Modern Computer Games, Inc. v. Commissioner

96 T.C. No. 40, 96 T.C. 839, 1991 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedJune 20, 1991
DocketDocket No. 1866-89
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 96 T.C. No. 40 (Modern Computer Games, Inc. 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
Modern Computer Games, Inc. v. Commissioner, 96 T.C. No. 40, 96 T.C. 839, 1991 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54 (tax 1991).

Opinion

OPINION

NlMS, Chief Judge:

This case was assigned to Special Trial Judge Buckley pursuant to the provisions of section TJJSAib).1 After a review of the record, we agree with and adopt her opinion which is set forth below.

OPINION OF THE SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE

BUCKLEY, Special Trial Judge: This matter is before us on petitioner’s motion for summary judgment under Rule 121. Petitioner, the tax matters person of Modern Computer Games, Inc. (Games), a subchapter S corporation, contends that the statutory period of limitations bars respondent’s determination of adjustments to Games’ 1983 S corporation return, and that petitioner is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Our decision turns on the effect we give to the written consent executed by one of Games’ shareholders to extend the period of limitations. Respondent argues that a valid consent was executed; petitioner argues to the contrary.

Games was incorporated under the laws of Arizona in 1983, and at the time the petition in this case was filed had its principal place of business at Phoenix, Arizona. At all relevant times the shareholders in Games and their respective percentages of ownership were as follows:

Shareholder Ownership percentage
Robert C. and Carol Jobe.20%
Carl D. and Harriette Rader.20
William T. and Carolyn Leister.38
Kenneth Medlin.22

The corporate board of directors included Robert C. Jobe, Carl D. Rader (Mr. Rader), William T. Leister (Mr. Leister), and Kenneth Medlin. Games filed Form 1120S, U.S. Income Tax Return for an S Corporation, for the taxable year ended December 31, 1983.

Sometime in 1986 respondent’s revenue agent began an examination of Games’ 1983 tax return. A tax matters person (TMP)2 of Games was never designated in accordance with the regulations; however, Games, in a letter dated March 21, 1986, signed by Mr. Rader as Secretary and Treasurer, advised respondent’s agent as follows:

Inasmuch as I am both the Secretary and Treasurer for our firm— MODERN COMPUTER GAMES-, Mr. Leister has asked that I respond to your correspondence of March 14. I will also be responsible for any future correspondence regarding this matter.

In December 1986, respondent requested that Games consent to an extension of time for the assessment of tax. On December 10, 1986, Mr. Leister, on behalf of Games, executed Internal Revenue Service Form 872-R, Special Consent to Extend the Time to Assess Tax Attributable to Items of an S Corporation. The Internal Revenue Service received the executed Form 872-R on December 15, 1986. By its terms, the Form 872-R, if validly executed, extended the time for respondent to issue a notice of final S corporation administrative adjustment (FSAA) until 90 days after such time as either party notified the other, via Form 872-Q, of termination of the consent. Petitioner does not contend that there was a termination of consent; he contends only that a valid consent was never given. Mr. Leister signed the consent on the line labeled “Tax Matters Person Signature Here.” The instructions to the consent state:

The Tax Matters Person of the S Corporation in which the item arose (or any person authorized by the S Corporation in writing) may consent to extend the 4-year period of limitation for all shareholders. If the person signing this consent is authorized to do so in writing, please attach a copy of the written authorization.
* * * * * * *
The S Corporation may restrict the authority of any (or all) shareholders) to sign this consent by notifying the Service in writing. In this event, please attach a copy of the notification.

Mr. Leister, as stated above, held the largest share interest in Games.

By FSAA, dated October 31, 1988, respondent determined adjustments to Games’ 1983 S corporation return. A petition for readjustment was filed with this Court on January 27, 1989, 88 days after the mailing of the FSAA. The petition was filed and signed by Mr. Rader as TMP of Games.

Respondent moved this Court to dismiss the petition for want of jurisdiction on the ground that it was not filed in accordance with section 6226, which provides that only the TMP may petition the Tax Court during the 90-day period following the mailing of the FSAA. Respondent argued that under section 6231(a)(7), in the absence of a designation of a TMP by the S corporation, one is to be determined by looking to the shareholder with the largest interest in profits. Since no TMP had been designated, respondent maintained that Mr. Leister, having the largest shareholder interest in Games, was the proper person to have filed the petition, not Mr. Rader.

In our Memorandum Opinion, T.C. Memo. 1989-483, we held that Mr. Rader was the proper party to file the petition in this case. We followed Chomp Associates v. Commissioner, 91 T.C. 1069 (1988), wherein we said that the obvious purpose behind the regulations promulgated under section 6231(a)(7) for ascertaining a TMP3 is to insure there is a party to whom respondent can properly mail the FPAA (or FSAA in the case of an S corporation). We noted that that concern is not present where the issue is whether the party filing a petition with this Court was authorized as TMP to do so. We further noted that the two factors present in Chomp Associates which we found dispositive were also present here; prior to filing the petition, Mr. Rader was both eligible and specifically authorized by the other shareholders to be TMP.4 We therefore concluded that Mr. Rader properly filed the petition as TMP of Games and denied respondent’s motion to dismiss. In so doing, we also made the following observation:

At the hearing of this motion, respondent indicated that the identity of the TMP in this case might have some impact on the validity of a consent to extend the statute of limitations for Games’ 1983 return, which was executed by Leister. A determination as to the identity of the TMP at the time such consent was executed, however, is not necessary to the disposition of the motion now before the Court. * * * [T.C. Memo. 1989-483, 58 T.C.M. 23, 25, 58 P-H Memo T.C. par. 89,483 at 2397.]

Petitioner now moves for summary judgment on the theory that Mr. Leister was not the TMP of Games and therefore could not give valid written consent to an extension of the statutory period of limitations. Unquestionably, the FSAA was mailed by respondent beyond the period of limitations set forth in section 6229(a); however, that period may be extended as to all shareholders by an agreement entered into by the Secretary and the tax matters person (or any other person authorized by the S corporation in writing to enter into such an agreement). Sec. 6229(b)(1)(B). There has been no suggestion that Mr. Leister was authorized in writing by Games to enter into a consent agreement with respondent. Thus, if Mr.

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Modern Computer Games, Inc. v. Commissioner
96 T.C. No. 40 (U.S. Tax Court, 1991)

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Bluebook (online)
96 T.C. No. 40, 96 T.C. 839, 1991 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 54, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/modern-computer-games-inc-v-commissioner-tax-1991.