2006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*33 Ps made certain payments before filing their 2002 tax return and
intended that the payments would be applied to their 2002
taxable year. R first credited the payments to Ps' 2002 taxable
year but later credited the payments to P husband's outstanding
tax liability from 1978 after Ps filed their 2002 tax return on
which they claimed an overpayment. R subsequently determined a
deficiency in income tax and an accuracy-related penalty
pursuant to
sent Ps a notice of deficiency. Ps timely petitioned this Court
for a redetermination of the deficiency and contended that the
Court has deficiency jurisdiction over the issue of whether R
improperly applied the payments intended for Ps' 2002 taxable
year to P husband's 1978 tax liability because the payments were
amounts "collected without assessment" within the meaning of
issue of whether R improperly applied the 2002 payments to P
2006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*34 husband's 1978 tax liability because R credited P husband's 1978
tax liability pursuant to
reported an overpayment on their 2002 tax return. This Court
does not have jurisdiction to review any credit or reduction
made by the Commissioner pursuant to
.
127 T.C. 178">*178 WELLS,
FINDINGS OF FACT
Some of the facts and certain exhibits have been stipulated. The parties' stipulations of fact are incorporated in this Opinion by reference and are found as facts. At the time of filing the petition, petitioners resided in Archer, Florida.
Petitioners owned a minority interest, as tenants by the entirety, in AllChem Industries Holding Corp. (AllChem), an S corporation. AllChem made distributions to shareholders primarily to help them pay income taxes for the current taxable year. On April 10, 2003, AllChem received a notice of assignment from petitioners, in which petitioners expressed their intention that all of the proceeds from any dividend distribution be allocated to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and that one-half of any distribution be applied as an "advance payment" toward petitioners' 2002 taxable year and the other half as an "estimated payment" for the first quarter of petitioners' 2003 taxable year. On April 11, 2003, respondent sent AllChem a notice of levy with respect to petitioner Ryals's (Mr. Ryals's) unpaid income tax liabilities for taxable years 1977 and 1978. 1 Four2006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*36 days later, on April 15, 2003, AllChem declared a dividend.
On April 15, 2003, petitioners filed a request for an extension of time to file their 2002 tax return and also submitted two payments of $ 11,000 and $ 2,000 to be applied to their 2002 taxable year. Petitioners previously had made, on June 19, 2002, another estimated payment of $ 2,000 to be applied to their 2002 taxable year. Respondent had not determined a deficiency in income tax for petitioners' 2002 taxable year at the time petitioners filed their extension request on April 15, 2003.
On May 9, 2003, respondent received from AllChem two separate checks each in the amount of $ 7,000 that petitioners intended as estimated tax payments for their 2002 and 127 T.C. 178">*180 2003 taxable years. 22006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*37 Respondent credited one of the $ 7,000 payments to petitioners' 2002 taxable year. 3
On October 15, 2003, petitioners timely filed their 2002 tax return and reported: A tax liability of $ 23,979, withholding credits of $ 12,694, estimated tax payments of $ 18,000, 42006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*38 $ 11,000 paid with their request for an extension to file, and an overpayment of $ 17,645 and requested a refund of $ 17,585. 5 Pursuant to
Respondent later determined a deficiency in petitioners' income tax of $ 18,481 and a
At the call of the instant case for trial during the Court's trial session on January 23, 2006, the parties appeared and represented to the Court that the case was settled and filed a stipulation of settled issues. We granted the parties an additional 30 days to submit a decision document. After the trial session, a dispute arose between the parties regarding whether certain payments petitioners intended to be applied to their 2002 taxable year were properly credited to earlier years by respondent. Petitioners refused to sign the decision document prepared by respondent's counsel. The proposed decision document stated that there was a deficiency in petitioners' Federal income tax of $ 18,481 and a
OPINION
We must decide whether we have jurisdiction to decide whether respondent improperly credited the payments in issue to Mr. Ryals's 1978 tax liability. The Tax Court is a court of limited jurisdiction and may exercise jurisdiction only to the extent expressly authorized by Congress.
