1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*10 An order will be issued denying petitioners' motion for partial summary judgment.
Ps filed a refund suit in District Court for an overpayment of their 1984 tax, asserting that they were entitled to deductions which had not been claimed on their original income tax return and which related to commodity trading performed through C, a brokerage firm. The court entered summary judgment against Ps. R subsequently issued a notice of deficiency for the taxable years 1983 and 1984, determining that Ps were not entitled to deductions which had been claimed on their original income tax returns relating to trading activity with C. Ps moved for partial summary judgment, contending that the doctrine of res judicata prevented further litigation of the 1984 taxable year.
104 T.C. 221">*221 DAWSON,
OPINION OF THE SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE
POWELL,
Respondent1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*12 issued a notice of deficiency on February 16, 1990, to petitioners, determining Federal income tax deficiencies and additions to tax as follows:
Additions to tax | |||
Year | Deficiency | Sec. 6653(a)(1) | Sec. 6661 |
1983 | $ 560,882 | $ 28,044 | $ 140,221 |
1984 | 87,362 | 4,368 | 21,841 |
Respondent also determined additions to tax under section 6653(a)(2) in amounts equal to 50 percent of the interest due on the underpayment of tax attributable to negligence for 1983 and 1984.
FINDINGS OF FACT
Petitioners were residents of West Palm Beach, Florida, when they timely filed their petition in this case.
For purposes of the motion, the facts are summarized as follows. In 1981 petitioners opened a trading account with the Houston, Texas, office of ContiCommodity Services, Inc. (Conti), a futures commission merchant. When the office closed in May 1984, Conti filed suit against several customers, including petitioners, to recover alleged deficit equity balances in their accounts. The defendant customers filed counterclaims alleging, among other things, that many of the trades giving rise to the alleged deficit balances were misallocated, prearranged, or fictitious. All litigation relating1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*13 to Conti's Houston office was consolidated for purposes of discovery in a multidistrict litigation (MDL) proceeding pursuant to
At about this time, respondent began investigating the trading performed at Conti's Houston office. By notice of deficiency respondent disallowed certain deductions claimed by petitioners on their 1981 and 1982 Federal income tax returns. Petitioners filed petitions with the Tax Court. Those cases are currently pending under docket Nos. 14273-86 and 32570-86.
104 T.C. 221">*223 In 1986 the Tax Court approved a procedure proposed by petitioners and other similarly situated taxpayers whereby all issues involving the Conti trading, including the tax issues, allegedly would be resolved in the MDL. As part of that procedure, petitioners filed a tax refund claim in the amount of $ 104,027 for the 1984 taxable year based on deductions for losses and expenses related to the Conti trading that they had not reported on their original return. Respondent disallowed the claim, and1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*14 petitioners brought a refund suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The case was then transferred to the Northern District of Illinois and consolidated with the MDL.
In the amended complaint, petitioners alleged:
many of the trades made by Conti for the Plaintiffs' accounts were legitimate trades that gave rise to real economic and tax consequences for the Plaintiffs. These consequences included realizing gain and loss on the disposition of the property traded, and realizing interest income and incurring interest expense during the period the property was held and financed.
The Government denied the allegation in its answer to the amended complaint. Further, the Government asserted that the complaint failed to state a claim upon which relief could be granted and that the complaint was so vague and ambiguous that it was unable to frame a proper responsive pleading.
The Government moved for summary judgment on the tax refund, which Judge Hart granted in a Memorandum Opinion and order dated January 11, 1990, as follows:
As regards their claims against Conti and other parties, the taxpayers take the position that the trades were all "bad." As regards1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*15 the tax suits, they must take the position that they were pursuing a legitimate business or making legitimate investments and therefore must contend the trades were "good." The government argues the taxpayers cannot pursue these two inconsistent positions. That issue, however, need not be decided. Even if the taxpayers can plead in the alternative, in response to a motion for summary judgment they must present evidence to support each alternative pursued. The taxpayers present insufficient evidence to support that they have any legitimate losses or deductions. The only thing that can even be construed as trying to make such a showing are their references to Conti pleadings and the taxpayers' claims for refund.
