1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147">*147
45 T.C. 392">*392 OPINION
The notice of deficiency for petitioner's fiscal year ended June 30, 1955, determined an overassessment in income tax of $ 12,791.94 and additions to tax under
It is determined that your failure to file income tax returns for your taxable year ended * * * June 30, 1955, within the times prescribed by law has not been shown to be due to reasonable cause. Twenty-five percent of the taxes due on the respective due dates for filing such returns has therefore been added to such taxes under the provisions of * * *
It is also determined that * * * part of the1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147">*149 underpayment of tax for the taxable year ended June 30, 1955, (prior to the carryback of subsequently incurred net operating losses) were due to negligence and intentional disregard of rules and regulations. Five percent * * * of such underpayment for the year ended June 30, 1955 is therefore added to the taxes for such years under the provisions of * * *
45 T.C. 392">*393 Respondent in his determination of petitioner's income tax liability for the taxable year ended June 30, 1955, showed as the taxable income disclosed by petitioner's return the amount of $ 35,176.81 and as unallowable deductions and additional income the amount of $ 59,992.29, making a total of $ 95,169.10, from which was subtracted nontaxable income and additional deductions totaling $ 95,169.10 among which was included a net operating loss carryback deduction of $ 63,708.74. Since the nontaxable income and additional deductions as determined by respondent equaled the amount of taxable income determined by him, respondent in his notice of deficiency showed petitioner's taxable income as adjusted for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1955, as none. Respondent showed1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147">*150 the income tax liability as shown on petitioner's income tax return for its fiscal year 1955 to be $ 12,791.94, and on this basis determined an overassessment for such year in that amount. In computing the additions to tax under
For the purpose of disposition of this motion the parties offered as joint exhibits the income tax return for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1955, filed by petitioner on October 13, 1958, which showed as the total amount of tax due the amount of $ 12,791.94, and a claim for corporation income tax executed on behalf of petitioner on October 24, 1958, and filed with respondent subsequently thereto. The claim stated that it was for the taxable year July 1, 1954, to June 30, 1955. In the space labeled "Amount of assessment" was shown the figure $ 12,791.94 and in the space for showing date of payment was written, "None (See Item 9)." Attached to the claim (Form 843) was a paper headed, "Statement to accompany1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147">*151 Claim for Refund -- Form 843 -- Item 9" which stated:
The claimant believes that this claim should be allowed for the following reasons:
Taxpayer corporation filed its tax return for the fiscal year from July 1, 1954 to June 30, 1955, which showed a balance of income tax due in the amount of $ 12,791.94. None of this tax was paid since the officers of taxpayer corporation relied upon the advice of an attorney-at-law who qualified as a tax attorney that an income tax return need not be filed since all the business of the corporation was transacted outside the United States of America. Subsequent tax returns of taxpayer corporation reflect a net loss of $ 10,368.06 for the fiscal year from July 1, 1955 to June 30, 1956, and a net loss of $ 153,685.85 for the fiscal year from July 1, 1956 to June 30, 1957.
This claim is filed for the purpose of reserving to taxpayer corporation the right to carry back the losses of the two years subsequent to the fiscal year from July 1, 1954 to June 30, 1955, as provided by
45 T.C. 392">*394 In
Petitioner contends that two factors distinguish the
It would be unfortunate indeed if a taxpayer's substantive rights depended upon whether he showed his claim upon the form itself or upon a document accompanying it, especially if the document is attached to his return. * * * The Tax Court, therefore, had jurisdiction to hear the taxpayer's case.
45 T.C. 392">*395 In
If we assume that the statement which was attached to petitioner's Form 843 constituted such a denial of tax liability that, had this statement been attached to petitioner's return, the holding in
The deficiency notice shows that the returns filed by petitioner for its fiscal years 1956 and 1957 reported losses, but there is nothing in the record to show that these returns on their faces showed that such losses constituted net operating loss carrybacks. If we assume from the statements of counsel that these returns were filed on the same day as the return for petitioner's fiscal year 1955, we cannot conclude1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147">*156 that they were a part of the 1955 return or that they contained any information to show that there was no tax due by petitioner for its fiscal year 1955.
Our jurisdiction is statutory. The statute does not permit us to enlarge our jurisdiction because of the appeal of the type of equitable argument made by petitioner in the instant case. The facts here show that petitioner filed a return for its fiscal year 1955 showing a tax liability of $ 12,791.94.
We are next confronted with the issue of whether respondent's notice of deficiency does in fact determine a deficiency in income tax for the year ended June 30, 1955. As we pointed out, the statement attached to respondent's notice of deficiency sets up an income tax due from petitioner for its fiscal year ended June 30, 1955, in the amount of $ 40,970.44 prior to the allowance of the net operating loss carryback from subsequent years. It is this determination of a deficiency in tax for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1955, prior to the allowance of the net operating loss carryback which gives rise to a large portion of the additions to tax determined.
Certain cases have dealt with situations in which an underpayment of tax existed1966 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 147">*157 at the date a tax return was filed but did not exist at 45 T.C. 392">*396 the date respondent made his determination of tax liability because a subsequently incurred net operating loss carryback reduced income for the prior year. In
The subsequent cancellation of the duty to pay this assessed deficiency does not cancel in like manner the duty to pay the interest on that deficiency. From the date the original return was to be filed until the date the deficiency was actually assessed, the taxpayer had a positive obligation to the United States: a duty to pay its tax. * * *
Relying on
Section 6211(a) defines deficiency as the amount by which the tax imposed exceeds the excess of the amount shown as tax by the taxpayer on his return plus amounts previously assessed or collected as a deficiency without assessment over the amount of rebates, as defined in subsection (b) (2). In the instant case the tax imposed after allowance of the net operating loss carryback is less than the tax reported by the petitioner on its return. It is this fact which causes there to be an overassessment of the amount of tax shown as due on the return. This overassessment had arisen at the time respondent issued his notice.
It is the existence of a deficiency at the date of the sending of the notice of deficiency that confers jurisdiction upon this Court. In