2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*131 Petitioner's motion for partial summary judgment denied.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
VASQUEZ, Judge: This case is before the Court on petitioner's motion for partial summary judgment under
Background
KRP is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Alaska. KRP is a calendar year taxpayer. On July 1, 1985, KRP was incorporated. On July 1, 1992, KRP2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*132 elected to be treated as an S corporation. During 1994 and 1995, this election remained in effect. At the time KRP made the S corporation election, it owned, among other things, two gas stations.
KRP mailed its 1994 and 1995 Federal income tax returns to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on September 15, 1995, and August 16, 1996, respectively. On its 1995 return, KRP reported a $ 494,576 gain on the sale of the gas stations, which it divided between ordinary gain ($ 212,903) and
The IRS audited KRP's 1994 and 1995 returns. In connection with this audit, the IRS and KRP, via the tax matters person, entered into three consents on Forms 872-S, Consent to Extend the Time to Assess Tax Attributable to Items of an S Corporation, to extend the time to assess any Federal income tax attributable to subchapter S items of KRP. These consents extended the periods of assessment for 1994 and 1995 to June 30, 2000. Additionally, the IRS and KRP also entered into a consent on Form 872, Consent to Extend the Time to Assess Tax, to extend the time to assess any Federal income tax due on any return made by KRP. This consent extended the period of assessment for 19952002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*133 to June 30, 2000.
On April 24, 2000, the IRS sent KRP a notice of final S corporation administrative adjustment (FSAA). 3 The IRS did not issue a statutory notice of deficiency for 1994 or 1995 to KRP.
Discussion
Petitioner moved for partial summary judgment on the issue of whether KRP is liable for built-in gains tax imposed on KRP pursuant to
Full or partial summary is appropriate "if the pleadings, answers to interrogatories, depositions, admissions, 2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*134 and any other acceptable materials, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that a decision may be rendered as a matter of law."
As an initial matter, the parties disagree about which document is the FSAA. Petitioner contends that the FSAA is the six- page document attached to the motion for partial summary judgment. Respondent argues that the FSAA is the 67-page document attached to the petition (67-page FSAA).
In paragraph 2 of the petition, petitioner asserted that "A copy of the notice of final S corporation administrative adjustment is attached and marked as exhibit A." The exhibit labeled "A" and attached to the petition is the 67-page2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*135 FSAA. 5
Petitioner has not sought to amend the petition. We conclude that petitioner has admitted that the 67-page FSAA is the FSAA in the case at bar and that petitioner is bound by that admission. Cf.
Petitioner contends that even if the FSAA is the 67-page FSAA, respondent did not determine that KRP is liable for the built- in gains tax in the FSAA. Respondent contends that he determined in the FSAA2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*136 a built-in gains tax of $ 136,107 for 1995 as a subchapter S item. 6
In the FSAA, respondent determined, among other things, that the provisions of
Petitioner contends that the built-in gains tax is not a subchapter S item and the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA), Pub. L. 97-248, 96 Stat. 324, audit and litigation procedures do not apply to the built-in gains tax. Respondent contends that the built-in gains tax is a subchapter S item and the TEFRA audit and litigation procedures do apply.
1. N.Y. Football Giants, Inc. v. Commissioner
Before the issuance of
In the case at bar, we held, supra pp. 5-6, that respondent did determine an adjustment for the built-in gains tax in the FSAA. Petitioner's other argument in the reply essentially claims that the built-in gains tax is not a subchapter S item and that respondent must proceed via a statutory notice of deficiency as opposed to an FSAA. In
After our decision in N. Y. Football Giants, Inc., petitioner submitted a supplemental reply to respondent's response to motion for partial summary judgment (supplemental reply). In the supplemental reply, petitioner suggested that our decision in N.Y. Football Giants, Inc. is irrelevant to the case at bar as there are no legal similarities between the two cases. Petitioner, in the supplemental reply, provides no analysis to support this conclusion.
Respondent contends that N.Y. Football Giants, Inc. is controlling authority and that petitioner raised the same2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*139 legal issue in the case at bar as was in issue in N.Y. Football Giants, Inc. -- whether the built-in gains tax is a subchapter S item and whether the TEFRA audit and litigation procedures apply. We agree.
Although the factual posture of this instant case is the converse of that in N.Y. Football Giants, Inc., 7 that does not affect the legal conclusion that the built-in gains tax is a subchapter S item and that the TEFRA audit and litigation procedures apply. 8
2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*140 2. Statute of Limitations
Petitioner contends that the assertion of a built-in gains tax by the IRS against KRP is time barred because the IRS did not issue a statutory notice of deficiency determining liability for the built-in gains tax to KRP on or before June 30, 2000, and no valid assessment of a built-in gains tax was made on or before June 30, 2000. This argument is an offshoot of petitioner's argument, which we rejected, that the built-in gains tax is not a subchapter S item.
Petitioner concedes that the Form 872-S consents extended the period of limitations for subchapter S items. As the built-in gains tax is a subchapter S item, it follows that the period of limitations for this issue was extended to June 30, 2000. See also secs. 6229(b), 6244; S. Rept. 97-640, at 25 (1982),
3. Who Is a Party to This Proceeding?
Petitioner further argues that the Court is without jurisdiction to enter a decision against KRP in this proceeding because the TEFRA audit and litigation procedures and the FSAA are directed to the shareholders of the S corporation and not2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*141 the corporation itself, and therefore the corporation is not party to the corporate level proceedings. Respondent argues that an S corporation is a party to the corporate level proceedings.
The correct tax treatment of subchapter S items is determined in a unified proceeding at the corporate level rather than in separate actions against each shareholder.
With regard to petitions filed by a tax matters partner, if an action is brought with respect to a partnership for any partnership taxable year, each person who was a partner in the partnership at any time during the year shall be treated as a party to the action.
Accordingly, any person whose income tax liability under subtitle A is determined in whole or in part by taking into account directly or indirectly subchapter S items of the S corporation is a party to the corporate level proceeding.
2002 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 131">*143 To reflect the foregoing,
An appropriate order will be issued denying petitioner's motion for partial summary judgment.
1. Unless otherwise indicated, all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure, and all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect for the year in issue.↩
2. The motion for partial summary judgment addresses only one of several issues petitioner raised in the petition.↩
3. The S corporation audit and litigation procedures (
4.
5. The 67-page FSAA is the only exhibit attached to the petition. Each page is stamped "EXHIBIT _____ PAGE ___ OF ___". On each page, the blank after "EXHIBIT" has the letter "A" written in it, the blank after "PAGE" is sequentially numbered from 1 to 67, and the blank after "OF" has the number 67 written in it.↩
6. A subch. S item is any item of an S corporation to the extent regulations provide that the item is more appropriately determined at the corporate level than at the shareholder level.
7. In the instant case, respondent issued an FSAA to petitioner and not a statutory notice of deficiency; in
8. Furthermore, we note that although the factual situations were the converse of each other, respondent took consistent positions in both -- that the correct procedure was to issue an FSAA and not a statutory notice of deficiency.
9. If S corporations could not be parties to the corporate level proceedings, then S corporations would be prevented from contesting built-in gains tax adjustments contained in FSAAs. See supra pp. 6-8 (holding that the built-in gains tax is a subch. S item and that the appropriate way for the Commissioner to determine a built-in gains tax adjustment is via an FSAA). This would not make sense as the Court has jurisdiction to determine all subch. S items of the corporation for the taxable year to which the FSAA relates.