1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*182 An amended declaration of estimated tax was timely filed 2 months before due date of income tax returns (Form 1040), but petitioners failed to pay their estimated tax. Timely income tax returns (Form 1040) were filed, and again the petitioners were delinquent.
16 T.C. 1157">*1158 These proceedings have been consolidated.
Respondent determined deficiencies in income tax and additions to tax for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1945, of each petitioner as follows:
Addition to tax | ||||
Docket | ||||
Petitioner | No. | Deficiency | ||
294 (d) (1) (B) | ยง 294 (d) (2) | |||
Carl M. Stephan | 25668 | $ 5,725.51 | $ 3,500.00 | $ 840.00 |
Evelyn Stephan | 25669 | 5,740.51 | 3,500.00 | 864.30 |
In a statement attached to the deficiency notice to each petitioner the Commissioner1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*184 stated as follows:
It is held that a penalty of $ 3,500.00 should be asserted for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1945, under the provisions of
Petitioners did not contest the deficiency arising from the redetermination of their income tax liability and respondent conceded that he erred with respect to the addition to tax proposed under
FINDINGS OF FACT.
Petitioners are residents of San Antonio, Texas. Their tax returns for the fiscal year ending August 31, 1945, were filed with the collector of internal revenue for the first district of Texas at Austin, Texas.
The facts as stipulated by the parties are as follows:
(1) Carl M. Stephan and Evelyn Stephan, Petitioners, husband and wife, were fiscal year taxpayers in the year in question with said year running from September 1, 1944 to August 31, 1945.
(2) On or about November 15, 1944, Petitioners filed a joint declaration of estimated tax on Form 1040 ES showing no ($ 00.00) 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*185 tax.
(3) On or about September 15, 1945, Petitioners filed a joint amended estimate on Form 1040 ES showing $ 70,000.00.
(4) On or about November 15, 1945, Petitioner Carl M. Stephan filed his final individual income tax return on Form 1040 showing a tax due in the amount of $ 43,274.55.
(5) On or about said same date, November 15, 1945, Petitioner Evelyn Stephan filed her individual income tax return on Form 1040 showing a tax due in the amount of $ 43,664.55.
Thus, Petitioners showed a total tax due on their final returns, Forms 1040, filed on November 15, 1945, in the sum of $ 86,939.10.
16 T.C. 1157">*1159 (6) No payments were made by Petitioners on the amended estimate filed September 15, 1945, nor on the final returns filed on November 15, 1945, until March 13, 1946.
The taxes jointly owed by Petitioners totaling $ 86,939.10 were paid as follows:
Date | Amount |
On or about March 13, 1946 | $ 10,000.00 |
On or about April 17, 1946 | 15,000.00 |
On or about May 23, 1946 | 15,000.00 |
On or about June 10, 1946 | 15,000.00 |
On or about July 11, 1946 | 7,500.00 |
On or about August 2, 1946 | 7,500.00 |
On or about August 12, 1946 | 7,500.00 |
On or about Sept. 3, 1946 | 7,500.00 |
On or about Sept. 16, 1946 | 1,939.10 |
1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*186 (7) A tax deficiency was asserted against Petitioner Carl M. Stephan in the amount of $ 5,725.51 for the year in question; bringing said Petitioner's total tax liability to the sum of $ 49,000.06.
(8) A tax deficiency was asserted against Petitioner Evelyn Stephan for the year in question in the amount of $ 5,740.51; bringing said Petitioner's total tax liability to the sum of $ 49,405.06.
OPINION.
The petitioners timely filed a joint amended declaration of estimated tax for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1945, on September 15, 1945, disclosing an estimated tax due of $ 70,000. No part of the tax was paid on September 15, 1945, on which date the estimated tax was due; no payment was made by petitioners until March 13, 1946. Each petitioner filed a separate income tax return (Form 1040) for the fiscal year ended August 31, 1945, on November 15, 1945, and petitioners paid no part of the estimated tax on that date nor did they pay any part of the tax shown to be due by the income tax returns. No payment of any taxes was made until March 13, 1946. The payment of taxes was made in the manner indicated in the stipulated facts, periodic payments being made by petitioners between March1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*187 13, 1946, and September 16, 1946.
The petitioners failed to show that either of them was granted an extension of time by the Commissioner for filing a declaration of estimated tax and paying the estimated tax. The petitioners have not raised the question of reasonable cause for their failure to pay the estimated tax when due, and the facts in the instant case do not show any grounds for reasonable cause for failure to pay the estimated tax when due.
