MEMORANDUM OPINION
VASQUEZ,
At the time he filed the petition, petitioner resided in Florida.
Petitioner failed to file Federal income tax returns for 1992 and 1993. On March 13, 1995, respondent prepared substitutes for return for 1992 and 1993. On August 26, 1996, respondent assessed $ 15,343 of tax for 1992, $ 1,626 of tax for 1993, and interest and additions to tax for 1992 and 1993. On August 1, 2005, respondent issued to petitioner a Final Notice-Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Hearing regarding petitioner's outstanding 1992 and 1993 income tax liabilities.
On August 8, 2005, petitioner sent respondent a Form 12153, 2007 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 235">*236 Request for a Collection Due Process Hearing (
Settlement Officer James Feist was assigned to petitioner's case. In a letter dated January 20, 2006, Settlement Officer Feist acknowledged receipt of petitioner's Form 12153 and other materials (January 2006 letter). In the January 2006 letter, Settlement Officer Feist: (1) Informed petitioner that the arguments he advanced were frivolous, groundless, or arguments that Appeals Office employees may not consider; (2) requested petitioner submit relevant, nonfrivolous information (such as petitioner's signed tax returns for 1992 and 1993, challenges to the appropriateness of collection actions, or proposals of collection alternatives); (3) scheduled a phone conference with petitioner for February 9, 2006; and (4) attached a copy of an IRS document entitled "The Truth About Frivolous Tax Arguments", which detailed several of the frivolous 2007 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 235">*237 and groundless arguments that petitioner asserted in the materials he sent to respondent.
On January 25, 2006, and numerous other dates, petitioner sent to respondent additional materials containing frivolous and groundless arguments, questions, and statements (additional frivolous materials). Settlement Officer Feist responded to petitioner's additional frivolous materials and requested petitioner submit relevant, nonfrivolous information regarding the years in issue. Settlement Officer Feist: (1) Informed petitioner, again, that the arguments he advanced were frivolous, groundless, or arguments that Appeals Office employees may not consider; (2) advised petitioner to contact him by February 7, 2006, if petitioner wished to submit relevant, nonfrivolous information for Settlement Officer Feist's consideration or to reschedule the phone conference; and (3) informed petitioner that if the Appeals Office did not receive any additional information from petitioner, Appeals would review petitioner's case based on the information in petitioner's file.
On February 9, 2006, Settlement Officer Feist called petitioner at the phone number petitioner had provided. No one answered Settlement Officer 2007 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 235">*238 Feist's call. Settlement Officer Feist left a voice message stating (1) that he could not determine that the assessments or proposed collection actions were incorrect based on the information petitioner had provided, and (2) that respondent would issue a notice of determination in petitioner's case.
Respondent issued to petitioner a Notice of Determination Concerning Collection Action(s) under
Petitioner timely filed a petition for lien or levy action under
Summary judgment is intended to expedite litigation and avoid unnecessary and expensive trials and may be granted where 2007 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 235">*239 there is no genuine issue of material fact and a decision may be rendered as a matter of law.
Where the validity of the underlying tax liability is properly at issue, the Court will review the matter de novo. Where the validity of the underlying tax is not properly at issue, however, the Court will review the Commissioner's administrative determination for abuse of discretion.
Settlement Officer Feist could not determine whether petitioner received notices of deficiency for 1992 and 1993. Accordingly, Settlement Officer Feist allowed petitioner to challenge the validity of the underlying tax liability for 1992 and 1993 as part of the section 6330 hearing. Petitioner, however, failed to raise a nonfrivolous challenge 2007 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 235">*241 to his underlying tax liability. Instead, petitioner chose to advance frivolous and groundless arguments.
Throughout his section 6330 hearing, the petition, and several pounds of spurious materials that petitioner filed in this case 22007 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 235">*242 petitioner advanced shopworn arguments characteristic of tax-protester rhetoric that has been universally rejected by this and other courts. See
Petitioner has failed to make a valid challenge of his underlying tax liabilities or to the appropriateness of respondent's intended collection action, offer alternative means of collection, or offer any spousal defenses. These issues are now deemed conceded.
Accordingly, we sustain respondent's determination to proceed with collection for 1992 and 1993.
Settlement Officer Feist repeatedly informed petitioner that petitioner's arguments 2007 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 235">*243 were frivolous and groundless and provided petitioner "The Truth About Frivolous Tax Arguments", which explains the defects in several of petitioner's arguments. Settlement Officer Feist also prepared and sent petitioner several documents addressing petitioner's frivolous and groundless arguments with citations to the Constitution, the Internal Revenue Code, and cases from the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and the Court. At trial, the Court informed petitioner that the arguments he was advancing had been universally rejected by the courts that have considered them.
Petitioner's positions, based on stale and meritless contentions, are manifestly frivolous and groundless. This has caused the Court to waste limited resources. Accordingly, we shall impose a penalty of $ 5,000 pursuant to
To reflect the foregoing,
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. For example, among other things, petitioner filed "Sworn Suggestions of Intentional Policies and Practices of Jural Deceit Evidenced by Consistent and Repeated Use of Unverified Process in Response to Petitioner's Verified Challenge" and "Notice of Corrections to Sworn Motion to Vacate Order Dated May 31, 2006 For Failure to Prove the Indispensable Prerequisite Jurisdictional Fact Following Petitioner's Repeatedly Set Forth Undisputedly Relevant and Verifiable Challenge".