Sarfani, Inc. v. Mississippi Department of Revenue (In re Sarfani, Inc.)

527 B.R. 241, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 882
CourtUnited States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Mississippi
DecidedJanuary 27, 2015
DocketCase No.: 14-13526-JDW; A.P. No.: 14-01075-JDW
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 527 B.R. 241 (Sarfani, Inc. v. Mississippi Department of Revenue (In re Sarfani, Inc.)) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Bankruptcy Court, N.D. Mississippi primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sarfani, Inc. v. Mississippi Department of Revenue (In re Sarfani, Inc.), 527 B.R. 241, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 882 (Miss. 2015).

Opinion

[244]*244 ORDER GRANTING IN PART AND DENYING IN PART DEFENDANTS MOTION TO DISMISS OR TO ABSTAIN (A.P. DKT. #4)

Jason D. Woodard, United States Bankruptcy Judge

This adversary proceeding is before the Court on the Motion to Dismiss or to Abstain (the “Motion”) filed by defendant Mississippi Department of Revenue (“MDOR”)(A.P. Dkt.# 4)1 and MDOR’s Memorandum Brief in Support of the Motion (AP.Dkt.# 5). The debtor-plaintiff Sarfani, Inc. (“Sarfani”) filed a Response in Opposition to Defendant’s Motion (A.P. Dkt.# 8) and an accompanying Memorandum in Opposition to the Motion (A.P.Dkt.# 9), to which MDOR filed a reply (A.P. Dkt.# 11). The Motion was set for hearing on December 19, 2014, but was removed from the calendar after the parties advised the Court that no further oral argument was necessary and requested that the Court take the matter under advisement based on the pleadings (A.P. Dkt. # 13).2 Having considered the pleadings, the Court finds that the Motion is due to be granted in part and denied in part.

As discussed below, the Court finds that it has jurisdiction of the parties and the subject matter of this adversary proceeding pursuant to 28 U.S.C. §§ 151 and 1334(b) and United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi’s Order of Reference of Bankruptcy Cases and Proceedings Nunc Pro Tunc dated August 6, 1984. In addition, as discussed below, this is a core proceeding under 28 U.S.C. § 157(b)(2)(B), and 11 U.S.C. § 505(a) confers jurisdiction to determine the tax dispute at issue.

I. BACKGROUND3

Sarfani owned and operated a convenience store in Senatobia, Mississippi. MDOR conducted an audit of Sarfani’s finances and, as a result, issued two sales tax assessments against Sarfani totaling $238,902.00 for the periods of October 1, 2003, through December 31, 2006, and January 1, 2007, through September 30, 2007 (the “Sales Tax Assessments”). In addition, MDOR assessed corporate income taxes against Sarfani for these periods totaling $76,298.00, and withholding taxes in the amount of $24,964.00.4

Sarfani filed its chapter 7 voluntary petition on September 19, 2014 (Bankr. Dkt. # 1). Sarfani’s sworn Schedule B provides that, at the time it filed the bankruptcy petition, its only asset was a First Tennessee Checking Account in the amount of $6,298.98. Sarfani’s sworn Schedule E provides for a non-contingent, unliquidat-ed, undisputed, unsecured priority claim owed to MDOR in the amount of $72,896.05 (Bankr. Dkt.# 1). No other assets or liabilities were scheduled, and none of the schedules were amended during the course of this bankruptcy case. After conducting the § 341 meeting of creditors and investigating Sarfani’s assets, the chapter [245]*2457 trustee in this case filed a Chapter 7 Trustee’s Report of No Distribution (the “TRND”), on November 5, 2014, in which the trustee reported that Sarfani’s estate had been fully administered and that there was no property available for distribution to Sarfani’s creditors. Objections to the TRND were due by December 5, 2014, but none were filed.

On September 23, 2014, Sarfani filed this adversary proceeding against MDOR (A.P. Dkt.# 1). Count I of the Complaint challenges the validity of the Sales Tax Assessments, Count II seeks a declaration that the assessments are dischargeable in Sarfani’s bankruptcy case, and Count III seeks a determination that the Complaint initiates an “adversarial proceeding.”

In its Complaint, Sarfani claims that the amount of the Sales Tax Assessments do not accurately reflect the actual amount of sales taxes owed by Sarfani and that the Sales Tax Assessments are the result of “an audit conducted in a dishonest, self-serving, careless, and inappropriate manner.” (Complaint, A.P. Dkt.# 1, ¶ 14). Specifically, Sarfani asserts that the Sales Tax Assessments were calculated by MDOR auditors using alternative accounting methods that are not permitted when adequate records exist on which to base sales tax assessments. Sarfani asserts that adequate records do exist in this instance which would permit a more accurate calculation of Sarfani’s sales tax liability. Sarfani further alleges that it attempted to appeal the assessments with the assistance of an accountant, but that the accountant, without notice to or authority from Sarfa-ni, unilaterally cancelled the hearing, which was scheduled for September 25, 2008. Sarfani admits that it failed to prosecute its appeal of the assessments, but argues that such failure should be excused because it was due to the unauthorized actions of its accountant.

MDOR timely filed the Motion on October 28, 2014, alleging several bases for dismissal: that the complaint fails to state a claim on which relief can be granted as to the dischargeability count, that the Court lacks subject-matter jurisdiction to determine the validity or amount of the tax liability and that the doctrine of sovereign immunity requires dismissal. Alternatively, MDOR argues that, even if the Court determines that it has jurisdiction, the Court should abstain from hearing this adversary proceeding, because the relief sought is of no benefit to the bankruptcy estate. The Court will consider each of these arguments in turn.

II. ANALYSIS5

A. Counts II and III

Counts II and III of the Complaint are due to be dismissed. Count II of the Complaint, which seeks a determination of dischargeability as to the assessments, seeks relief that the Court cannot grant. Sarfani is not an individual and is therefore not entitled to a discharge under chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code. 11 U.S.C. § 727(a)(1); See Kelley v. Cypress Financial Trading Co., L.P., 518 B.R. 373, 378 (N.D.Tex.2014).

Similarly, Count III of the Complaint, which simply avers that the Complaint is the initial pleading by which an adversarial proceeding is commenced, is also due to be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Pro[246]*246cedure.6 It is true that the filing of a complaint in bankruptcy court commences an adversary proceeding in the same way that the filing of a complaint in district court commences a civil action. Fed. R. Crv. P. 3; Fed. R. BanKR. P. 7003. Count III is simply of no consequence, because Sarfani is not seeking any relief therein. Accordingly, Count III is also due to be dismissed.

B. Count I — Validity and Amount of Sales Tax Assessments

The remaining count, Count I, is the heart of the dispute between the parties. In Count I, Sarfani challenges the validity and amount of the Sales Tax Assessments.

1. Subject-Matter Jurisdiction

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527 B.R. 241, 2015 Bankr. LEXIS 882, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sarfani-inc-v-mississippi-department-of-revenue-in-re-sarfani-inc-msnb-2015.