United States v. Cohen

222 F.R.D. 652, 93 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 2586, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11627, 2004 WL 1535605
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Washington
DecidedMay 6, 2004
DocketNo. CV 04-0332-P
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 222 F.R.D. 652 (United States v. Cohen) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Cohen, 222 F.R.D. 652, 93 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 2586, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11627, 2004 WL 1535605 (W.D. Wash. 2004).

Opinion

ORDER GRANTING PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

PECHMAN, District Judge.

The United States filed its Complaint for Injunction and Other Relief (doc. # 1) on February 18, 2004, and moved for a preliminary injunction against the defendant, Jack Cohen, on March 10, 2004. The motion for a preliminary injunction is supported by the Declaration of Revenue Agent Sean Flannery and Exhibits A-D to his Declaration (doc. # 2). Defendant has not filed an answer or responded to the United States’ Motion and Brief in Support of Motion for Preliminary Injunction (doe. #3). In accordance with Fed.R.Civ.P. 65(d), the Court’s findings of fact and reasons for the entry of a preliminary injunction against the defendant are set forth below:

Standards for Entry of Preliminary Injunction

A. IRC § 7408 injunction

Section 7408(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C.) (hereinafter “IRC”) provides that the United States may commence an action in a district court to enjoin any person from engaging in conduct subject to penalty under IRC §§ 6700 and 6701. A district court has authority to grant such relief, if it finds (IRC § 7408(b)) —

(1) that the person has engaged in any conduct subject to penalty under section 6700 ... or section 6701 ..., and
(2) that injunctive relief is appropriate to prevent recurrence of such eonduct[.]

Since IRC § 7408 expressly provides for an injunction, the traditional guidelines for equitable relief do not have to be established for an injunction to issue. United States v. White, 769 F.2d 511, 515 (8th Cir.1985); United States v. Buttorjf, 761 F.2d 1056,1059 (5th Cir.1985) (‘When an injunction is explicitly authorized by statute, proper discretion usually requires its issuance if the prerequisites for the remedy have been demonstrated and the injunction would fulfill the legislative purpose”).

Code Section 6700 imposes a monetary penalty on any person who organizes, promotes or sells “a partnership or other entity,” “an investment plan or arrangement,” or “any other plan or arrangement,” and in connection therewith makes or furnishes a statement about the tax consequences of participating which he knows, or has reason to know, is false or fraudulent. IRC § 6700(a)(2)(A); see, e.g. United States v. White, 769 F.2d at 514-15; United States v. Buttorjf, 761 F.2d at 1059-63.

Code Section 6701 imposes penalties on any person who (1) aids, assists, or advises with respect to the preparation or presentation of any portion of a return; (2) knowing or having reason to believe that such assistance or advice will be used in connection with any material matter, and (3) who knows that such portion of the return, if used, would result in an understatement of another person’s tax liability.

B. IRC § 7402 injunction

IRC § 7402(a), a separate provision allowing the Court to enter injunctions, gives the district courts power to issue injunctions as may be necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of the internal revenue laws. IRC § 7402(a) confers upon district courts “a broad range of powers to compel compliance with the tax laws,” even in instances “when such interference does not violate any particular tax statute.” United States v. Ernst & Whinney, 735 F.2d 1296, 1300 (11th Cir. 1984), cert, denied, 470 U.S. 1050, 105 S.Ct. 1748, 84 L.Ed.2d 814 (1985). The legislative history accompanying IRC § 7408 explicitly states that “the court will continue to have full authority to act under [IRC § 7402] and [654]*654will continue to possess the great latitude inherent in equity jurisdiction to fashion appropriate equitable relief.” S.Rep. No. 97-494, supra at 269, U.S.Code Cong. & Admin.News 1982, pp. 781,1017.

Under IRC § 7402, the United States must show that an injunction is necessary or appropriate for the enforcement of the internal revenue laws and that the following four traditional equity factors weigh in favor of granting a preliminary injunction against defendant:

(1) whether the United States will suffer irreparable injury;
(2) whether harm to Cohen will result if the temporary injunctive relief is granted;
(3) whether the United States will ultimately prevail; and
(4) whether an injunction will serve the public interest.

Findings of Fact and Reasons for Entry of Preliminary Injunction

1. Defendant Jack Cohen resides at 6470 19th Street, Apartment F in Tacoma, Washington. Despite being personally served with process in this civil action on February 28, 2004, Cohen has not filed an answer or otherwise responded to the Complaint for Injunction and Other Relief, and is therefore in default.

2. Defendant has also failed to respond to the Government’s motion for a preliminary injunction, which was served on him on March 9, 2004, and filed on March 10, 2004.

3. Attached to the Declaration of Revenue Agent Sean Flannery as exhibit A are copies of pages that he printed from the internet website www.taxax.org. These pages include a home page (titled “The Tax Ax”), a “Layman’s Guide to Withholding” (which advocates that employers stop withholding federal income and social security taxes from the wages of their employees), and pages where defendant markets his products and services. Defendant is identified throughout the pages of “The Tax Ax” as its author and publisher.

4. A fair reading of “The Tax Ax” and the other materials contained in exhibit A shows that Cohen has engaged in conduct subject to penalty under IRC § 6700 by organizing and promoting an abusive tax scheme which advocates the following non-exclusive list of false or fraudulent statements regarding the internal revenue laws:

a. Cohen repeatedly asserts that the federal income tax is a “hoax,” that individual taxpayers are not required to pay federal income taxes on their respective gross incomes, and that the IRS is not a government agency;
b. Cohen advocates a discredited scheme called the “U.S. Sources Argument” (also known as the IRC § 861 argument) which asserts that U.S. citizens and residents are not subject to tax on wages and other income earned or derived in the United States, and that only income from foreign sources is taxable; and
c. Claims that employers are not legally required by the internal revenue laws to withhold income or employment taxes from the wages paid to their employees.

5. Cohen also violates IRC § 6700 by marketing the following products and services on “The Tax Ax” website:

a. The W-4 Killer Pack, price $50,00. Cohen sells the W-4 Killer Pack as “a kit for employees who wish to stop the withholding process.”
b. Custom Letters, price $100,00.

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Bluebook (online)
222 F.R.D. 652, 93 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 2586, 2004 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 11627, 2004 WL 1535605, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-cohen-wawd-2004.