Pen Coal Corp. v. Commissioner

107 T.C. No. 14, 107 T.C. 249, 1996 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 45
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedNovember 6, 1996
DocketDocket Nos. 23670-95, 23672-95.
StatusPublished
Cited by43 cases

This text of 107 T.C. No. 14 (Pen Coal Corp. 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
Pen Coal Corp. v. Commissioner, 107 T.C. No. 14, 107 T.C. 249, 1996 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 45 (tax 1996).

Opinion

OPINION

Ruwe, Judge:

This case was assigned to Special Trial Judge Robert N. Armen, Jr., pursuant to the provisions of section 7443A(b)(4) and Rules 180, 181, and 183.1 The Court agrees with and adopts the opinion of the Special Trial Judge, which is set forth below.

OPINION OF THE SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE

Armen, Special Trial Judge:

These cases are before the Court on (1) respondent’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and to strike as to interest due from the petitioner, filed in docket No. 23670-95; and (2) respondent’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and to strike as to the taxable year 1989 and as to interest due from the petitioner, filed in docket No. 23672-95.

As explained in greater detail below, the issue for decision is whether the Court has jurisdiction to redetermine petitioners’ liability for interest computed at the increased rate established by section 6621(c) applicable to large corporate underpayments of tax.

Background

On August 17, 1995, respondent issued notices of deficiency to Pen Coal Corp. (Pen Coal) in which respondent determined the following deficiencies in, additions to, and accuracy-related penalty in respect of Pen Coal’s Federal withholding taxes under chapter 3 of subtitle A:

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Respondent also determined that Pen Coal’s underpayments for the taxable years 1986 through 1989 constitute large corporate underpayments within the meaning of section 6621(c)(3) and that Pen Coal is therefore liable for interest computed at, the increased rate prescribed in section 6621(c)(1).2 The notices of deficiency also state that interest will be computed on the addition to tax under section 6651(a)(1) for the taxable year 1986 pursuant to section 6601(e)(2).3

On August 17, 1995, respondent issued notices of deficiency to Pen Holdings, Inc., and its subsidiaries (Pen Holdings) in which respondent determined the following deficiencies in, and additions to, Pen Holdings’ Federal income taxes:

Respondent also determined that Pen Holdings’ underpayments for the taxable years 1982 through 1988 constitute large corporate underpayments within the meaning of section 6621(c)(3) and that Pen Holdings is therefore liable for interest computed at the increased rate prescribed in section 6621(c)(1). The notices of deficiency also state that interest will be computed on the addition to tax under section 6651(a)(1) for the taxable year 1985 pursuant to section 6601(e)(2).

On August 17, 1995, respondent issued additional notices of deficiency to Pen Holdings in which respondent determined the following deficiencies in, and additions to, Pen Holdings’ Federal withholding taxes under chapter 3 of subtitle A:

Respondent also determined that Pen Holdings’ underpayments for the taxable years 1982 through 1985 constitute large corporate underpayments within the meaning of section 6621(c)(3) and that Pen Holdings is therefore liable for interest computed at the increased rate prescribed in section 6621(c)(1). The notices of deficiency also state that interest will be computed on the additions to tax under section 6651(a)(1) for the taxable years 1982 through 1985, pursuant to section 6601(e)(2).

All references to petitioners are to Pen Coal and Pen Holdings (and its subsidiaries).

On November 14, 1995, petitioners separately filed petitions for redetermination with this Court contesting the notices of deficiency described above. Each of the petitions contains allegations that respondent erred in her determinations regarding the imposition of interest under sections 6601(e)(2) and 6621(c)(1). Specifically, petitioners allege that they are not liable for interest computed at the increased rate prescribed in section 6621(c) because petitioners do not have a “large corporate underpayment” for any of the taxable years in issue. In the alternative, petitioners allege that respondent failed to allow them an opportunity for administrative review prior to the issuance of the notices of deficiency and that, as a consequence, the applicable date for computing increased interest under section 6621(c) is the date that the notices of deficiency were mailed.4

As indicated, respondent moved to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction and to strike the allegations in the petitions concerning petitioners’ liability for interest. Respondent contends that this Court lacks jurisdiction in these proceedings to redetermine petitioners’ liability for interest under sections 6601(e)(2) and 6621(c).

Petitioners filed objections to respondent’s motions in which they cited Ohio Farm Bureau Federation v. Commissioner, 106 T.C. 222 (1996), and Northwestern Indiana Telephone Co. v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1996-168, for the proposition that this Court has the authority, by virtue of its jurisdiction to redetermine deficiencies in tax, to redetermine a corporation’s liability for interest under section 6621(c). In the alternative, petitioners argued in their objections that this Court has jurisdiction to redetermine such interest after payment and within 1 year of the date on which the decision of the Court becomes final, pursuant to section 7481(c).

During the course of the oral argument on respondent’s motions, counsel for both parties acknowledged that the Court’s memorandum opinion in Northwestern Indiana Telephone Co. v. Commissioner, supra, had been modified (by order dated April 17, 1996) to eliminate all references to section 6621(c). The parties also acknowledged that, although Ohio Farm Bureau Federation v. Commissioner, supra, includes references to section 6621(c), the Court did not address in that case the Commissioner’s determination that the taxpayer was liable for the increased rate of interest applicable to large corporate underpayments of tax. Id. at 223, 236 n.9. In addition, counsel for petitioners conceded that the Court lacks jurisdiction as to petitioners’ liability for interest under section 6601(e)(2). And, based on respondent’s concession that no notice of deficiency was issued to Pen Holdings for 1989, counsel for petitioners also conceded that insofar as Pen Holdings is concerned, the Court lacks jurisdiction as to the taxable year 1989.5

Following the hearing on respondent’s motions, both parties filed additional memoranda with the Court.

Discussion

The issue for decision in these cases is whether this Court has jurisdiction to redetermine petitioners’ liability for interest computed at the increased rate prescribed by section 6621(c) on large corporate underpayments of tax. As explained in greater detail below, we conclude that we lack jurisdiction to redetermine such interest in these deficiency proceedings. We leave for another day whether we have jurisdiction to determine such interest in a supplemental proceeding commenced pursuant to section 7481(c) and Rule 261.

Section 6601(a) provides the general rule that interest will be imposed at the rate established under section 6621 on any tax that is not paid on or before the last date prescribed for payment.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
107 T.C. No. 14, 107 T.C. 249, 1996 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 45, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pen-coal-corp-v-commissioner-tax-1996.