Solberg v. Comm'r

2011 T.C. Memo. 221, 102 T.C.M. 255, 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 217
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedSeptember 12, 2011
DocketDocket No. 15208-10
StatusUnpublished

This text of 2011 T.C. Memo. 221 (Solberg v. Comm'r) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Solberg v. Comm'r, 2011 T.C. Memo. 221, 102 T.C.M. 255, 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 217 (tax 2011).

Opinion

THOR AND MARILYN SOLBERG, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Solberg v. Comm'r
Docket No. 15208-10
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 2011-221; 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 217; 102 T.C.M. (CCH) 255;
September 12, 2011, Filed
*217

An appropriate decision will be entered.

Thor and Marilyn Solberg, Pro se.
Christopher A. Pavilonis, for respondent.
GOEKE, Judge.

GOEKE
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

GOEKE, Judge: Respondent determined a deficiency of $981 in petitioners' 2005 Federal income tax. After a concession, 1 the sole issue to be decided is whether this Court has jurisdiction to find an overpayment of $48,881 for the deficiency year based on alleged overpayments from prior years. As decided hereinafter, we do not have jurisdiction.

FINDINGS OF FACT

Some of the facts have been stipulated and are so found.

At the time the petition was filed, petitioners resided in Florida. Petitioners maintain that they are entitled to a tax refund based on an overpayment for 2005 generated by the carryforward of overpayments from 2004 and other years before 2005. Respondent claims pursuant to section 6214(b)2 that this Court lacks jurisdiction to determine an overpayment for any year besides the year properly at issue, which is 2005. Respondent argues further that this Court cannot go back and redetermine the potential *218 refunds that petitioners claim they are entitled to for any year except 2005. Determination of an overpayment for 2005 would necessitate the determination of overpayments for 2004 and other prior years, and respondent claims this to be outside of the Court's jurisdiction.

OPINION

This Court is one of limited jurisdiction, and it may exercise its jurisdiction only to the extent authorized by statute. Sec. 7442; see GAF Corp. & Subs. v. Commissioner, 114 T.C. 519, 521 (2000). Our jurisdiction to redetermine the amount of a deficiency is premised on the issuance of a valid notice of deficiency followed by a timely filing of a petition. Id. Once validly exercised, our "jurisdiction extends to the entire subject matter of the correct tax for the taxable year", Naftel v. Commissioner, 85 T.C. 527, 533 (1985), including the taxpayer's claim of an overpayment of tax, see sec. 6512(b)(1).

In determining the correct tax for the taxable year, section 6214(b) allows us to "consider such facts with relation to the taxes for other years * * * as may be necessary" but explicitly deprives us of "jurisdiction to determine whether or *219 not the tax for any other year * * * has been overpaid or underpaid".

We have previously construed section 6214(b) as granting us the authority for "computing, as distinguished from 'determining,' the correct tax liability for a year not in issue when such a computation is necessary to a determination of the correct tax liability for a year that has been placed in issue." Lone Manor Farms, Inc. v. Commissioner, 61 T.C. 436, 440 (1974), affd. without published opinion 510 F.2d 970 (3d Cir. 1975).

Petitioners have asked us to do much more than merely compute the correct tax liability for a nondeficiency year. Petitioners exhort us to determine an overpayment for the deficiency year based on crediting overpayments from nondeficiency years to 2005. We read section 6214(b) as preventing us from doing so. See Commissioner v. Gooch Milling & Elevator Co., 320 U.S. 418, 420-421, 64 S. Ct. 184, 88 L. Ed. 139, 1943 C.B. 548 (1943); Porter v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2010-154.

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Related

Commissioner v. Gooch Milling & Elevator Co.
320 U.S. 418 (Supreme Court, 1944)
GAF Corp. v. Commissioner
114 T.C. No. 33 (U.S. Tax Court, 2000)
Lone Manor Farms, Inc. v. Commissioner
61 T.C. No. 48 (U.S. Tax Court, 1974)
Naftel v. Commissioner
85 T.C. No. 30 (U.S. Tax Court, 1985)

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Bluebook (online)
2011 T.C. Memo. 221, 102 T.C.M. 255, 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 217, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/solberg-v-commr-tax-2011.