Appropriate orders and decisions will be entered.
Ps filed petitions for judicial review pursuant to
WHERRY,
(1) Whether Mr. Orian is precluded from contesting his underlying liability under
(2) whether petitioners' challenge to application of payments for the 2005 tax year constitutes an impermissible challenge;
(3) whether respondent's determination to proceed with a proposed lien and a levy concerning Mr. Orian's 2005
(4) whether respondent's determination to proceed with a proposed levy concerning Global Horizons' 2005 employment tax liability constitutes an abuse of discretion.
Some of the facts have been stipulated. The stipulations, with accompanying exhibits, are incorporated herein by this reference. At the time the petition was filed, Mr. Orian resided in California and Global 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*271 Horizons was a California corporation with its principal business address in Los Angeles, California. During the year at issue, 2005, Mr. Orian was a shareholder and president of Global Horizons, a company in the business of obtaining workers for temporary jobs, primarily agricultural. Global Horizons filed Forms 941, Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return, for the periods ending March 31, June 30, and September 30, 2005. Global Horizons subsequently submitted amended Forms 941 and Forms 941c, Supporting Statement to Correct Information, for the periods ending March 31, June 30, and September 30, 2005. Global Horizons also filed its Form 943 tax return for the 2005 tax year.
Abatements of tax were processed for the periods ending March 31 and June 30, 2005. With regard to the March 31, 2005, abatement, $271,806.60 was applied to Global Horizons' unpaid 2003 Form 941 employment tax liabilities. The remaining $466,335.20 was applied to Global Horizons' Form 941 employment tax liabilities for the period ending September 30, 2005. The $616,336.35 June 30, 2005, abatement, together with $67,464.40 of overpaid Form 943 tax for the period ending December 31, 2004, a $58 December 19, 2005, 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*272 payment less a $134.98 December 19, 2005, refund, were applied as follows: $56,666.22 to tax, interest, penalty, and costs for Form 941 tax for June 30, 2005; $166,251.34 to Global Horizons' unpaid Form 940, Employer's Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, tax for the period ending December 31, 2005; and $33,366.62 to Global Horizons' unpaid Form 941 employment tax liabilities for the period ending September 30, 2005. The remainder of the June 30, 2005, abatement, $427,439.59, was applied to Global Horizons' unpaid Form 943 employment tax liabilities for the period ending December 31, 2005.
An additional abatement of $102,709.41 was stipulated by the parties and is still due with respect to the amended Form 941 and the Form 941c submitted by Global Horizons for the period ending September 30, 2005. This abatement should be applied to Global Horizons' Form 943 liability for the 2005 taxable year.
Global Horizons made payments and tax deposits totaling $308,688.75 with respect to its Form 941 employment tax liability for the 2005 taxable year. A tax deposit penalty of $5,281.99 was assessed against Global Horizons with respect to its Form 941 tax liability for 2005.
Global Horizons' 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*273 Form 941 filed for the period ending December 30, 2005, reported a liability of $52,819.93 (without any consideration of the $5,281.99 tax deposit penalty) and an overpayment of $251,347.95, while respondent's records indicate an overpayment of $250,586.83. 2 Global Horizons requested that the overpayment of $250,586.83 be applied to its Form 943 liability, presumably for 2005. However, respondent initially applied the overpayment to Global Horizons' Form 941 employment tax return for the period ending March 31, 2006, and then to Global Horizons' 2005 Form 943 liability in the amount of $236,294.80. 32010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*274
On account of an alleged unpaid Form 940 and Form 943 liabilities for the 2005 tax year, a Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Hearing (CDP levy notice) was sent to Global Horizons on September 22, 2006. 4 Global Horizons timely filed a Form 12153, Request for a Collection Due Process Hearing (CDP hearing request).
At its collection due process hearing (CDP hearing), Global Horizons asserted that the liability on its Form 943 was incorrectly reported. Global Horizons claimed its Form 943 liability for the 2005 tax year should be reduced because some of its workers were H-2A visa holders who were exempt from income and employment taxes. Additionally, Global 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*275 Horizons questioned whether all its credits had been properly applied to its Form 943 liability for the 2005 tax year. No resolution of the underlying liability was reached, and Global Horizons did not provide financial information with which a collection alternative could be considered. Accordingly, a notice of determination sustaining the proposed levy action was issued to Global Horizons on April 8, 2008.
