Triangle Investors P'ship v. Comm'r

95 T.C. No. 42, 95 T.C. 610, 1990 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 111
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedDecember 6, 1990
DocketDocket No. 27387-89
StatusPublished
Cited by23 cases

This text of 95 T.C. No. 42 (Triangle Investors P'ship 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
Triangle Investors P'ship v. Comm'r, 95 T.C. No. 42, 95 T.C. 610, 1990 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 111 (tax 1990).

Opinion

OPINION

NlMS, Chief Judge:

This matter is before the Court on respondent’s motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction. (Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code as in effect for the year in issue and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.) The issue for decision is whether the notice of final partnership administrative adjustment issued in this case was valid.

Background

Respondent determined adjustments to the partnership return of Triangle Investors Limited Partnership (Triangle Investors) for its 1984 taxable year as set forth in his notice of final partnership administrative adjustment (FPAA) issued on May 24, 1989. The FPAA was addressed to the Tax Matters Partner, c/o Triangle Investors Limited P/S, 11240 Grandview Avenue, Wheaton, Maryland 20906 (the Wheaton address).

On August 28, 1989, respondent mailed a copy of the FPAA to a partner of Triangle Investors, Charles T. Collier, at an address in St. Leonard, Maryland. Collier received the FPAA on or about September 4, 1989. The FPAA received by Collier stated that the FPAA had been mailed to the tax matters partner (TMP) on May 24, 1989, and included detailed instructions for partners who wished to challenge respondent’s proposed adjustments.

Collier filed a petition for readjustment of partnership items as TMP of Triangle Investors on November 13, 1989. At the time the readjustment petition was filed, the principal place of business of the partnership was Glen Burnie, Maryland.

Respondent filed a motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction on the ground that the petition for readjustment was not filed within either of the time periods prescribed by section 6226(a) or (b). Collier claims that he timely filed the readjustment petition based on the date of August 28, 1989, appearing at the top of the copy of the FPAA he received. In the alternative, Collier attacks the validity of the FPAA mailed to the TMP in May 1989.

In particular, Collier contends that respondent was aware that he was the TMP for Triangle Investors, and thus the FPAA should have been issued in his name as opposed to the generic form actually used. Moreover, Collier claims that respondent was aware that: (1) Triangle Investors no longer used the Wheaton address; and (2) correspondence pertaining to partnership tax matters should have been mailed to Triangle Investors Ltd., do Blinn Salisbury, 112 Second Ave., S.W., Glen Burnie, Maryland 21061 (the Glen Burnie address). With respect to this latter point, the parties have stipulated that Collier submitted an executed Form 2848, power of attorney, to respondent in November 1987, reflecting that copies of all notices and correspondence to Triangle Investors for the year in issue should be sent to Salisbury at the Glen Burnie address. The power of attorney was executed by Collier as general partner of Triangle Investors.

The parties also stipulated that, prior to the issuance of the FPAA to the TMP, Salisbury verbally advised the revenue agent assigned to the case that the Wheaton address was no longer operative. The parties further stipulated that subsequent to the execution of the power of attorney, and until the issuance of the FPAA to the TMP, respondent corresponded with the partnership at the Glen Burnie address.

Respondent alleges that the FPAA mailed to the TMP in May 1989 was issued in generic fashion because Triangle Investors never designated a TMP for the 1984 taxable year. In addition, respondent maintains that he mailed the FPAA to the TMP at the Wheaton address because that was the address appearing on the partnership’s tax return for 1984. Collier does not contest this latter assertion, and accordingly we must assume that it is true. (The partnership’s 1984 return was not made a part of the record in this case.)

Discussion

The notice which Collier received stated that the FPAA had been mailed to the TMP on May 24, 1989. Respondent admits that the FPAA was not actually mailed to the TMP until May 25, 1989. Accordingly, the 90-day period provided in section 6226(a) for a TMP to timely file a petition for readjustment of partnership items expired on August 23, 1989 (computed from the May 25 actual mailing date). In this regard, Collier’s reliance on the date of August 28, 1989, in computing the time within which to file the readjustment petition as TMP was erroneous.

Consistent with the foregoing, the 60-day period (following expiration of the 90-day period) provided in section 6226(b) for any notice partner or 5-percent notice group of partners to timely file a readjustment petition expired on October 23, 1989. Because Collier did not file his petition for readjustment of partnership items until November 13, 1989, a prerequisite to our jurisdiction over the partnership action is lacking. See Rule 240(c). Accordingly, this case must be dismissed. The question presented is whether the case should be dismissed as a consequence of petitioner’s failure to file in a timely manner or for respondent’s failure to issue a valid FPAA.

The standard for determining the validity of an FPAA is whether the FPAA provides adequate or minimal notice to the taxpayer that respondent has finally determined adjustments to the partnership return. Chomp Associates v. Commissioner, 91 T.C. 1069, 1073-1074 (1988); Byrd Investments v. Commissioner, 89 T.C. 1, 6-7 (1987), affd. without published opinion 853 F.2d 928 (11th Cir. 1988); Clovis I v. Commissioner, 88 T.C. 980, 982 (1987). As noted, Collier claims that the FPAA mailed to the TMP did not provide adequate or “minimal” notice because it was not addressed specifically to Collier as TMP, nor was it mailed to the proper address.

For purposes of issuing the notices specified in section 6223(a), including an FPAA, respondent is required to use the names, addresses, and profits interests shown on the partnership return for the year at issue as modified by “additional information furnished to him by the tax matters partner or any other person in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Secretary.” Sec. 6223(c)(1) and (2). Section 301.6231(a)(7)-1T, Temporary Proced. & Admin. Regs., 52 Fed. Reg. 6791 (March 5, 1987), provides the methods by which a partnership may designate a tax matters partner. The partnership may make a designation on the partnership return in the space for such designation, or if there is no such space on the return, then by attaching to the return a statement which: (1) Identifies the partnership and the tax matters partner by name, address, and taxpayer identification number, (2) declares that the statement is a tax matters partner designation for a particular taxable year, and (3) is signed by the partner signing the return. A designation can also be made after the return is filed by the majority interest general partners’ filing a statement with respondent designating a partner as tax matters partner. Sec. 301.6231(a)(7)-lT(e), Temporary Proced. & Admin. Regs., supra.

Respondent asserts that the FPAA issued to the TMP in May 1989 was not addressed specifically to Collier as TMP of Triangle Investors because there was confusion as to whether he was in fact the TMP. There is no evidence in the record that Triangle Investors properly designated Collier as TMP for the partnership for the year at issue. See sec. 301.6231(a)(7)-1T, Temporary Proced. & Admin.

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Bluebook (online)
95 T.C. No. 42, 95 T.C. 610, 1990 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 111, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/triangle-investors-pship-v-commr-tax-1990.