Pendergraft v. United States

94 Fed. Cl. 79, 106 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5412, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 518, 2010 WL 2925707
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJuly 22, 2010
DocketNo. 08-326 T
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 94 Fed. Cl. 79 (Pendergraft v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of Federal Claims primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pendergraft v. United States, 94 Fed. Cl. 79, 106 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5412, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 518, 2010 WL 2925707 (uscfc 2010).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BRADEN, Judge.

I. RELEVANT FACTS.1

On April 14, 2002, Riley and Joyce Pender-graft (“Plaintiffs”) filed a joint zero-taxable [81]*81income return Form 1040EZ for the tax year 2001. DUF ¶ 19; Gov’t Ex. 6. On October 15, 2002, Plaintiffs filed a revised joint tax return Form 1040 claiming an adjusted gross income of $310,701 for the 2001 tax year. Gov’t Ex. 33. On July 13, 2004, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) examined Plaintiffs’ 2001 federal income tax return. DUF ¶ 29; Gov’t Ex. 20. The IRS adjusted Plaintiffs’ gross income upwards by $101,530. DUF ¶ 38.

On February 3, 2005, Plaintiffs executed a “Consent to Assessment and Collection” (IRS Form 4549) for tax year 2001, accepting the $101,530 adjustment and agreeing to pay $65,832 ($57,067 in additional tax plus $8,765 in interest). DUF ¶ 39; Gov’t Ex. 16. On August 11, 2005, Plaintiffs paid this amount in full. PUF ¶ 7.

On April 10, 2006, Plaintiffs filed a Form 1040X (Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return), seeking a tax refund for the 2001 tax year in the amount of $20,634. Compl. Ex. B. Therein, Plaintiffs asserted entitlement to deduct $7,054.14 in commission expenses that arose from their furniture business2 and that the IRS incorrectly characterized a $35,103.27 bank deposit from a mortgage refinance as taxable income. PUF ¶¶ 9, 11. On March 13, 2008, the IRS denied this refund claim, with the following explanation regarding the commission expenses:

Since you did not provide billing invoices, form 1099, and statements from lenders which shows their contact information and acknowledges the disbursements to them was their taxable income, we have disallowed your claim regarding Schedule C commissions.

Compl. Ex. C.

Regarding the bank deposit claim, the IRS advised Plaintiffs that:

You did not document that your share of the loan proceeds were deposited into the accounts considered in determining gross receipts. Rather it appears that your share of the loan proceeds were deposited into one of the accounts not provided to the examining agent which she requested. Since you have not provided all the bank statements for that account, verified all deposits into that account were non-taxable, and that transfers were made from that account into the accounts considered in determining gross receipts, we have disallowed your claim reduction regarding Schedule C gross receipts.

Id.

II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY.

On May 2, 2008, Plaintiffs filed a Complaint in the United States Court of Federal Claims, pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 6402 (2006), claiming a refund in the amount of $20,634 for the tax year 2001 (Compl.HH 3, 15, 17), together with Complaint Exhibits A-D.

On July 1, 2008, the Government filed an Answer (“Gov’t Ans.”). On August 21, 2008, the parties submitted a Joint Preliminary Status Report (“8/21/08 JPSR”), wherein the parties “agree[d] that separate proceedings on the questions of liability and damages ... should be unnecessary,” but “ask[ed] the Court to determine liability first, and, if liability is found, permit them a reasonable period of time within which to attempt to agree on the amount of a money judgment.” 8/21/08 JPSR at 1-2. On September 10, 2008, the parties participated in a telephone status conference with the Honorable Thomas M. Wheeler. On October 7, 2008, the case was transferred to the undersigned judge.

On January 26, 2010, Plaintiffs filed a Memorandum Of Contentions Of Fact And Law (“Pls.Mem.”), together with Exhibits 1-9 (“Pls.Mem.Ex.1-9”). On February 4, 2010, the court convened a telephone status conference with the parties.

[82]*82On February 16, 2010, Plaintiffs filed a Motion For Summary Judgment (“Pls.Mot.”), together with Plaintiffs’ Statement Of Undisputed Material Facts and Plaintiffs’ Exhibits 1-10 (“Pls.Mot.Ex.1-10”). On February 22, 2010, the court convened another telephone status conference, wherein Plaintiffs requested the court first to adjudicate Plaintiffs’ February 16, 2010 Motion For Summary Judgment before proceeding to trial. The court granted that request. See Order, Pendergraft v. United States, No. 08-326T (Fed.Cl. Feb.22, 2010).

On March 19, 2010, the Government filed a Response To Plaintiffs’ Proposed Findings Of Uncontroverted Fact (“Gov’t Resp.”). On March 22, 2010, the Government filed Proposed Findings Of Uncontroverted Fact, and an Opposition To Plaintiffs’ Motion For Summary Judgment And Cross-Motion Of The United States For Summary Judgment (“Gov’t Opp. & Cross Mot.”). On March 23, 2010, with leave of the court, the Government filed an Appendix to the Government’s Cross-Motion containing Exhibits 1-38 (“Gov’t Ex. 1-38”). See Order, Pendergraft v. United States, No. 08-326T (Fed.Cl.Mar.23, 2010).

On April 8, 2010, Plaintiffs filed a Response To The Government’s Proposed Findings Of Uncontroverted Facts (“Pls.Resp.”), together with Exhibits A-M (“Pls.Resp.Ex.A-M”). On the same date, Plaintiffs also filed an Opposition To Defendant’s Cross-Motion For Summary Judgment And Plaintiffs’ Reply To Defendant’s Opposition To Plaintiffs’ Motion For Summary Judgment (“Pls.Reply”), including Exhibits A-H (“Pis. Reply Ex. A-H”).

On April 30, 2010, the Government filed a Reply (“Gov’t Reply”) to Plaintiffs’ April 8, 2010 Reply. The Government’s Reply also contained Exhibits 39-43 (“Gov’t Ex. 39-13”).'

III. DISCUSSION.

A. Jurisdiction.

The United States Court of Federal Claims has jurisdiction under the Tucker Act, 28 U.S.C. § 1491 (2006), “to render judgment upon any claim against the United States founded either upon the Constitution, or any Act of Congress or any regulation of an executive department, or upon any express or implied contract with the United States, or for liquidated or unliquidated damages in cases not sounding in tort.” 28 U.S.C. § 1491(a)(1). The Tucker Act, however, is “a jurisdictional statute; it does not create any substantive right enforceable against the United States for money damages .... [T]he Act merely confers jurisdiction upon [the United States Court of Federal Claims] whenever the substantive right exists.” United States v. Testan, 424 U.S. 392, 398, 96 S.Ct. 948, 47 L.Ed.2d 114 (1976) (citations omitted).

Congress specifically authorized the United States Court of Federal Claims to adjudicate tax refund claims, if a taxpayer has paid the full assessed federal tax liability and timely filed a refund claim with the IRS stating the grounds for the claim. See 26 U.S.C. §§ 6511(a), 7422(a) (2006); see also Shore v. United States, 9 F.3d 1524, 1526 (Fed.Cir.1993) (holding that a tax refund claim must be dismissed if the “principal tax deficiency has not been paid in full”).

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94 Fed. Cl. 79, 106 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5412, 2010 U.S. Claims LEXIS 518, 2010 WL 2925707, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pendergraft-v-united-states-uscfc-2010.