An appropriate order will be issued granting respondent's motion, and decision will be entered for respondent.
RUWE,
At the time the petition was filed, petitioner's principal place of business was in Davidsonville, Maryland.
Respondent's records show unpaid liabilities and penalties for the tax period ending on September 30, 2008. Respondent sent petitioner a Letter 3172(DO), Notice of Federal Tax Lien Filing and Your Right to a Hearing Under
On April 16, 2013, Settlement Officer Nancy A. Miltner (Settlement Officer Miltner) verified that the assessments were proper, that a notice and demand was issued to petitioner within 60 days of assessment, and that there was still a balance2015 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 62">*64 due. Also, on the same date, Settlement Officer Miltner sent a letter to petitioner acknowledging receipt of petitioner's collection due process (CDP) hearing request and scheduling a telephone conference call. In the letter Settlement Officer Miltner informed petitioner that she could not consider a collection alternative such as an installment agreement or an offer-in-compromise unless petitioner submitted a completed Form 433-B, Collection Information Statement for Businesses, with supporting documents.
The tax and penalties in issue were assessed on the basis of petitioner's return filed on August 18, 2010. On May 13, 2013, Settlement Officer Miltner considered petitioner's allegation that the liabilities were paid pursuant to an installment agreement entered into in 2008 for all of the 2008 tax periods by reviewing the archived history in respondent's records. Settlement Officer Miltner determined that the liabilities in issue were unpaid and were not part of the 2008 *65 installment agreement, that the return for the tax period at issue in this case was not filed until 2010, and that the tax was not assessed until 2010.
On May 13, 2013, petitioner's representative and Settlement Officer2015 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 62">*65 Miltner held a conference call. During the phone conference, petitioner's representative and Settlement Officer Miltner discussed that respondent's records still showed that the liabilities for the tax period at issue were unpaid. Settlement Officer Miltner informed petitioner's representative that she could not consider a collection alternative unless petitioner submitted a Form 433-B. Settlement Officer Miltner also informed petitioner's representative that she could not consider a penalty abatement request unless petitioner submitted a letter asking for abatement of penalties and explaining why petitioner had a reasonable cause defense to the penalties. Petitioner never submitted the Form 433-B, the penalty abatement request, or any financial documents.
On August 28, 2013, the Appeals officer issued to petitioner a Notice of Determination Concerning Collection Action(s) Under
Petitioner timely filed a petition with this Court.
Summary judgment is intended to expedite litigation and to avoid unnecessary and expensive trials.
*68 If a taxpayer's underlying liability is properly at issue, the Court reviews any determination regarding the underlying liability de novo. If the underlying liability is not at issue, the Court reviews a notice of determination for abuse of discretion.
Petitioner failed to raise an issue as to the penalties during the CDP hearing.
The Court reviews administrative determinations by the IRS Office of Appeals regarding nonliability issues for abuse of discretion.
It is not an abuse of discretion for the IRS Office of Appeals to determine that a taxpayer is ineligible for a collection alternative if the taxpayer does not provide requested financial information.
*70 We hold that the determination to proceed with collection was not an abuse of Settlement Officer Miltner's discretion. The determination to proceed with collection action is sustained.
To reflect the foregoing,
1. Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code as amended and in effect at all relevant times, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
2. On December 8, 2014, respondent's motion was filed and, on the same date, the Court issued an order directing petitioner to file, on or before December 30, 2014, a response to the motion. On January 5, 2015, the Court filed petitioner's letter dated December 23, 2014. Because petitioner did not file a proper response to the motion and failed to respond to the specific assertions in respondent's motion, on January 16, 2015, we ordered petitioner to file a proper response to the motion on or before February 17, 2015. Petitioner has not responded to respondent's motion pursuant to our January 16, 2015, order.
3. By failing to respond to the specific assertions in the motion, petitioner has waived its right to contest them.
4. The merits are not properly raised if the taxpayer challenges the underlying tax liability but fails to present the IRS Office of Appeals with any evidence with respect to that liability after being given a reasonable opportunity to present such evidence.