There is no dispute between the petitioners and the respondent with respect to the timely filing of the joint amended declaration of estimated tax for the taxable year in question. The question presented for our decision is: Are the petitioners liable under
* * * *
(d) Estimated Tax. -- (1) Failure to file declaration or pay installment of estimated tax. -- * * * * (B) Failure to pay installments of estimated1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*188 tax declared. -- Where a declaration of estimated tax has been made and filed within the time prescribed, or where a declaration of estimated tax has been made and filed after the time prescribed and the Commissioner has found that failure to make and file such declaration within the time prescribed was due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, in the case of a failure to pay an installment of the estimated tax within the time prescribed, unless such failure is shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner to be due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect, there shall be added to the tax 5 per centum of the unpaid amount of such installment, and in addition 1 per centum of such unpaid amount for each month (except the first) or fraction thereof during which such amount remains unpaid. In no event shall the aggregate addition to the tax under this subparagraph with respect to any installment due but unpaid, exceed 10 per centum of the unpaid portion of such installment.
The respondent determined additions to tax under this section to the extent of 10 per cent of the amended estimate of tax which showed a joint estimated tax liability of $ 70,000 for the petitioners. 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*189 As the petitioners filed separate income tax returns (Form 1040) for that fiscal period, respondent determined the 10 per cent addition to tax, or $ 3,500, against each petitioner. Petitioners have taken exception to such action in so far as the addition to tax exceeds 6 per cent, and they contend that the monthly 1 per cent addition to tax for nonpayment of the estimated tax should not continue after the filing of, and passing of the due date for, the income tax return. When this interpretation is given, petitioners contend the addition to the tax should be only 6 per cent.
The issue was developed in the briefs by arguments discussing the intent of Congress in enacting this section of the Code. An outline of Supplement M indicates how
Supplement M -- Interest and Additions to the Tax
Sec. 291. Failure to file return.
Sec. 292. Interest on deficiencies.
Sec. 293. Additions to the tax in case of deficiency.
Sec. 295. Time extended for payment of tax shown on return.
Sec. 296. Time extended for payment of deficiency.
Sec. 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*190 297. Interest in case of jeopardy assessments.
Sec. 298. Bankruptcy and receiverships.
Sec. 299. Removal of property or departure from United States.
16 T.C. 1157">*1161
(a) Tax Shown on Return. --
(b) Deficiency.
(c) Filing of Jeopardy Bond.
(d) Estimated Tax. -- (1) Failure to file declaration or pay installment of estimated tax. (A) Failure to File Declaration. -- (B) Failure to Pay Installments of Estimated Tax Declared. -- (2) Substantial underestimate of estimated tax. -- (3) Tax on self-employment income. --
(e) Substantial Overstatement of Expected Carry-Backs. --
Other phases of the estimated tax portion of the pay-as-you-go plan, which sections are not essential in reaching our decision here, are set forth in
We have examined the legislative history of
(a) Tax Shown on Return. -- * * * * (4) Failure to pay installment of estimated tax. -- In the case of the failure to pay an installment of the estimated tax within the time prescribed, there shall be added to the tax $ 2.50 or 2 1/2 per centum of the tax, whichever is the greater, for each installment with respect to which such failure occurs.
At pages 21 and 22 the Committee Report states:
Penalties Connected with Estimated Tax
Your committee has revised the penalties connected with the filing and payment of estimated tax under the Current Tax Payment Act of 1943. There are considerable complications in the present law which are traceable to the difficulty of estimating a year's income ahead1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*192 of time. The many unknowns in such a prediction cause numerous cases of hardship, especially for merchants, small businessmen, farmers and commission salesmen. The penalties which are changed are those for substantial underestimate of the tax, for failure to file an estimate, and failure to pay an installment of the tax. 1. * * * * 16 T.C. 1157">*1162 2.
The penalties for failure to file a declaration and for failure to pay an installment of the estimated tax are rearranged to make them commensurate with the failure and to graduate them according to the length of time the failure continues. It is also provided that the penalties are not applicable where there is reasonable cause for the delay.
In accordance with the Committee Report,
Code
In deciding this case we cannot ignore the wording of the subsection itself:
* * * there shall be added to the tax 5 per centum of the unpaid amount of such installment, and in addition 1 per centum of such unpaid amount for each month (except the first) or fraction thereof during which
The Code does not provide for the monthly addition to tax to be discontinued with the filing of a timely income tax return on the due date. Instead, it provides that in no event shall the aggregate addition to tax exceed 10 per cent. Of course, it goes without saying that, if when the final return is filed by a taxpayer the tax due is fully paid, all additions to the tax thereafter on account of failure to pay the estimated tax would cease. That would be because no further tax was due, estimated or otherwise. But in the instant case that was not done. When petitioners filed their separate income tax returns on November 15, 1945, they did not pay the tax which was shown to be due on the returns. 1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*194 Nothing was paid until March 13, 1946. Up until that time the entire amount shown on the returns filed November 15, 1945, and on the estimated return of September 15, 1945, remained unpaid. Under these circumstances it seems to us that the Commissioner's imposition of the 10 per cent penalty of the estimated tax is warranted.
The subsection of the Code with which we are now dealing,
1951 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 182">*195
It is true that in the
Considering both our decision in