A party cannot respond to a motion for summary judgment simply by citing its own pleadings. As for the Conti pleadings, they may be admissible against the Conti parties as admissions by a party-opponent, but they are not admissible against the government under that exception. Since the allegations of the complaint are not based on personal knowledge, they 104 T.C. 221">*224 cannot be used as evidence in opposition to a motion for summary judgment. * * * [Conti's pleadings] contain nothing1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*16 specifying losses or interest expenses incurred in 1981 or 1984, the only years involved in the refund suits. Further, while losses are referred to, there are no facts alleged to show the trading was profit-motivated. The pleadings cited are lacking in the specificity required in response to a motion for summary judgment.
The taxpayers also present the Conti parties' response to expert witness interrogatories. The expert's statement must also contain specific facts for it to create a factual dispute preventing summary judgment. * * * There is a summary of account balances as of October 31, 1984, but nothing to show balances at the beginning of 1984 or to identify any balances to specific customers. A $ 27,000,000 loss is referred to as occurring in April and May 1984, as well as a net loss of $ 50,000,000 for calendar year 1984, but that is a total for all customers and other parts of the answer state the Brown and Hemmings group was allocated profitable trades by David Ragan. It is stated that the Brown and Hemmings group still had a substantial deficit in their accounts, but when the losses occurred is not specified and what losses the particular members of the group had is not1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*17 specified. There is also no discussion of whether Brown and Hemmings were engaged in legitimate profit-motivated trades. The response to expert interrogatories does not contain specific facts necessary to defeat summary judgment.
Since the taxpayers have failed to show they are entitled to any refunds on their claims against the government, the government is entitled to summary judgment dismissing the claims against it.
[
Petitioners filed a motion for reconsideration on January 26, 1990, which Judge Hart denied on February 26, 1990. Judgment on the MDL tax refund issue was entered on October 5, 1990, nunc pro tunc to January 11, 1990, granting the Government's motion for summary judgment and dismissing petitioners' cause of action with prejudice. The order rendering judgment indicated that "This action came to hearing before the Court. The issues have been heard and a decision has been rendered." Petitioners did not appeal from the judgment of the District Court. 3
1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*18 Respondent issued the notice of deficiency upon which this case is based on February 16, 1990, for petitioners' 1983 and 1984 taxable years, determining that petitioners were not 104 T.C. 221">*225 entitled to any deductions related to the Conti trading claimed on their 1983 and 1984 Federal income tax returns. Petitioners filed their petition on May 16, 1990, alleging, inter alia, that the 1984 taxable year was barred by res judicata due to the MDL judgment on the refund claim. Respondent filed an answer alleging, inter alia, that collateral estoppel precluded petitioners from litigating the issues previously litigated in the MDL. Petitioners subsequently filed this motion for partial summary judgment, claiming that further litigation concerning their 1984 taxable year is barred.
OPINION
Summary judgment is intended to expedite litigation and avoid unnecessary and expensive trials.
At the outset of our analysis, we explore the statutory provisions concerning bars to multiple litigation. Section 6212(a) authorizes the Secretary to send a taxpayer a notice of deficiency. Generally the taxpayer has 90 days within which to file a petition with the Tax Court; during that time, the Commissioner may take no action1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*20 to collect the determined deficiency. Sec. 6213(a). Taxpayers who pay the determined deficiency may seek an administrative refund and, if rejected, pursue a refund action in District Court or the U.S.104 T.C. 221">*226 Court of Federal Claims (the Claims Court). 5 Sec. 7422(a);
Section 6212(c)(1) prohibits the Commissioner from issuing a notice of deficiency for a taxable year that is already the subject of litigation in the Tax Court:
If the Secretary has mailed to the taxpayer a notice of deficiency as provided in subsection (a), and the taxpayer files a petition with the Tax Court within the time prescribed in section 6213(a), the Secretary shall have no right to determine any additional deficiency1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*21 of income tax for the same taxable year * * * except in the case of fraud, and except as provided in section 6214(a) (relating to assertion of greater deficiencies before the Tax Court), in section 6213(b)(1) (relating to mathematical or clerical errors), in section 6851 or 6852 (relating to termination assessments), or in section 6861(c) (relating to the making of jeopardy assessments). [6]
Similarly, section 6512(a) prohibits taxpayers who petition the Tax Court from subsequently pursuing a refund for the same taxable year:
If the Secretary has mailed to the taxpayer a notice of deficiency * * * and if the taxpayer files a petition with the Tax Court within the time prescribed in section 6213(a), no credit or refund of income tax for the same taxable year * * * in respect of which the Secretary1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*22 has determined the deficiency shall be allowed or made and no suit by the taxpayer for the recovery of any part of the tax shall be instituted in any court * * * [With certain exceptions not applicable here.]
