Stephan v. Commissioner

16 T.C. 1157, 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedMay 25, 1951
DocketDocket Nos. 25668, 25669
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 16 T.C. 1157 (Stephan v. Commissioner) 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
Stephan v. Commissioner, 16 T.C. 1157, 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182 (tax 1951).

Opinion

OPINION.

Black, Judge:

The petitioners timely filed a joint amended declaration of estimated tax for the fiscal year ended August 31, 194=5, on September 15, 1945, disclosing an estimated tax due of $70,000. No part of the tax was paid on September 15, 1945, on which date the estimated tax was due; no payment was made by petitioners until March 13, 1946. Each petitioner filed a separate income tax return (Form 1040) for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1945, on November 15, 1945, and petitioners paid no part of the estimated tax on that date nor did they pay any part of the tax shown to be due by the income tax returns. No payment of any taxes was made until March 13,1946. The payment of taxes was made in the manner indicated in the stipulated facts, periodic payments being, made by petitioners between March 13,1946, and September 16,1946.

The petitioners failed to show that either of them was granted an extension of time by the Commissioner for filing a declaration of estimated tax and paying the estimated tax. The petitioners have not raised the question of reasonable cause for their failure to pay the estimated tax when due, and the facts in the instant case do not show any grounds for reasonable cause for failure to pay the estimated tax when due.

There is no dispute between the petitioners and the respondent with respect to the timely filing of the joint amended declaration of estimated tax for the taxable year in question. The question presented for our decision is: Are the petitioners liable under section 294 (d) (1) (B) of the Code for a 6 per cent addition to tax or a 10 per cent addition to tax for failure to pay, within the time provided by the Code, their declared estimated income tax due on September 15,1945 ? Section294 (d) (1) (B) reads:

SEC. 294. ADDITIONS TO THE TAX IN CASE OF NONPAYMENT.
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(d) Estimated Tax.—
(1) Failure to file declaration or pat installment of estimated tax.—
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(B) Failure to pat installments of estimated tax declared. — Where a declaration of estimated tax has been made and filed within the time prescribed, or where a declaration of estimated tax has been made and filed after the time prescribed and the Commissioner has found that failure to make and file such declaration within the time prescribed was due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, in the case of a failure to pay an installment of the estimated tax within the time prescribed, unless such failure is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to be due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, there shall be added to the tax 5 per centum of the unpaid amount of such installment, and in addition 1 per centum of such unpaid amount for each month (except the first) or fraction thereof during which such amount remains unpaid. In no event shall the aggregate addition to the tax under this subparagraph with respect to any installment due but unpaid, exceed 10 per centum of the unpaid portion of such installment.

The respondent determined additions to tax under this section to the extent of 10 per cent of the amended estimate of tax which showed a joint estimated tax liability of $70,000 for the petitioners. As the petitioners filed separate income tax returns (Form 1040) for that fiscal period, respondent determined the 10 per cent addition to tax, or $3,500, against each petitioner. Petitioners have taken exception to such action in so far as the addition to tax exceeds 6 per cent, and they contend that the monthly 1 per cent addition to tax for nonpayment of the estimated tax should not continue after the filing of, and passing of the due date for, the income tax return. When this interpretation is given, petitioners contend the addition to the tax should be only 6 per cent.

The issue was developed in the briefs by arguments discussing the intent of Congress in enacting this section of the Code. An outline of Supplement M indicates how section 294 is coordinated with other sections of the Code relating to interest and additions to the tax:

Supplement M — Interest and Additions to tbe Tax
Sec. 291. Failure to file return.
Sec. 292. Interest on deficiencies.
Sec. 293. Additions to tbe tax in case of deficiency.
Sec. 294. Additions to the tax in case of nonpayment.
Sec. 295. Time extended for payment of tax shown on return.
Sec. 296. Time extended for payment of deficiency.
Sec. 297. Interest in case of jeopardy assessments.
Sec. 298. Bankruptcy and receiverships.
Sec. 299. Removal of property or departure from United States.

Section 294 of the Code contains five subsections, as follows:

SEC. 294. ADDITIONS TO THE TAX IN CASE OF NONPAYMENT.
(a) Tax Shown on Return.—
(b) Deficiency.
(c) Filing of Jeopardy Bond.
(d) Estimated Tax.—
(1) Failure to file declaration or pay installment of estimated tax.
(A) Failure to File Declaration.—
(B) Failure to Pay Installments of Estimated Tax Declared.—
(2) Substantial underestimate of estimated tax.—
(3) Tax on self-employment income.—
(e) Substantial Overstatement of Expected Carry-Backs.—

Other phases of the estimated tax portion of the pay-as-you-go plan, which sections are not essential in reaching our decision here, are set forth in sections 58, 59, and 60 of the Internal Revenue Code.

We have examined the legislative history of section 294 (d) (1) (B) of the Code and we have considered the pertinent committee hearings and the light they have shed on legislative intent. We have noted in particular Senate Report No. 627 of the 78th Congress, 1st Session, which relates to the Revenue Act of 1943 and this report, released by the Senate Committee on Finance on December 22,1943, explained the purpose of amending section 294 (a) (4) of the Code. Section 294 (d) (1) (B) of the Code replaced section 294 (a) (4), see Revenue Act of 1943. Section 294 (a) was amended by section 5 (b), Current Tax Payment Act of 1943, by adding certain subsections, including section 294 (a) (4) which provided as follows:

SEC. 294. ADDITIONS TO THE TAX IN CASE OF NONPAYMENT.
(a) Tax Shown on Return.—
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Related

LeVine v. Commissioner
24 T.C. 147 (U.S. Tax Court, 1955)
Stephan Et Ux. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
197 F.2d 712 (Fifth Circuit, 1952)
Bouche v. Commissioner
18 T.C. 144 (U.S. Tax Court, 1952)
Rushing v. Comm'r
11 T.C.M. 396 (U.S. Tax Court, 1952)
Stephan v. Commissioner
16 T.C. 1157 (U.S. Tax Court, 1951)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
16 T.C. 1157, 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stephan-v-commissioner-tax-1951.