Decision was entered for respondent.
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION
MARVEL, Judge: Pursuant to
2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*190 FINDINGS OF FACT
Some of the facts have been stipulated. We incorporate the stipulated facts into our findings by this reference. Petitioner resided in Santa Rosa, California, when she filed her petition in this case.
Background
Petitioner and Mr. Wollow became legally separated in December 1997 and divorced in February 1999. Petitioner has a bachelor's degree in business administration. During 1998, after her employment as the director of human resources for a mortgage banking company was terminated, petitioner was employed at a lumber company for approximately 1 month. Thereafter, in 1998, petitioner worked as a human resources manager for a software company. Meanwhile, Mr. Wollow was employed as an airline pilot.
Petitioner's Bankruptcy and the 1998 Joint Income Tax Return
On April 7, 1999, petitioner filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy petition with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California (the bankruptcy court). At the time of petitioner's bankruptcy proceeding, Mr. Wollow was involved in his own bankruptcy proceeding. On July 7, 1999, the bankruptcy court granted petitioner a discharge.
In April 1999, Mr. Wollow informed petitioner2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*191 that, according to his preliminary calculations, they owed income taxes for 1998 (the 1998 joint liability). Petitioner offered to pay the 1998 joint liability out of her severance pay from the mortgage banking company. At the suggestion of Mr. Wollow, however, petitioner ultimately agreed that her individual retirement account (IRA) would be seized by the bankruptcy court and used to pay the 1998 joint liability.
On August 15, 1999, petitioner and Mr. Wollow timely filed a joint Federal income tax return for 1998 (the joint return). On the joint return, petitioner and Mr. Wollow reported wages in the amounts of approximately $ 140,000 and $ 145,000, respectively, and Federal income tax withholding in the amounts of $ 21,615 and $ 26,547, respectively. The joint return showed income tax due in the amount of $ 5,294. 2 Instead of submitting a payment with the joint return, petitioner and Mr. Wollow attached a letter in which they advised respondent of their respective bankruptcy proceedings and informed respondent that the bankruptcy trustee would retain "certain IRA monies" to pay the 1998 joint liability.
2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*192 Payment of the 1998 Joint Liability
On petitioner's separately filed 1999 Federal income tax return, petitioner reported total wages in the amount of $ 80,100 and alimony in the amount of $ 29,700. The return showed a refund due in the amount of $ 5,021. On September 4, 2000, respondent applied petitioner's 1999 refund to offset the 1998 joint liability. At this time, petitioner's IRA remained exempted from the bankruptcy estate. Petitioner did not submit signed instructions for liquidating the IRA and allocating the proceeds until January 2001, several months after respondent applied petitioner's 1999 refund to the 1998 joint liability.
Petitioner's Innocent Spouse Claim
On July 2, 2002, petitioner timely filed with respondent Form 8857, Request for Innocent Spouse Relief. In her Form 8857, petitioner asserted that "Since the 1998 income tax liability is a community liability, it is inequitable to apply [the] taxpayer's separate property to its payment. Community assets which are still available in the bankruptcy estate should instead be used." In a final notice dated August 14, 2002, respondent denied petitioner's request for innocent spouse relief. On November 6, 2002, petitioner2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*193 filed a petition with this Court contesting respondent's determination.
OPINION
In general, spouses who file joint Federal income tax returns are jointly and severally liable for the full amount of the tax liability.
One form of relief from joint and several liability on a joint return is equitable relief under
Prescribed by the Secretary, if --
(1) taking into account all the facts and
circumstances, it is inequitable to hold the individual
liable for any unpaid tax or any deficiency (or any portion
of either); and
(2) relief is not available to such individual under
subsection (b) or (c),
the Secretary may relieve such individual of such liability. The Commissioner uses guidelines prescribed in
2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*195
Before the Commissioner will consider a taxpayer's request for relief under
The following2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*196 six factors weigh in favor of granting relief for the liability: (1) The requesting spouse is separated or divorced from the nonrequesting spouse; (2) the requesting spouse would suffer economic hardship if relief is denied; (3) the nonrequesting spouse abused the requesting spouse; (4) the requesting spouse did not know or have reason to know that the liability would not be paid; (5) the nonrequesting spouse has a legal obligation pursuant to a divorce decree or agreement to pay the liability; and (6) the liability is solely attributable to the nonrequesting spouse. See
Marital Status
Respondent concedes that this factor weighs in favor of granting relief.
Economic Hardship
At trial, petitioner alleged that, in the past, she had experienced economic hardship attributable to the 1998 joint liability,5 but petitioner offered no financial information in support of her allegation. Petitioner has not alleged that she is currently experiencing, or would experience, economic hardship if she is not relieved of the 1998 joint liability. In the absence of any evidence of economic hardship, we must conclude that this factor weighs against granting relief.
2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*198 Abuse
Petitioner has not alleged that Mr. Wollow abused her. Consequently, this factor is neutral.
No Knowledge or Reason To Know
Petitioner knew that the tax liability shown on the 1998 joint return would not be paid when the return was filed. Petitioner contends that, when she signed the joint return, she thought that her IRA would be seized by the bankruptcy court and used to pay the 1998 joint liability. According to petitioner, the reason that she and Mr. Wollow requested an extension for filing the joint return was to give the bankruptcy court more time to seize and distribute her IRA.
We do not see how petitioner reasonably could have expected that her IRA would be used to satisfy the 1998 joint liability when she had not authorized the IRA's liquidation and distribution. Moreover, because petitioner agreed to pay the 1998 joint liability with the proceeds from her IRA, petitioner knew that Mr. Wollow would not pay it. This factor strongly weighs against granting relief. See
The Spouses' Legal Obligations
At trial, petitioner testified that, pursuant to the divorce decree, both she and Mr. Wollow were2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*199 "responsible for the joint filed return and any community debts to be paid." Petitioner agrees, therefore, that under the decree she and Mr. Wollow share the legal obligation for paying the 1998 joint liability. Accordingly, this factor is neutral.
Significant Benefit
The record does not indicate that petitioner benefited beyond normal support from not paying the 1998 joint liability. As articulated in
Source of the Liability and Noncompliance With Federal Income Tax Laws
These two factors are neutral. First, the record reflects that the 1998 joint liability was attributable to both petitioner and Mr. Wollow. Second, there is no evidence that petitioner has not made a good-faith effort to comply with the Federal income tax laws since 1998.
Conclusion
Petitioner's main contention in this proceeding has been that, because the 1998 joint liability was ultimately paid from her separate property rather than from her and Mr. Wollow's community property, she is entitled to equitable relief. Although we understand petitioner's2004 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 189">*200 frustration with the apparent lack of fairness, such circumstances alone are not grounds for relief under
After considering all of the facts and circumstances, we conclude that respondent's decision to deny relief from joint and several liability was not an abuse of discretion.
To reflect the foregoing,
Decision will be entered for respondent.
1. All section references are to the Internal Revenue Code in effect at all relevant times, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure. Monetary amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.↩
2. The amount of tax shown as due on the joint return was also attributable to IRA distributions that petitioner and Mr. Wollow received in the amounts of $ 2,708 and $ 1,877, respectively. ↩
3.
4. On Aug. 11, 2003, the Commissioner issued
5. According to petitioner, during 2000, when respondent applied petitioner's 1999 refund to offset the 1998 joint liability, petitioner was a single parent with one daughter in her custody during 70 percent of the year and another daughter in college. Petitioner testified that, after paying the bills, "not too much [was] left over."↩