Also because of Global Horizons' allegedly unpaid Form 943 liability for the 2005 tax year, Letter 1153, Notice of Proposed Assessment (proposed assessment), of the 100-percent responsible person penalty, pursuant to
On June 12, 2007, Letter 3172, Notice 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*276 of Federal Tax Lien and Your Right to a Hearing (CDP lien notice) was sent to Mr. Orian. On June 14 or 15, 2007, Mr. Orian timely filed a CDP hearing request with respect to the CDP lien notice. 5
At his CDP hearing on September 4, 2007, Mr. Orian disputed the underlying tax liabilities, claiming that the Form 943 as filed was incorrect because some of Global Horizons' workers were H-2A visa holders. Respondent's settlement officer concluded: "Orian is
At the time of his CDP hearing, Mr. Orian had not filed his individual income tax returns for the taxable years 2005 and 2006. The notice of determination indicates in the attached settlement officer's memorandum that Mr. Orian was advised that in order to qualify for collection alternatives, he would need to file his outstanding and past due 2005 and 2006 Federal income tax returns, furnish financial information, including a Form 433-A, Collection Information Statement for Wage Earners and Self-Employed Individuals, and (if appropriate) Form 433-B, Collection Information Statement for Businesses, with all supporting documentation, and for an offer-in-compromise, file Form 656, Offer in Compromise. Because none of these requirements was met by the October 9, 2007, deadline, the settlement officer recommended and the Internal Revenue Service Office of Appeals (Appeals) held that petitioners 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*278 did not qualify for collection alternatives. Notices of determination concerning collection action for the filed lien and the proposed levy were sent to Mr. Orian on October 23 and 24, 2007, respectively.
If an administrative hearing is requested in a lien or levy case, the hearing is to be conducted by the Appeals office.
If a taxpayer's underlying liability is properly at issue, the Court reviews any determination regarding the underlying liability de novo.
Mr. Orian claims he never received the proposed assessment. Similarly, respondent argues that the proposed assessment was sent by certified mail to Mr. Orian at his last known address, but he did not avail himself of his opportunity to contest the proposed assessment within the time prescribed. 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*281 On these facts, respondent asserts that Mr. Orian is barred from bringing his underlying liability before the Court.
Because the assessment against Mr. Orian was a trust fund penalty, respondent properly issued a proposed assessment under
Documentary evidence of mailing may suffice as proof that a notice of deficiency was properly mailed to a taxpayer.
Respondent has established that a proposed assessment was sent by certified mail to Mr. Orian's last known address; that it was not returned; and that, according to the U.S. Postal Service's Web site, it was delivered on July 13, 2007. While Mr. Orian testified that he had no memory of receiving the letter and was frequently out of town, actual personal receipt of the proposed assessment following its delivery to the taxpayer's home is not required in order to prove that the Commissioner provided the required preliminary notice.
Accordingly, Mr. Orian has not met the burden of proof requirements to overcome the presumption that he received the proposed assessment. Because respondent has met the requirements of
Respondent argues that both petitioners are precluded from challenging the manner in which payments made by Global Horizons were applied. Respondent asserts that Global Horizons is precluded from pursuing this issue because it did not raise the issue at its CDP hearing and Mr. Orian is precluded because the issue constitutes an impermissible challenge to his underlying liability.
In reviewing for abuse of discretion under
According to the record, both Mr. Orian and Global Horizons questioned at their respective CDP hearings whether all credits and payments made by Global Horizons with regard to its 2005 tax liability had been properly applied to its Form 943 liability. The Court considers that a challenge to the application of payments to the taxpayer's overall liability is sufficient to preserve the issue for review. We disagree with respondent that because petitioners did not specifically dispute the "allocation of payments to the non-trust fund (as opposed to the trust fund) portion of the tax during the CDP Hearings", they are precluded from raising the issue with the Court.
This Court held in
Petitioners, like the taxpayers in
Petitioners contend that respondent was obliged to apply payments made towards Global Horizons' Form 941 tax liability for the first, second, third, and fourth quarters of 2005 against the balance of its Form 943 trust fund tax liability for 2005. Specifically, petitioners allege that the abatements of tax credited to Global Horizons because of overpayments of its Form 941 tax liability for the periods ending March 31 and June 30, 2005, should have been credited to its 2005 Form 943 tax liability. Additionally, petitioners claim that respondent's disregard of Global Horizons' 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*286 request that the overpayment of $250,586.83 for its December 30, 2005, Form 941 tax liability be applied to its Form 943 liability for 2005 is an abuse of discretion.
When a taxpayer owing more than one tax or owing tax for more than one year makes voluntary payments to the Commissioner, he or she may, by specific written directions, assign the application of those payments to any portion of the liability.