For purposes of
(a) In General. -- For purposes of this title in the case
of income, estate, and gift taxes imposed by subtitles A
and B and excise taxes imposed by chapters 41, 42, 43, and
44 the term "deficiency" means the amount by which the tax
imposed by subtitle A or B, 2006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*41 or chapter 41, 42, 43, or 44
exceeds the excess of --
127 T.C. 178">*182 (1) the sum of
(A) the amount shown as the tax by the taxpayer
upon his return, if a return was made by the
taxpayer and an amount was shown as the tax by
the taxpayer thereon, plus
(B) the amounts previously assessed (or collected
without assessment) as a deficiency, over --
(2) the amount of rebates, as defined in subsection
(b)(2), made.
Petitioners contend that the payments in issue fall within the parenthetical language of
We therefore conclude that the payments in issue were estimated tax payments and not amounts assessed (or collected without assessment) as a deficiency pursuant to
We do not have jurisdiction over the issue of whether respondent improperly credited the payments in issue because respondent credited $ 10,406.63 to Mr. Ryals's 1978 tax liability, pursuant to
127 T.C. 178">*183 Because our decision will include a
2006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*44 After our decision in
UNDERPAYMENTS.
(a) Imposition of Penalty. -- If this section applies to
any portion of an underpayment of tax required to be shown
on a return, there shall be added to the tax an amount
equal to 20 percent of the portion of the underpayment to
which this section applies.
* * * * * * *
(a) Underpayment. --
term "underpayment" means the amount by which any tax
imposed by this title exceeds the excess of --
(1) the sum of --
(A) the amount shown as the tax by the taxpayer
on his return, 2006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*45 plus
(B) amounts not so shown previously assessed
(
(2) the amount of rebates made. [Emphasis added.]
(d) Amounts not so shown previously assessed (or collected
without assessment). * * * For purposes of [defining an
underpayment for purposes of
"collected without assessment" is the amount by which the total
of the credits allowable under section 31 (relating to tax
withheld on wages) * * *
other 127 T.C. 178">*184 payments in satisfaction of tax liability made before the
return is filed, exceed the tax shown on the return (provided
such excess has not been refunded or allowed as a
taxpayer). [Emphasis added.]
Thus,
As we have found above, respondent first credited the disputed estimated tax payments to petitioners' taxable year 2002. After petitioners reported an overpayment of $ 17,645 on their 2002 tax return, respondent credited $ 10,406.63 of the claimed overpayment to Mr. Ryals's 1978 tax liability pursuant to
2006 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 33">*47 To reflect the foregoing,
1. The notice of levy stated that, as of May 11, 2003, Mr. Ryals's 1977 and 1978 tax liabilities would total $ 1,687,539.78.↩
2. In a letter attached to the checks, AllChem's vice president of finance stated:
Pursuant to the IRS Notice of Levy dated April 11, 2003,
enclosed are two separate checks in the amount of $ 7,000 each
made payable to the IRS which represent a dividend distribution
of AllChem Industries Holding Corporation (the "Company")
approved April 11, 2003 and otherwise payable to Jack C. Ryals
and Susan Bocock Ryals as tenants by the entireties. Also
enclosed are an Assignment of Dividend Distribution and a Notice
of Assignment provided to us by Mr. and Mrs. Ryals on April 10,
2003.↩
3. Respondent credited the other $ 7,000 payment from AllChem, that petitioners intended as estimated tax payments for 2003, to Mr. Ryals's 1977 tax liability. We note that petitioners' 2003 taxable year is not at issue in the instant case.↩
4. Petitioners' arguments have not been consistent. The $ 18,000 of estimated tax payments that petitioners claimed on their 2002 tax return includes the $ 7,000 payment from AllChem, that petitioners intended as an estimated tax payment for 2003, but that respondent credited to Mr. Ryals's 1977 tax liability. See
5. The record does not indicate why petitioners requested a refund that was $ 60 less than the amount of their claimed overpayment.↩
6. Cf.
7. Former
8. Respondent was not precluded from subsequently determining a deficiency for petitioners' 2002 taxable year despite allowing a portion of the claimed overpayment. See