procedural one: They are seeking to have a substantive question of law that arises under the Internal Revenue Code decided by means of a procedure provided for by Title 11. Accordingly, the § 505 motion does not "arise under" Title 11.

In re Bush , No. 1:15-cv-1318-WTL-DKL, 2016 WL 4261867 at *3 (S.D. Ind. Aug. 12, 2016). Each of these cases, however, involved a motion solely under section 505 to determine the amount of a tax. Neither invoked a decision on dischargeability.

In contrast, Kohl v. IRS (In re Kohl) , 397 B.R. 840 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 2008), involved joint debtors in a no asset chapter 7 case who filed an adversary seeking to discharge a tax penalty assessed against the debtor-wife. Id. at 840. The IRS moved to dismiss for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction on the ground a determination of tax liability would serve no purpose in a no asset chapter 7 case. Id. at 842. The court held it had jurisdiction because the debtor-wife sought a dischargeability determination, a substantive right granted by the Code. Id.

While Swain v. United States Dep't of Treasury (In re Swain) , 437 B.R. 549 (Bankr. E.D. Mich. 2010), held there was no subject-matter jurisdiction over a tax dispute, it is distinguishable from Kohl . Id. at 552. There, the debtor and IRS agreed any debt owed to the IRS was nondischargeable.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
597 B.R. 872, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jung-v-internal-revenue-serv-in-re-jung-wiwb-2019.