Respondent's partial application of Global Horizons' 2005 overpayment to its 2005 and 2006 Form 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*288 941 tax liabilities falls within respondent's authority to credit overpayments to any liability for any tax year and, therefore, was proper and not an abuse of discretion. See also
In the light of our conclusions
Whether an abuse of discretion has occurred depends upon whether the exercise of discretion is without sound basis in fact or law.
An Appeals officer may rely on a computer transcript or Form 4340, Certificate of Assessments, Payments, and Other Specified Matters, to verify that a valid assessment was made and that a notice and demand for payment was sent to the taxpayer in accordance with
It is ordinarily not an abuse of discretion for an Appeals officer to reject an offer-in-compromise and sustain the Commissioner's proposed collection action where the taxpayer has failed to submit requested financial information timely. See, e.g.,
Petitioners raised no issues at their respective CDP hearings other than the application of the H-2A visas of Global Horizons' employees and the proper allocation of payments to Global Horizons' 2005 employment tax liability.
The Appeals settlement officer assigned to Mr. Orian's CDP hearing reviewed the documentation provided to substantiate the H-2A visas, namely the Forms 1099. The Appeals settlement officer questioned the accuracy of the Social Security numbers and addresses listed on the Forms 1099 and noted his "enormous 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*291 trepidation" with regard to any abatement of Global Horizons' Form 943 liability based on the documentation provided. Petitioners presented no further documentation to substantiate the application of H-2A employee visas to the abatement of the Form 943 tax liability.
Following Mr. Orian's CDP hearing, the Appeals settlement officer conducted a thorough investigation of the application of credits generated by Global Horizons' payments for its Form 941 liability to its Form 943 liability for the 2005 tax year, including a review of the applicable Forms 4340. The Appeals settlement officer determined that respondent had followed all correct procedures in the assertion and the computation of the trust fund penalty assessed against Mr. Orian.
The Appeals settlement officer assigned to Global Horizons' CDP hearing also thoroughly reviewed the Forms 4340. She too determined that respondent followed all correct procedures and verified the accuracy of the levy proposed against Global Horizons.
The Court has reviewed the record, in particular the Forms 4340 for petitioners' 2005 tax year, and finds that the procedural requirements of
The request for a CDP hearing submitted by Global Horizons did not articulate a desire for any specific collection action, although the two requests submitted by Mr. Orian proposed both an offer-in-compromise and an installment arrangement. However, Mr. Orian never submitted a proposal for payment or resolution of the unpaid trust fund liability during his CDP hearing. Additionally, petitioners provided no financial information at their CDP hearings, and they were not in filing compliance during the time their CDP cases were pending before Appeals.
Accordingly, both Appeals settlement officers determined to proceed with the lien and levy actions, and did not entertain an installment agreement or other collection alternatives, because petitioners failed to fulfill two prerequisites for consideration of such alternatives: (1) Submission of financial information sufficient to enable the Commissioner to evaluate collection potential; and (2) a showing of compliance with obligations to make estimated tax payments for the following year (2006).
In the light of this history and on this record, respondent committed no abuse of discretion in concluding that petitioners would 2010 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 269">*293 not be eligible for an offer-in-compromise or a similar collection alternative.
In conclusion, the facts of these cases do not establish any abuse of discretion on respondent's part. The Court will sustain respondent's proposed collection actions as to the 2005 tax year.
The Court has considered all of petitioners' contentions, arguments, requests, and statements. To the extent not discussed herein, the Court concludes that they are meritless, moot, or irrelevant.
To reflect the foregoing,
1. Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.↩
2. The record does not disclose the basis for the $761.12 difference before consideration of the $5,281.99 tax deposit penalty. After consideration of the penalty, the difference is $4,520.87, which arises from the claimed amount of total tax deposits that Global Horizons' Form 941 indicates was $304,167.88 while respondent's records indicate the amount was $308,688.75. As Global Horizons has failed to show how its deposit total was derived or file a brief in these cases, we shall accept respondent's $308,688.75 amount.↩
3. The record in these cases does not contain a computer transcript or Form 4340, Certificate of Assessments, Payments, and Other Specified Matters, for Global Horizons' Mar. 31, 2006, Form 941 tax liability. Therefore, the Court cannot verify that all overpayments were properly credited. However, because petitioners failed to raise this issue at trial or file a brief in these cases, the Court accepts the record as it stands.
4. At the time the CDP levy notice was sent, Global Horizons also had an unpaid Form 940 tax liability for the 2005 tax year. This liability has since been paid.↩
5. The Form 12153 is stamped as received on June 15, 2007, but the settlement officer's memorandum attached to the notice of determination indicates that a faxed copy was received by the Internal Revenue Service on June 14, 2007.↩