Transpac Drilling Venture v. United States

32 Fed. Cl. 810, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1202, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 41, 1995 WL 81666
CourtUnited States Court of Federal Claims
DecidedFebruary 28, 1995
DocketNo. 90-131T
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 32 Fed. Cl. 810 (Transpac Drilling Venture 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
Transpac Drilling Venture v. United States, 32 Fed. Cl. 810, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1202, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 41, 1995 WL 81666 (uscfc 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

MARGOLIS, Judge.

This tax case comes before the court on both plaintiffs motion for partial summary judgment and defendant’s cross motion for summary judgment concerning plaintiffs claim for readjustment of partnership items.

Transpac Drilling Venture 1983-2 (“Trans-pac 83-2”), one of approximately 72 Transpac partnerships, filed timely partnership level returns in 1983 and 1984. Transpac 83-2 was a Delaware limited partnership comprised of two general partners and approximately 35 limited partners. Transpac 83-2 reported substantial losses for both years. Subsequent to the filing of its partnership returns, one of Transpac 83-2’s general partners pled guilty to conspiracy to commit tax fraud. Other individuals, who were the undisclosed promoters and managers of the Transpac partnerships, were convicted of tax fraud, conspiracy, and racketeering in connection with the Transpac partnerships.

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) disallowed all of the deductions claimed by Transpac 83-2 in 1983 and 1984. Plaintiff claims that the statute of limitations covering the assessment of deficiencies for the 1983 and 1984 partnership returns expired. The defendant claims that the statute of limitations has not expired, the plaintiff’s claim is forfeited because of fraud, and the administrative adjustments disallowing all of the deductions were proper.

FACTS

A The Background of the Tax Dispute

Transpac 83-2, a limited partnership, filed its Form 1065, Partnership Return of Income, with the IRS for the taxable year 1983 on March 18, 1984. On April 22, 1985, Transpac 83-2 filed its Form 1065 with the IRS for the taxable year 1984. Transpac 83-2’s 1983 and 1984 partnership returns stated that it had two general partners, Douglas C. Adams and Churchill Oil and Gas Corporation (“Churchill Oil”), whose profit interests were .10005% and .9000% respectively. Adams signed both the 1983 and the 1984 partnership returns. On the 1983 and the 1984 partnership returns, Transpac 83-2 used the cash receipts and disbursements method of accounting.

On its 1983 partnership return, Transpac 83-2 claimed the following deductions: $720,-870 of intangible drilling costs; $62,500 of management fees; $40,000 of legal and accounting fees; and a minimum annual royalty fee of $588,333. It reported no gross income and claimed an ordinary loss of $1,411,703. For 1984, the partnership reported gross income of $2,137 and claimed as an expense a minimum annual royalty fee of $588,333. Thus, it reported an ordinary loss of $586,-196.

On November 9, 1989 the IRS mailed notices of final partnership administrative adjustment (“FPAA”) for both tax years 1983 and 1984 to Adams, and on November 28, 1989, copies of the FPAAs were mailed to the other notice partners in the partnership. The 1983 FPAA disallowed all four of the deductions, totaling $1,411,703, taken by Transpac 83-2 in the 1983 taxable year. Similarly, the 1984 FPAA disallowed the $588,333 minimum annual royalty expense. [813]*813B. The Commencement of Criminal Proceedings Relating to the Transpac Drilling Ventures

Transpac 83-2 was one of approximately 51 Transpac Drilling Venture (“TDV”) partnerships formed during 1983. Typically, each 1983 partnership offered 35 limited partnership shares or units that were sold for approximately $75,551 each. The limited partners paid 20% of the purchase price over 24 months, with the remainder financed through an entity entitled Andover Finance, Ltd. (“Andover”). The Andover financing was to be repaid through production income. The parties do not dispute that the business purpose, financing, rights, benefits and obligations of the 1983 Transpac partnerships were essentially identical.

The IRS undertook an examination of some of the TDV partnerships. During the course of the examination, the IRS uncovered information suggesting that federal crimes had been committed by the promoters of the TDV partnerships, and the matter was referred to the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division, which accepted the fraud referral in December of 1985.

On September 15,1987, John Peter Galan-is and seven other defendants were indicted in the Southern District of New York for numerous crimes related to the Transpac Partnerships. See United States v. John Peter Galanis, No. S 87 Cr. 520 (CLB) (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 15, 1987). The indictment charged that Galanis was the undisclosed principal of the TDV partnerships and that Galanis controlled- an organization, referred to as the Galanis organization, that was comprised of a network of associated individuals, corporations and partnerships, including Andover. The indictment stated that the Galanis organization engaged in the syndication of the Transpac Drilling Ventures and the financing of investments in the Ventures. Count one of the indictment specifically charged the defendants with conspiracy to violate 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2), which is a prohibition against aiding and presenting false or fraudulent tax returns. The indictment further charged that the conspiracy planned to and succeeded in passing on to the limited partners of the Transpac partnerships over $172 million of false tax deductions.

In describing the conspiracy, the indictment stated that the TDV limited partnerships were marketed as lucrative tax shelters. The tax benefits were supposed to accrue from pre-paid drilling expenses, minimum annual royalties, and other cash expenditures. The conspiracy allegedly created the appearance of genuine business transactions to support the false deductions. The fake deductions were reported on the partnership tax returns, Forms 1065, and filed with the IRS. This action resulted in the conspirators issuing inaccurate Schedules K-1 to limited partners for use in their individual tax returns.

The indictment further alleged that the conspirators caused the distribution of fraudulent offering materials to potential investors in the TDV partnerships. These materials falsely represented that the Transpac general partners would have exclusive control over their partnerships; falsely stated that the Transpac partnerships were intended to provide substantial future income and economic benefits to investors; and omitted any reference to the fact that Galanis, who had been convicted or charged with numerous offenses in the past, controlled the TDV partnerships.

The indictment also charged Galanis and five co-defendants with 20 separate counts of violating 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2) based upon deductions claimed by the TDV partnerships. Count 18 of this allegation included the filing of Transpac 83-2’s partnership return for its 1984 taxable year.

In addition to charging the defendants with tax fraud conspiracy and aiding and presenting false or fraudulent tax returns, which included count 18, the indictment also charged Galanis and his co-defendants with racketeering, which encompassed a scheme to defraud the IRS. On July 5, 1988, a jury-found Galanis guilty of tax fraud conspiracy, and racketeering, including the charge of a scheme to defraud the IRS. The jury also found Galanis guilty of multiple violations of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(2), including count 18, which encompassed the “other deductions” claimed on Transpac 1983-2’s partnership return for the taxable year 1984.

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32 Fed. Cl. 810, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1202, 1995 U.S. Claims LEXIS 41, 1995 WL 81666, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/transpac-drilling-venture-v-united-states-uscfc-1995.