See
The language of sections 6212 and 6512 first appeared in the Revenue Act of 1926 (the 1926 Act), ch. 27, 44 Stat. 9. Prior to the 1926 Act, upon the Commissioner's determination of a deficiency, the taxpayer "shall be notified of such deficiency" and could file an appeal with the Board of Tax Appeals (the antecedent of the Tax Court, hereinafter the Board) within 60 days. Revenue Act of 1924 (the 1924 Act), ch. 234, sec. 274(a), 43 Stat. 253, 297. If no appeal to the Board were filed, the tax would be immediately assessed and collected. 1924 Act sec. 274(c), 43 Stat. 297.
104 T.C. 221">*227 With respect to the Commissioner, prior to the 1926 Act, 7 if the Commissioner was dissatisfied with the amount determined by the Board, within 1 year after the decision of the Board, she could bring a collection action placing in issue the amount of the deficiency disapproved by the Board. 1924 Act sec. 1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*23 274(b), 43 Stat. 297. Furthermore, other than the statute of limitations, there was no limitation on the Commissioner's power to issue notices of deficiency. 1924 Act sec. 277, 43 Stat. 299.
Prior to 1926, if the taxpayer appealed to the Board and was dissatisfied with the result, he could pay the tax and bring a suit for a refund in District Court or in the Claims Court. See
1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*24 The 1926 Act had as one of its goals the streamlining of tax litigation. The House bill barred taxpayers from pursuing any refund action once the Commissioner issued the notice of deficiency. H.R. 1, 69th Cong., 1st Sess. sec. 281(d) (1925). Furthermore, under the House version, except in the case of fraud, the Commissioner had "no right to determine an additional deficiency in respect of the same taxable year" once a notice of deficiency had been issued. H. Rept. 1, 69th Cong., 1st Sess. (1925), 1939-1 C.B. (Part 2) 315, 322. The Senate Finance Committee considered these measures "too drastic" and limited the provision to cases in which the taxpayer petitions the Board:
[the taxpayer's] entire tax liability for the year in question * * * is finally and completely settled by the decision of the Board when it has become final, whether the decision is by findings of fact or opinion, or by dismissal * * *. The duty of the Commissioner to assess the deficiency thus determined is mandatory, and no matter how meritorious a claim for * * * refund he can not entertain it, nor can suit be maintained against the United States or the collector. Finality is the end1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*25 sought to be attained by these provisions of the bill, and the committee is convinced that to allow 104 T.C. 221">*228 the reopening of the question of the tax for the year involved either by the taxpayer or by the Commissioner * * * would be highly undesirable. [S. Rept. 52, 69th Cong., 1st Sess. (1926), 1939-1 C.B. (Part 2) 332, 351.]
The Senate version, which became section 284(d) of the 1926 Act, 44 Stat. 67, provided that the subsequent action was only barred if the taxpayer filed a petition with the Board. This, of course, is the current section 6512(a).
