2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22">*22 Respondent's motion for summary judgment and to impose penalty granted.
MEMORANDUM OPINION
VASQUEZ, Judge: This case is before the Court on respondent's motion for summary judgment and to impose a penalty under
We conclude that there is no genuine issue as to any material2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22">*23 fact and that a decision may be rendered as a matter of law.
Background
Petitioner is a registered nurse.
On or about May 7, 1997, respondent received from petitioner her Federal income tax return for 1996. Petitioner listed her income and tax liability as zero and requested a refund of $ 8,119.90 -- the amount of Federal income tax withheld by her employers. Petitioner attached the following to her 1996 return: (1) A two-page statement containing frivolous arguments, (2) a Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, from Valley Medical Center listing $ 58,973.92 in wages paid to her, and (3) a Form W-2 from St. Joseph Medical Center listing $ 3,757 in wages paid to her.
On or about May 4, 1998, respondent received from petitioner her Federal income tax return for 1997. Petitioner listed her income and tax liability as zero and requested a refund of $ 3,723.41 -- the amount of Federal income tax withheld by her employer. Petitioner attached the following to her 1997 return: (1) A two-page statement containing frivolous arguments, and (2) a Form W-2 from Valley Medical Center listing $ 72,173.66 in wages paid to her.
On January 8, 1999, respondent sent petitioner separate statutory notices2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22">*24 of deficiency for 1996 and 1997. Respondent determined a $ 12,609 deficiency and a $ 898 penalty pursuant to section 6662(a) for 1996 and a $ 15,285 deficiency and a $ 2,312.32 penalty pursuant to section 6662(a) for 1997. Petitioner received both these notices of deficiency.
On or about May 7, 1999, respondent received from petitioner her Federal income tax return for 1998. Petitioner listed her income and tax liability as zero and requested no refund -- she had no Federal income tax withheld by her employer or the Washington State lottery. Petitioner attached the following to her 1998 return: (1) A two-page statement containing frivolous arguments, (2) a Form W-2 from Valley Medical Center listing $ 79,788.01 in wages paid to her, and (3) a Form W-2G, Statement for Recipients of Certain Gambling Winnings, from the Washington State lottery listing $ 1,000 of gross winnings won on June 27, 1998.
On February 25, 2000, respondent sent petitioner a statutory notice of deficiency for 1998. Respondent determined a $ 17,779 deficiency and $ 3,555.80 in penalties pursuant to section 6662(a) and (b)(1) for 1998. Petitioner received this notice of deficiency.
Petitioner did not petition2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22">*25 the Court for redetermination of the deficiencies or penalties with respect to 1996, 1997, or 1998. On June 14, 1999, respondent assessed petitioner's tax liabilities, along with penalties and interest, for 1996 and 1997. On August 7, 2000, respondent assessed petitioner's tax liability, along with penalties and interest, for 1998.
On or about June 7, 2001, respondent filed a Notice of Federal Tax Lien regarding petitioner's income tax liabilities for 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 with the county auditor of King County, Seattle, Washington (tax lien). The tax lien listed the following amounts owed:
Tax Period Type of Tax Amount Owed
1996 1040 $ 6,452.24
1997 1040 15,190.72
1998 1040 23,781.91
1996 CIVP 500.00
1997 CIVP 500.00
1998 CIVP 500.00
1999 CIVP 500.00
2000 CIVP 500.00
On June 12, 2001, respondent2003 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 22">*26 issued to petitioner a Notice of Federal Tax Lien Filing and Your Right to a Hearing Under
On or about June 25, 2001, petitioner submitted a Form 12153, Request for a Collection Due Process Hearing, regarding her 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 tax years (hearing request). 2
Petitioner attended an Appeals Office hearing (hearing) with Appeals Officer J.A. Vander Linden. The Appeals officer reviewed petitioner's administrative file and transcripts of account for the years in issue. At the hearing, petitioner raised only frivolous issues and arguments.
On March 22, 2002, respondent issued a Notice of Determination Concerning Collection Action(s) Under
On April 22, 2002, petitioner timely filed a petition for lien or levy action under Code
On November 6, 2002, respondent filed a motion for summary judgment and to impose a penalty under
On November 8, 2002, the Court ordered petitioner to file a response to respondent's motion for summary judgment on or before December 9, 2002. Petitioner did not file a response to respondent's motion for summary judgment.
Discussion
The petition in this case is a 16-page document filled with frivolous, tax-protester arguments. Petitioner appears to challenge the underlying liability. Petitioner received statutory notices of deficiency for each of the years in issue and did not file a petition for redetermination. Accordingly, petitioner cannot contest the underlying deficiencies for 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Where the validity of the underlying tax liability is not properly in issue, we review respondent's determination for an abuse of discretion.
Petitioner appears to argue that at the hearing she was not provided documents demonstrating that the verification requirement of
Petitioner also appears to argue that the documents furnished to her fail to show that the verification requirement of
Petitioner has not alleged any irregularity in the assessment procedure that would raise a question about the validity of the assessments or the information contained in the transcripts of account.
Petitioner has failed to raise a spousal defense, make a valid challenge to the appropriateness of respondent's intended collection action, or offer alternative means of collection. These issues are now deemed conceded. Rule 331(b)(4).
Accordingly, we conclude that respondent did not abuse his discretion and sustain respondent's determination.
In the petition and several other documents petitioner has submitted to the Court, petitioner raised frivolous tax-protester arguments and contentions that we have previously rejected and which we conclude were interposed primarily for delay. This has caused the Court to waste its limited resources. Accordingly, we shall impose a penalty of $ 5,000 pursuant to
To reflect the foregoing,
An appropriate order and decision will be entered.
1. Unless otherwise indicated, all section references are to the Internal Revenue Code, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.↩
2. On Sept. 6, 2002, we dismissed for lack of jurisdiction the portions of the petition that related to the sec. 6702 frivolous return penalties for 1996 through 1999 and the sec. 6682 false withholding information penalty for 2000.↩