Reese v. United States

28 Fed. Cl. 702, 72 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5611, 1993 U.S. Claims LEXIS 102, 62 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 42,599, 62 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 925, 1993 WL 286312
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedJuly 29, 1993
DocketNo. 92-93T
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 28 Fed. Cl. 702 (Reese 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
Reese v. United States, 28 Fed. Cl. 702, 72 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5611, 1993 U.S. Claims LEXIS 102, 62 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 42,599, 62 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 925, 1993 WL 286312 (uscfc 1993).

Opinion

OPINION

ANDEWELT, Judge.

In this federal tax action, plaintiff, Elizabeth A. Reese, seeks a refund of $32,580 [703]*703for taxes she allegedly overpaid for tax year 1987. This action is presently before the court on cross-motions for summary judgment. The motions present the issue of whether punitive damages received in settlement of a civil litigation must be included in “gross income” subject to federal income tax under Sections 61 and 104(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code (the Code), 26 U.S.C. §§ 61 and 104(a)(2). Although Congress addressed the taxation of punitive damages in amendments to Section 104(a)(2) enacted in 1989, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1989, Pub.L. No. 101-239, § 7641, 103 Stat. 2106, 2379 (1989), see n. 1, infra, that legislation was not retroactive. Hence, this court must resolve plaintiff’s 1987 tax liability under then-existing law. For the reasons set forth below, plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment is denied, and defendant’s cross-motion is granted.

I.

The punitive damages in issue resulted from a suit brought by plaintiff against her former employer in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. In that suit, plaintiff alleged sex discrimination and sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, a common law tort, and breach of contract. After trial, the jury awarded plaintiff a total of $250,000, consisting of $70,000 in compensatory damages and $70,000 in punitive damages on the claim of sex discrimination and sexual harassment, $70,000 in compensatory damages and $30,000 in punitive damages on the claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress, and $10,000 for breach of contract. After the jury verdict, plaintiff sought an additional $239,437.01 in costs and attorneys’ fees. The parties entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which plaintiff received a total of $489,-437.01, the sum of the jury award and the costs and fees plaintiff had sought.

In calculating her 1987 federal tax liability, plaintiff included the $100,000 punitive damage award as part of her “gross income” subject to federal income tax. Thereafter, however, plaintiff filed an amended 1987 tax return in which she excluded the $100,000 punitive damage award from her taxable income and sought a refund of $32,580. Plaintiff contended that the punitive damage award was not subject to taxation because it fell within the exclusion from “gross income” contained in 26 U.S.C. § 104(a)(2). After the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) denied plaintiff any refund, plaintiff filed the instant action. The parties then filed cross-motions for summary judgment. Because there are no material facts in dispute, this action properly can be resolved on summary judgment. RCFC 56; Celotex Corp. v. Catrett, 477 U.S. 317, 106 S.Ct. 2548, 91 L.Ed.2d 265 (1986).

II.

Section 61(a) of the Code defines “gross income” as “all income from whatever source derived.” Section 104(a) contains exceptions to Section 61’s broad definition of gross income. For tax year 1987, Section 104 provided, in pertinent part:

§ 104. Compensation for injuries and sickness.
(a) In general. — Except in the case of amounts attributable to (and not in excess of) deductions allowed under section 213 (relating to medical, etc., expenses) for any prior taxable year, gross income does not include—
(2) the amount of any damages received (whether by suit or agreement and whether as lump sums or as periodic payments) on account of personal injuries or sickness____

(Emphasis added.)1

In various revenue rulings, the IRS periodically has changed its position on wheth[704]*704er the exception contained in Section 104(a)(2) encompasses punitive damages secured in a suit brought for personal injuries. In 1958, the IRS. took the position that punitive damages received in settlement of a libel suit for injury to personal reputation fell outside of the Section 104(a)(2) exclusion, and hence, constituted taxable income. Rev.Rul. 58-418, 1958-2 C.B. 18. The IRS reversed that position in 1975, however, and stated that “under Section 104(a)(2), any damages, whether compensatory or punitive, received on account of personal injuries or sickness are excluda-ble from gross income.” Rev.Rul. 75-45, 1975-1 C.B. 47. In 1984, the IRS again reversed its position by declaring that a taxpayer is obliged to include in gross income the payments he or she receives for a release from liability under a wrongful death act which provides exclusively for payment of punitive damages. Rev.Rul. 84-108, 1984-2 C.B. 32.

The courts also have struggled in interpreting Section 104(a)(2) and have failed to adopt a uniform interpretation. In Miller v. Commissioner, 93 T.C. 330, 1989 WL 104238 (1989) (Miller I), the Tax Court, over a dissent, concluded that Section 104(a)(2) obliges the exclusion from gross income of both punitive and compensatory damages awarded in personal injury suits. The court reasoned that “the plain meaning of the broad statutory language [of Section 104(a)(2) ] simply does not permit a distinction between punitive and compensatory damages.” Id. at 338.

In Commissioner v. Miller, 914 F.2d 586 (4th Cir.1990) (Miller II), rev’g Miller I, 93 T.C. 330, 1989 WL 104238 the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit interpreted Section 104(a)(2) differently and rejected the Tax Court’s conclusion that Section 104(a)(2) was subject to a “plain meaning” interpretation. The Fourth Circuit concluded instead that the wording of Section 104(a)(2) is inherently ambiguous. The Fourth Circuit agreed with the Tax Court that the phrase “damages received ... on account of personal injuries” indicates a causal relationship between the personal injuries and the damages received, but the Fourth Circuit concluded that Section 104(a)(2) is ambiguous as to the nature of that causal relationship and could be interpreted in either of two ways. Miller II, 914 F.2d at 589-90.

The first possible interpretation, which the Fourth Circuit characterized as involving “but-for” causation, would classify damages as received “on account of” personal injuries whenever a showing of personal injury is a legal prerequisite for the receipt of those damages, i. e., the damages would be excluded from “gross income” under Section 104(a)(2) if there would have been no damage award but for the personal injuries. Under this first interpretation, the punitive damages awarded to the Miller I plaintiff would qualify for the Section 104(a)(2) exclusion because under the applicable Maryland tort law, an injury justifying compensatory damages is a necessary prerequisite to an award of punitive damages. Id. at 589 n. 6.

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28 Fed. Cl. 702, 72 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5611, 1993 U.S. Claims LEXIS 102, 62 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 42,599, 62 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 925, 1993 WL 286312, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/reese-v-united-states-uscfc-1993.