Similarly, the Senate Finance Committee considered and rejected a House proposal to flatly deny the Commissioner the power to issue a second notice of deficiency. Section 274(f) of the 1926 Act, 44 Stat. 56, the predecessor of section 6212(c)(1), limited the Commissioner to one notice of deficiency where the taxpayer petitioned the Board, except in the case of fraud. Where a taxpayer does not invoke the Tax Court's jurisdiction, the Senate Finance Committee noted that "he has a right to file suit for refund at any time within the statutory period of limitations, and there seems no reason why in such cases1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*26 the Commissioner should not have equal right to assess any further deficiency he may find within the statute of limitations imposed on the Government." S. Rept. 52,
Another important change from the 1924 Act was that section 1001(a) of the 1926 Act, 44 Stat. 109, the predecessor of section 7482, provided for direct appeal from a decision of the Board to the Courts of Appeals. Consequently, tax decisions by the Board generally obtained preclusive effect in subsequent actions. See
However, the 1926 Act produced a situation where a District Court (or the Claims Court) and the Board would have concurrent jurisdiction over cases involving the same taxable year. If a taxpayer filed a refund suit in the District Court (or Claims Court) and the Commissioner subsequently issued a notice of deficiency for the same year, the taxpayer could petition the Board for a redetermination of the deficiency while maintaining the refund action. See
To limit the situations in which this occurred, Congress enacted section 7422(e) as a part of the Internal Revenue 104 T.C. 221">*229 Code of 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 3, 877. Section 7422(e) provides in pertinent part:
If the Secretary prior to the hearing of a suit brought by a taxpayer in a district court or the United States Claims Court for the recovery of any income tax * * * mails to the taxpayer a notice that a deficiency has been determined in respect of the tax which is the subject matter of taxpayer's suit, the proceedings in taxpayer's suit shall be stayed during the period of time in which the taxpayer may file a petition with the Tax Court for a redetermination of the asserted deficiency, and for 60 days thereafter. If the taxpayer files a petition with the Tax Court, the district court or the United States Claims Court, as the case may be, shall lose jurisdiction of taxpayer's suit to whatever extent jurisdiction is acquired by the Tax Court of the subject matter of taxpayer's suit for refund. If the taxpayer does not file a petition with the Tax Court for a redetermination of the asserted deficiency, the United States may counterclaim in the taxpayer's suit, or intervene 1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*28 in the event of a suit as described in subsection (c) (relating to suits against officers or employees of the United States), within the period of the stay of proceedings notwithstanding that the time for such pleading may have otherwise expired. * * *
As the phrase "prior to the hearing of a suit" indicates, "Subsection (e) does not apply if the case in the District Court * * * has already proceeded to a hearing, that is, to actual trial." S. Rept. 1622, 83d Cong., 2d Sess. 13, 611 (1954); see
Section 7422(e) was designed to allow the taxpayer to choose the forum in cases where the Tax Court and the District Court (or Claims Court) had concurrent jurisdiction.
1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*29 In sum, under the 1926 Act and the 1954 Code changes, if no notice of deficiency is issued, but the taxpayer maintains that he overpaid the tax due, his sole remedy is a refund suit. If a notice of deficiency is issued, however, the taxpayer has two choices. First, if he files a timely petition with the Tax Court, generally the taxpayer and, except in the case of fraud, the Commissioner are both barred from instigating further litigation related to the taxable year once the Tax Court enters a final decision. If the taxpayer does 104 T.C. 221">*230 not file a petition and pays the tax, his remedy is a refund suit. The filing of a refund action in the District Court or the Claims Court, however, does not statutorily bar the Commissioner from issuing a notice of deficiency for the same taxable year pursuant to section 6212(a). "The Code stops short of compelling consolidation of all tax disputes for a given year in the district court."
Contrary to respondent's contention, however, section 7422(e) does not provide an answer to this case. The notice of deficiency was issued more than 1 month after 1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*30 summary judgment was granted in favor of the United States. Clearly the notice of deficiency was issued too late to invoke section 7422(e). The question then turns to whether a second action is precluded by the doctrine of res judicata.
A refund suit and a proceeding before the Tax Court are both actions in personam, and, consequently, litigation may proceed in both courts, with the statutory exceptions described above, until judgment.
Whenever a judgment is rendered in one of the courts and pleaded in the other, the effect of that judgment is to be determined by the application of the principles of
Generally, the doctrine of res judicata prevents parties from relitigating the same issues or claims, and promotes the finality of court judgments, by giving prior judgments preclusive effect on subsequent litigation. With certain exceptions, the application of res judicata requires that both parties to the current litigation be the same parties, or their privies, that litigated the first action. See
The term "res judicata" encompasses total res judicata (claim preclusion) and partial res judicata (issue preclusion or collateral estoppel). See
The Supreme Court in
a judgment estops not only as to every ground of recovery or defense actually presented in the action, but also as to every ground which might have been presented * * *. Such demand or claim, having passed into judgment, cannot again be brought into litigation between the parties in proceedings at law upon any ground whatever.
