United States v. CPC International Inc.

875 F. Supp. 264, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1255, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1604, 1995 WL 51651
CourtDistrict Court, D. New Jersey
DecidedFebruary 8, 1995
DocketCiv. No. 94-3232 (WHW)
StatusPublished

This text of 875 F. Supp. 264 (United States v. CPC International Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. New Jersey primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. CPC International Inc., 875 F. Supp. 264, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1255, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1604, 1995 WL 51651 (D.N.J. 1995).

Opinion

OPINION

WALLS, District Judge.

This matter is before the Court on the motion of defendant, CPC International Inc. (CPC), to dismiss this complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and for failure to state a claim.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

The United States is suing to recover an erroneous refund pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 7405. In 1990, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) examined CPC’s federal Form 1120 income tax returns for tax years 1978 through 1983. On October 30, 1990, the IRS issued a refund check to CPC in the amount of $3,713,283.84 of which $297,495.71 was refunded erroneously. The Government maintains that the $297,495.71 represented an overpayment by the IRS of allowable interest for tax year ending 1983.

On July 10, 1992, the IRS issued a refund check to CPC in the amount of $5,014,947.03 for tax year ending 1983 as a result of an additional carryback to CPC’s 1983 year from tax years 1985 and 1986. At that time, the government failed to retain or setoff the $297,495.71 against the $5,014,947.03 refund. CPC has refused to return the $297,495.71, [265]*265despite being advised that the IRS overpaid interest for tax year 1983.

On July 8, 1994, the Government filed a complaint against CPC to recover the $297,-495.71 with interest and attorney fees.

CPC argues that the Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction and that plaintiff fails to state a claim because such is time barred. CPC contends that the two (2) year period for bringing such an erroneous refund suit commenced October 30, 1990.

The Government counters that it had a right to retain and deduct the $297,495.71 against the refund made to CPC on July 10, 1992. The Government’s failure to setoff that stated amount against the July 1992 refund caused the July 1992 refund to be erroneous to the extent of $297,495.71. The statute of limitations, the Government asserts, therefore began to run in July 1992, not October 1990, making the July 8, 1994 filing of the complaint timely.

RULE 12(b)(6) DISMISSAL ON STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS GROUNDS

A complaint may be dismissed under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure when an affirmative defense appears on its face. See Ala, Inc. v. CCAIR, Inc, 29 F.3d 855, 859 (3d Cir.1994) (citing Continental Collieries, Inc. v. Shober, 130 F.2d 631, 635 (3d Cir.1942)). Under Rule 8(c) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the statute of limitations is an affirmative defense “and the burden of establishing its applicability to a particular claim rests with the defendant.” See Bradford-White Corp. v. Ernst & Whinney, 872 F.2d 1153, 1161 (3d Cir.1989), cert. denied sub nom. Ernst & Whinney v. Bradfordr-White Corp., 493 U.S. 993, 110 S.Ct. 542, 107 L.Ed.2d 539 (1989) (quoting Van Buskirk v. Carey Canadian Mines, Ltd., 760 F.2d 481, 487 (3d Cir.1985)).

In the present case, there is a two year statute of limitations for the government to exercise its right to sue for the recovery of an erroneous refund. 26 U.S.C.A. § 6532(b).

Recovery of an erroneous refund by suit under section 7405 shall be allowed only if such suit is begun within 2 years after the making of such refund, except that such suit may be brought at any time within 5 years from the making of the refund if it appears that any part of the refund was induced by fraud or misrepresentation of a material fact.

26 U.S.C.A. § 6532(b).

DISCUSSION

A cause of action consists of the plaintiffs right claimed and the defendant’s infringement of that right. The infringement is established according to the facts. A given set of facts may give rise to the infringement of separate and distinct rights and thereby separate causes of action. See 1A C.J.S. Actions § 21 (1985). The plaintiff has the right to bring an action when the acts or omissions constituting the cause of action occur. Id. A statute of limitations determines the appropriate time period permitted by law to the plaintiff to commence suit after the accrual of the cause of action.

In the present case, the Government has the right to recover erroneous refunds. CPC infringed that right when it refused to return the requested sum to the Government. The Government has a cause of action. When did this cause of action arise? Did the right to sue occur when the government made the erroneous refund or when CPC failed to repay the requested sum?

Guidance can be found in 26 U.S.C.A. §§ 7405 and 6532. Section 7405 specifically gives the Government the right to sue to recover erroneous refunds while section 6532(b) compels the Government to bring such a suit “within two years after the making of such refund ... [unless] the refund was induced by fraud or misrepresentation of a material fact.” 26 U.S.C.A. § 6532(b). The Government’s right to sue for the recovery of an erroneous refund therefore accrues when the IRS makes the refund and the right is extinguished after two years from the date of refund. In U.S. v. Wurts, 303 U.S. 414, 58 S.Ct. 637, 82 L.Ed. 932 (1938), the Supreme Court defined what is a refund for purposes of § 6532(b) and when the statute begins to run. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue had erroneously approved [266]*266a refund on March 15, 1932. On April 30, 1932, the check representing that refund was mailed to the taxpayer. On April 26, 1934, the Government filed suit to recover the refund. The issue before the Court was whether the statute of limitations began to run from the time the Commissioner allowed the refund or when the refund was paid. The Court found that the statute began to run from the date of payment:

We are of opinion that Congress did not intend the limitations § 6101 to run against the Government until the Government’s right “has accrued in a shape to be effectually enforced.” (footnote omitted) (quoting Borer v. Chapman, 119 U.S. 587, 602 [7 S.Ct. 342, 349, 30 L.Ed. 532] (1887)).
This statute does not begin to run against the Government when a claim is erroneously allowed. It begins to run from the date of payment.

303 U.S. at 418, 58 S.Ct. at 639.

In later cases, courts would rely on U.S. v. Wurts to resolve similar issues concerning the limitations period of Section 6532. See, e.g., U.S. v. Bruce, 642 F.Supp. 120 (S.D.Tex. 1986); Akers v. U.S., 541 F.Supp. 65 (M.D.Tenn.1981).

In U.S. v. Bruce, the IRS made an erroneous refund to the taxpayer by check.

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Related

Borer v. Chapman
119 U.S. 587 (Supreme Court, 1887)
United States v. Wurts
303 U.S. 414 (Supreme Court, 1938)
Ala, Inc. v. Ccair, Inc.
29 F.3d 855 (Third Circuit, 1994)
Continental Collieries, Inc. v. Shober
130 F.2d 631 (Third Circuit, 1942)
Akers v. United States
541 F. Supp. 65 (M.D. Tennessee, 1981)
United States v. Bruce
642 F. Supp. 120 (S.D. Texas, 1986)
Van Buskirk v. Carey Canadian Mines, Ltd.
760 F.2d 481 (Third Circuit, 1985)
Ernst & Whinney v. Bradford-White Corp.
493 U.S. 993 (Supreme Court, 1989)

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Bluebook (online)
875 F. Supp. 264, 75 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1255, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1604, 1995 WL 51651, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-cpc-international-inc-njd-1995.