Pransky v. Internal Revenue Service (In re Pransky)

304 B.R. 671, 2004 Bankr. LEXIS 127, 93 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 924
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedFebruary 10, 2004
DocketBankruptcy No. 97-20528 RTL; Adversary No. 98-2244
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 304 B.R. 671 (Pransky v. Internal Revenue Service (In re Pransky)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Pransky v. Internal Revenue Service (In re Pransky), 304 B.R. 671, 2004 Bankr. LEXIS 127, 93 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 924 (N.J. 2004).

Opinion

OPINION

RAYMOND T. LYONS, Bankruptcy Judge.1

Presently before the court is a dispute surrounding the computation of the debt- or’s tax liability for tax years 1986 and 1987. The District Court remanded the matter to the Bankruptcy Court following a decision by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. In re Pransky, 318 F.3d 536 (3d Cir.2003). The Circuit affirmed the District Court’s holding that refunds for 1984 and 1985 were barred by the statute of limitations, and directed that on remand the Bankruptcy Court should determine the validity of the IRS’s proof of claim. As discussed in further detail below, the court finds that the IRS’s computations of the debtor’s tax liability for tax years 1986 and 1987 are correct, except that an explanation of the computation of the failure to file penalty for 1986 is required.

FACTS2

The debtor, Roger Pransky filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition on January 15, 1997. The IRS filed a proof of claim on February 27, 1997 asserting that the debt- or owed $131,237.02 in income taxes for the year 1987.3 The debtor initiated an adversary proceeding on April 13, 1998 seeking a determination of his tax liability for tax years 1984 through 1987. The parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment on the issue of whether or not this court had jurisdiction over the debt- or’s tax years at issue. This court found it had jurisdiction, on appeal, however, the [674]*674District Court reversed and found the Bankruptcy Court did not have jurisdiction over the debtor’s refund claims for tax years 1984 and 1985 due to the statute of limitations as set forth in 26 U.S.C. § 6532(a). Internal Revenue Service v. Pransky, 261 B.R. 380 (D.N.J.2001). The Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court’s ruling, and held that Pransky’s refund claims for tax years 1984 and 1985 were barred by the statute of limitations. The case was remanded to the Bankruptcy Court for a determination of the debtor’s tax liability for tax years 1986 and 1987, “without regard to the overpayments Pransky made on his 1984 and 1985 taxes.” In re Pransky, 318 F.3d at 545. Even though his refund claims for 1984 and 1985 are barred, the debtor asserts the IRS owes him a net refund in the amount of $359,295.16. The IRS asserts that Pran-sky owes $131,237.02 for tax year 1987, and that Pransky has a nominal balance of $0.01 due for tax year 1986.4

DISCUSSION

The Bankruptcy Code provides that a proof of claim filed pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 501 is “deemed allowed, unless a party in interest ... objects.” 11 U.S.C. § 502. An uncontested claim constitutes prima facie evidence of the validity and amount of the claim. Fed. R. Bankr.P 3001(f). The party objecting to the claim bears the initial burden of overcoming the prima facie validity of the claim. In a dispute surrounding a proof of claim filed by a taxing authority, the taxpayer bears the burden of establishing error by the taxing authority, because, “it is well established in the tax law that an assessment is entitled to a legal presumption of correctness.” U.S. v. Fior D’Italia, Inc., 536 U.S. 238, 242, 122 S.Ct. 2117, 153 L.Ed.2d 280 (2002) citing, U.S. v. Janis, 428 U.S. 433, 440, 96 S.Ct. 3021, 49 L.Ed.2d 1046 (1976), see also, In re Thinking Machines, 203 B.R. 1 (Bankr.D.Mass.1996). In this case, Pransky as both the taxpayer and the party objecting to a claim bears the burden of persuasion.

The difference between the proof of claim filed by the IRS and the refund claimed by the debtor for tax years 1986 and 1987 stem from the following four issues:

1. Did the IRS correctly assess and compute penalties for tax years 1986 and 1987?
2. Is Pransky entitled to netting the overpayment and underpayment interest in accordance with 26 U.S.C. § 6621(d)?
3. Did Pransky make an additional estimated tax payment of $15,000 for tax year 1986? and
4. Is Pransky entitled to an abatement of interest in accordance with 26 U.S.C. § 6404?

I. Did the IRS correctly assess and compute penalties for tax years 1986 and 1987?

A. Penalties for tax year 1986

For tax year 1986, the IRS assessed penalties totaling $95,648.00. The penalties are broken down as follows: a failure to timely file penalty of $77,900, a failure to timely pay tax penalty of $12,531, and a failure to pay estimated tax penalty of $5,217.

B. Penalties for tax year 1987

For tax year 1987, the IRS assessed penalties totaling $34,634. The 1987 penalties are broken down as follows: $14,867 as a late filing penalty, $16,519 as a failure [675]*675to pay tax penalty, and $3,248 as a failure to pay estimated tax penalty.

A significant difference in the overall calculations between the debtor and the IRS is that the debtor did not include penalties for 1986 and 1987, where the IRS has. Pransky alleges several procedural and substantive deficiencies in the IRS’s penalty computations.

C. Procedural Deficiencies

Procedurally, Pransky questions the computation of penalties for tax year 1986; and asserts the penalties for 1986 and 1987 were not previously assessed by the IRS, and accordingly cannot be assessed at this time.

1. 1986 Penalty Computations

For tax year 1986, Pransky’s return was initially due on April 15, 1987. Pransky was granted two extensions to file, thereby extending his filing date to October 15, 1987. The parties agree that Pransky’s tax liability was $396,224 as of April 15, 1987 as shown on his return. As evidenced by the debtor’s 1986 W-2, Pransky had withholding tax of $50,000. On July 13, 1987, Pransky remitted $315,000 towards his 1986 tax liability. As of July 13, 1987, Pransky’s tax liability for 1986 was $31,224.5 Pransky argues that the IRS incorrectly assessed the delinquent penalty for 1986 for five months, from April 15, 1987 through September 15, 1987. Pran-sky asserts the penalty should only be assessed on the remaining balance as of the expiration of the extension date, in accordance with 26 U.S.C. § 6651(b)(1).

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Shearer v. Titus (In re Titus)
566 B.R. 755 (W.D. Pennsylvania, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
304 B.R. 671, 2004 Bankr. LEXIS 127, 93 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 924, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/pransky-v-internal-revenue-service-in-re-pransky-njb-2004.