Generally, claim preclusion prevents a party from asserting a claim that has been, or should have been, the subject of prior litigation. Upon judgment, further action on the claim is precluded either by merger (where the claimant is successful) or by bar (where the claimant is unsuccessful). Not only does this affect claims made by a plaintiff, 1
Claim preclusion also functions as a compulsory joinder of claims to prevent a plaintiff from asserting claims in a second proceeding that should have been asserted in the earlier 104 T.C. 221">*232 proceeding. Where a claim is extinguished pursuant to the rules of merger or bar, "the claim extinguished includes all rights of the plaintiff to remedies against the defendant with respect to all or any part of the transaction, or series of connected transactions, out of which the action arose." 1
Similarly, under the compulsory1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*34 counterclaim rules of res judicata, a defendant may not assert certain counterclaims or defenses in a later proceeding. Where the counterclaim is compulsory within the meaning of
In
Income taxes are levied on an annual basis. Each year is the origin of a new liability and of a separate cause of action. Thus if a claim of liability or non-liability1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*36 relating to a particular tax year is litigated, a judgment on 104 T.C. 221">*233 the merits is
Included in the cause of action described above is any claim the taxpayer may have for a refund for the taxable year. 10 Once the Tax Court enters a final decision, refund actions for the taxable year are barred.
An action brought in District Court or the Claims Court by a taxpayer for the refund of taxes "is in the nature of an action for money had and received, and it is incumbent upon the claimant to show that the United States has money which belongs to him."
What is sauce for the goose, however, is not necessarily sauce for the gander. As we have discussed, the doctrine of claim preclusion bars litigation of all compulsory counterclaims of the defendant and any permissive counterclaims that are actually litigated. While the nature of a refund suit puts all
The courts that have considered the issue have uniformly rejected the contention1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*39 that the claim of the United States for unassessed additional taxes in a refund action is a compulsory counterclaim. Some courts have held that the Commissioner does not have a claim against the taxpayer until the assessment is made, and therefore there cannot be a compulsory counterclaim.
The final question 1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*42 is whether respondent is barred by issue preclusion. Issue preclusion, or collateral estoppel, is defined in 1
The issue litigated in the MDL proceeding was whether petitioners were entitled to deduct losses relating to the Conti trading that they had not claimed on their Federal income tax returns. Judge Hart decided that petitioners had not adduced sufficient evidence to support the claim for a refund and granted the Government's motion1995 U.S. Tax Ct. LEXIS 10">*43 for summary judgment. No issues were resolved against the Government. Clearly, issue preclusion does not benefit petitioners.
Based on the foregoing, we hold that the doctrine of res judicata does not bar respondent from determining the deficiency in petitioners' Federal income tax for 1984. Therefore,
1. Unless otherwise indicated, section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the years in issue, and Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
2. In a response filed Oct. 26, 1994, petitioner Mary Sue Hemmings has joined in the motion.↩
3. Other taxpayers involved in the MDL, however, did appeal, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, reviewing the decision de novo, found that summary judgment was improper because there was a genuine issue of material fact and because the summary judgment, granted on a basis other than that urged by the Government, took the taxpayers by surprise.
4. Although respondent, in her objection to petitioners' motion, indicates that a material fact is at issue, she does not specify what is in dispute.↩
5. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims is the successor to the original jurisdiction of the U.S. Claims Court, which was the successor to the original jurisdiction of the Court of Claims. For convenience, we refer to these courts collectively as the Claims Court.↩
6. Another exception to the general rule occurs when the Commissioner issues a second notice for the same year with respect to certain adjustments relating to partnership proceedings under secs. 6221-6233. Sec. 6230(a)(2)(C).↩
7. As to proceedings prior to the Revenue Act of 1926 (1926 Act), ch. 27, 44 Stat. 9, see Griswold, "Res Judicata in Federal Tax Cases",
8. A permissive counterclaim is "any claim against an opposing party not arising out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of the opposing party's claim."
9.
10. It should be noted that prior to passage of the 1926 Act, the tax liability of a taxable year could be split into separate claims, as the Board of Tax Appeals did not have refund jurisdiction:
If * * * [the taxpayer] did not in fact submit to the Board of Tax Appeals its claim for refund of taxes paid, and it was not required so to do by any provision of law, the decision of that Board on the correctness of an unrelated administrative decision of the Commissioner cannot be pleaded as res adjudicata in a suit to enforce its claim for refund after it has been rejected by the Commissioner. * * * [
11. See discussion
12. An issue raised in the District Court in
13. We note that an appeal in this case lies in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Although that court has not decided the issue, it has adopted the decisions of the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit prior to Oct. 1, 1981, as binding precedent.
14. We need not decide whether, if an assessment had been made, the claim of the United States would then constitute a compulsory counterclaim. See