Schaeffler v. United States

259 F. Supp. 3d 518
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Texas
DecidedApril 25, 2017
DocketCase No. 3:15-CV-4090-M
StatusPublished

This text of 259 F. Supp. 3d 518 (Schaeffler v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Schaeffler v. United States, 259 F. Supp. 3d 518 (N.D. Tex. 2017).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER

BARBARA M. G. LYNN, CHIEF JUDGE

Before the Court is the Motion to Dismiss of the Defendant United States [ECF No.- 28]. For the reasons stated below, the Motion is GRANTED.

I. INTRODUCTION

On December 30, 2015, Plaintiffs Georg F.W. Schaeffler and Bernadette Schaeffler filed this action for the refund of federal income taxes paid by Plaintiffs for the taxable year ending December 31, 2002, and for related statutory interest'for an alleged overpayment. Compl. ¶ 1. [ECF No, 1]. Plaintiffs were previously married, and filed a joint income tax return for the 2002 tax year on or about October 15, 2003. Id. ¶ 5, 10. On April 10, 2013, Plaintiffs filed a claim with the IRS for the 2002 tax year, requesting a refund of $5,170,760, Id. ¶ 12. Broadly speaking, Plaintiffs allege they are entitled to a refund on account of a redetermination by German authorities of Georg Schaeffler’s German tax liability, which Plaintiffs claim results in additional foreign tax credits available for use, on Plaintiffs’ 2002 federal income tax return and for carry forward of additional minimum tax credits. Id. ¶ 11.

On August 5, 2016,- the parties filed their Joint Report Regarding Contents of Scheduling Order, in which the Defendant asserted that-the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction because- Plaintiffs filed their claim for refund outside the applicable statute of limitations. ECF No. 22 at 3-4. On August 15, 2016, the Court directed the parties to address the threshold issue of subject matter jurisdiction [ECF No. 23], and on September 9, 2016, Defendant filed its Motion to Dismiss pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(b)(1).

II. LEGAL STANDARDS

a. SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION

Motions filed under Rule 12(b)(1) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure challenge the subject matter jurisdiction of the district court to hear , a case. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(1). Federal subject matter jurisdiction is limited; federal courts may entertain only those cases involving a question of federal law or those where parties are of diverse citizenship. See 28 U.S.C. §§ 1331, 1332. They “must presume that a suit lies outside this limited jurisdiction, and the burden of establishing federal jurisdiction rests on the party seeking the federal forum." Howery v. Allstate Ins. Co., 243 F.3d 912, 916 (5th Cir. 2001). Federal courts have original jurisdiction over claims when a complaint states claims arising under federal law. Id. § 1331; Ky. Fried Chicken Corp. v. Diversified Packaging Corp., 549 F.2d 368, 392 (5th Cir. 1977).

Lack of subject matter jurisdiction may be found based on any one of three considerations: (1) the complaint alone; (2) the complaint supplemented by undisputed facts evidenced in the record; [521]*521or (3) the complaint supplemented by undisputed facts, plus the court’s resolution of disputed facts. Barrera-Montenegro v. United States, 74 F.3d 657, 659 (5th Cir. 1996). A motion to dismiss based on the complaint alone presents a “facial attack” that requires the court to decide whether the allegations in the complaint, presumed to be true, sufficiently state a basis for subject matter jurisdiction. See Paterson v. Weinberger, 644 F.2d 521, 523 (5th Cir. 1981); Rodriguez v. Tex. Comm’n on the Arts, 992 F.Supp. 876, 878 (N.D. Tex. 1998) (citation omitted). Facial attacks are usually made early in the proceedings. Paterson, 644 F.2d at 523. However, if the. Defendant supports the motion with evidence, then the attack is “factual,” and “no presumptive truthfulness attaches to plaintiffs allegations, and the existence of disputed material facts will not preclude the trial court from evaluating for itself the merits of jurisdictional claims.” Williamson v. Tucker, 645 F.2d 404, 413 (5th Cir. 1981) (en banc). A factual attack may occur at any stage of the proceedings. Menchaca v. Chrysler Credit Corp., 613 F.2d 507, 511 (5th Cir. 1980). Regardless of the nature of the attack, the party asserting federal jurisdiction continually carries the burden of proof to show.it exists. Ramming v. United States, 281 F.3d 158, 161 (5th Cir. 2001).

b. TAXPAYER REFUND CLAIMS

The doctrine of sovereign immunity bars suit against the United States unless it has expressly consented to be sued. United States v. Mitchell, 445 U.S. 535, 538, 100 S.Ct. 1349, 63 L.Ed.2d 607 (1980). In 28 U.S.C. § 1346(a)(1), the United States has consented to be sued for taxes improperly assessed or collected, but only if the plaintiff complies with the jurisdictional requirements set forth in 26 U.S.C. § 7422.

The timely filing of a refund claim with the IRS is a jurisdictional prerequisite to suit in a federal district court. 26 U.S.C. § 7422(a) (“No suit or proceeding , shall be maintained in any court for the recovery of any internal revenue tax ... until a claim for refund or credit has been duly filed with the Secretary....”). Section 6511 of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Tax Code”) contains two separate provisions for determining timeliness of a refund claim. Id. § 6511; Comm’r v. Lundy, 516 U.S. 235, 239-40, 116 S.Ct. 647, 133 L.Ed.2d 611 (1996). Under § 6511(a), a claim for a tax refund “shall be filed by the taxpayer within 3 years from the time the return was filed or 2 years from the time the tax was paid,” whichever is later. Section 6511(b) defines two “look-back” periods. First, if the claim is filed “within 3 years from the time the return was filed,” then the taxpayer is entitled to a refund of “the portion of the tax paid within the 3 years immediately preceding the filing of the claim.” 26 U.S.C. § 6511(b)(2)(A) (incorporating by reference § 6511(a)). Second, if the claim is not filed within that 3-year period, then the taxpayer is entitled to a refund of only that “portion of the tax paid during the 2 years immediately preceding the filing of the claim.” Id.

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Bluebook (online)
259 F. Supp. 3d 518, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schaeffler-v-united-states-txnd-2017.