Mutual Lumber Co. v. Commissioner

16 T.C. 370
United States Tax Court·Decided February 19, 1951·No. 6128·Published·Cited by 63 cases

Opinions

OPINION.

Mukdock, Judge:

The Commissioner notified the petitioner that he had disallowed its application for relief under section 722 for 1941 in the amount of $69,675.35. The only error assigned in the petition is the disallowance of the petitioner’s claim for refund of $69,675.35 of excess profits taxes for 1941. That “claim” was an application for relief under section 722. It is recognized by the parties that the Court has jurisdiction to consider the question of whether the Commissioner erred in rejecting the application for relief under section 722 and to decide whether or not the petitioner is entitled to any relief under that section.

The parties filed a stipulation at the hearing which contained L.e following paragraph:

The petitioner is not entitled to any relief under any of the provisions of section 722, I. R. C., and the assignment of error contained in paragraph 4 (a) of the petition in this proceeding is hereby waived by petitioner.

That portion of the stipulation removed from this case the only issue properly before the Court, and it, in such a situation, has but the duty to enter a decision holding that the petitioner is not entitled to any relief under section 722. Such an order will be entered and it will close the case.

Yet the petitioner, by a motion filed at the hearing, asks the Court to enter quite a different decision to the effect that there is an overpayment of excess profits taxes for 1941 in the amount of $858.76 and the refund thereof is not barred by the statute of limitations. The Commissioner first argued that a refund is barred by the statute of limitations but later that this Court has no jurisdiction as to the over-assessment. No issue involving any statute of limitations is raised in the petition. The only error relating to excess profits tax alleged in the petition is that based upon the application for relief under section 722 and that one has been waived. Thus, there is no assignment of error to support the decision which the petitioner seeks. Issues are raised by pleadings, not by motions, and the Court has nothing before it for decision such as the motion suggests. Rule 7, Rules of Practice before the Tax Court of the United States; Dixie Manufacturing Co., 1 B. T. A. 641; Producers Oil Corporation, 43 B. T. A. 9; Louis Wellhouse, Jr., 3 T. C. 363; M. C. Parrish & Co., 3 T. C. 119, affirmed on other grounds, 147 Fed. (2d) 284.

Furthermore, there is a more fundamental reason why the Court can not enter the proposed decision. It lacks the jurisdiction. The Commissioner, in the same notice in which he rejected the application for relief under section 722, notified the petitioner that he had. determined overassessments for 1941 as follows:

Income tax_$312.86
Declared value excess-profits tax_ 132. 00
Excess profits tax_ 858.76

Certain determinations of the Commissioner give this Court jurisdiction under section 272 (a) (1) to decide whether or not that particular determination was correct and, if incorrect, to “redetermine” a correct amount of deficiency or overpayment in that particular tax. Sections 272 (e) and 322 (d). The Commissioner frequently makes one notice suffice in advising taxpayers of several different and separate determinations. He did that in the notice sent to the petitioner. But we have held, and the law is now well established, that our jurisdiction is not enlarged by that method of notification. Hobbs Western Co., 43 B. T. A. 5; Citizens Mutual Investment Association, 46 B. T. A. 48; Superheater Co. v. Commissioner, 125 Fed. (2d) 514. If the notice upon which a petition is based shows that a deficiency has been determined in income tax and an overassessment has been determined in excess profits tax, our jurisdiction is limited .to the income tax liability, since the determination of an overassessment does not give the Tax Court jurisdiction as to excess profits tax liability. The jurisdiction as to the two kinds of tax is separate and each depends upon a determination of a deficiency in that particular kind of tax. Will County Title Co., 38 B. T. A. 1396; Hobbs Western Co., supra; Difco Laboratories, Inc., 10 T. C. 660; The Emeloid Co., 14 T. C. 1295.

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Mutual Lumber Co. v. Commissioner, 16 T.C. 370 (tax 1951).

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