Kohn v. Commissioner

1999 T.C. Memo. 150, 77 T.C.M. 1957, 1999 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 188
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 4, 1999
DocketNo. 5390-95
StatusUnpublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 1999 T.C. Memo. 150 (Kohn 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
Kohn v. Commissioner, 1999 T.C. Memo. 150, 77 T.C.M. 1957, 1999 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 188 (tax 1999).

Opinion

DAVID E. AND JEAN H. KOHN, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Kohn v. Commissioner
No. 5390-95
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1999-150; 1999 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 188; 77 T.C.M. (CCH) 1957; T.C.M. (RIA) 99150;
May 4, 1999, Filed

*188 An appropriate order will be issued.

David B. Morse, for petitioners.
Howard A. Wiener, for respondent.
Wolfe, Norman H.

WOLFE

MEMORANDUM OPINION

WOLFE, SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE: This matter is before the Court on respondent's Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction and to Strike the Claims Relating to the Deficiency Attributable to Partnership Items and petitioners' Motion to Restrain Assessment and Collection. 1 Respondent issued notices of deficiency for petitioners' 1979 through 1982 tax years in which respondent determined additions to tax attributable to petitioner David E. Kohn's partnership interest in Hamilton Recycling Associates (Hamilton). The notices of deficiency were issued following the conclusion of a partnership proceeding involving Hamilton's 1982 through 1985 taxable years. In response to the notices of deficiency, petitioners have filed with this Court a petition in which petitioners not only contest the additions to*189 tax, but also attempt to place in issue deficiencies that were assessed by computational adjustment, additional interest that was computed pursuant to section 6621(c), and the validity of the underlying partnership proceedings. All references to petitioner are to David E. Kohn. At the time of the petition petitioners resided in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota.

BACKGROUND

During 1982, petitioner became a limited partner in Hamilton. Until February 18, 1986, Sam Winer (Winer) was Hamilton's tax matters partner (TMP). On February 18, 1986, Winer resigned as TMP pursuant to a United States District Court order restricting him from representing Hamilton or its partners in court proceedings. Subsequently, Department of Justice attorneys moved the court to reinstate Winer as Hamilton's TMP for the purpose of providing "administrative*190 services".

Following Winer's reinstatement, Winer and respondent entered into a series of agreements extending the period of limitations for assessing tax relative to Hamilton for the years 1982 through 1985. On March 13, 1989, respondent issued a notice of Final Partnership Administrative Adjustment (FPAA) to Hamilton for its 1982 through 1985 years. On May 15, 1989, Winer filed a petition with this Court on behalf of Hamilton that commenced a partnership action docketed as Hamilton Recycling Associates, Sam Winer, Tax Matters Partner, Petitioner v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, docket No. 9990-89.

In 1993, Winer, as TMP, entered into a settlement agreement with respondent to the effect that Hamilton conceded all adjustments in the FPAA. Accordingly, on November 9, 1993, pursuant to Rule 248(b), respondent filed a motion for entry of decision and lodged with the Court a proposed decision that reflected a full concession by the partnership of all partnership items for 1982 through 1985. No party objected to the proposed decision. Therefore, on February 17, 1994, respondent's motion for entry of decision was granted, and on February 23, 1994, the proposed decision was entered*191 as the decision of the Court. Since no party appealed the Court's decision, the decision became final on May 24, 1994. See sec. 7481. On June 18, 1997, petitioner filed a notice of election to participate in the Hamilton partnership proceedings. On the same day, he filed a motion for special leave to file a motion to reconsider or vacate the Hamilton decision.

Upon completion of the partnership proceedings, respondent made computational adjustments to petitioners' 1979 through 1985 tax liability. See secs. 6225, 6230(a)(1), 6231(a)(6). On January 10, 1995, respondent issued separate statutory notices of deficiency to petitioners that determined additions to tax for the years 1979 through 1982 attributable to petitioner's partnership interest in Hamilton. The additions to tax are for overvaluation under section 6659 and negligence under section 6653(a)(1) and (2).

In their petition and motion to restrain assessment and collection, petitioners not only contest the additions to tax, but also contest the deficiencies that were assessed by computational adjustment and the section 6621(c) interest. Petitioners' claims are based upon the following assertions: (1) Winer did not have authority*192 to represent Hamilton; (2) the extensions signed by Winer are invalid; (3) the petition filed by Winer is invalid; (4) the period of limitations expired prior to the mailing of the FPAA; (5) petitioners were denied due process because of respondent's and Winer's actions during the TEFRA proceedings; and (6) respondent's actions during the TEFRA proceedings constituted a fraud upon the Court.

DISCUSSION

The tax treatment of Hamilton was determined at the partnership level pursuant to the TEFRA partnership provisions in sections 6221 through 6233. The partnership audit provisions provide a unified partnership proceeding for determination of the tax treatment of partnership items separate from and independent of a partner's deficiency proceeding involving nonpartnership items. See Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA), Pub. L. 97- 248, sec. 402(a), 96 Stat. 648;

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Related

Clark v. United States
68 F. Supp. 2d 1333 (N.D. Georgia, 1999)

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Bluebook (online)
1999 T.C. Memo. 150, 77 T.C.M. 1957, 1999 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 188, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kohn-v-commissioner-tax-1999.