Decisions will be entered for respondent.
KROUPA,
This case was submitted fully stipulated under
Petitioner performs waste pickup and disposal services for various municipalities in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties in California. Respondent audited petitioner's Federal income tax returns for 1995, 1996 and 1997. Respondent disallowed a portion of petitioner's deductions for compensation paid, asserting it was unreasonable and excessive. Consequently, respondent determined deficiencies in petitioner's Federal income tax of $161,680 for 1995, $152,933 for 1996 and $61,628 for 1997. Petitioner timely filed a petition with this Court seeking redetermination of the deficiencies.
This Court redetermined petitioner's deficiencies to $152,537 for 1995, $223,155 for 1996 and $91,306 for 1997 on October 14, 2003 (First Decision).
Without a bond to stay assessment and collection, respondent issued petitioner a Statutory 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*162 Notice of Balance Due on March 1, 2004. Petitioner did not make the required payment. The next year, the Ninth Circuit reversed this Court's reasonable compensation findings and remanded the case for further findings.
This Court entered its second decision on July 26, 2006, substantially reducing petitioner's deficiencies to $72,137 for 1995, $63,612 for 1996 and $24,327 for 1997 (Second Decision).
Petitioner made three substantial payments 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*163 toward the deficiencies determined in this Court's Second Decision between May 2008 and April 2009. Respondent abated tax and related interest for 1995, 1996 and 1997 pursuant to this Court's Second Decision during June of 2009. Respondent also abated failure to pay additions for 1996 and 1997 pursuant to this Court's Second Decision. Finally, respondent assessed failure to pay additions for 1995. The abatements eliminated petitioner's 1997 Federal income tax liability. Respondent issued petitioner a Final Notice of Intent to Levy and Notice of Your Right to a Hearing (Levy Notice) after petitioner again failed to pay its tax liabilities for 1995 and 1996.
Petitioner timely requested a collection due process (CDP) hearing. Settlement Officer Patrick Lin (SO Lin) scheduled a CDP hearing with petitioner. Petitioner contested the failure to pay additions and related interest at the CDP hearing. SO Lin sustained the proposed levy action and issued petitioner a determination notice. In making his determination, SO Lin verified that all requirements of applicable law and administrative procedure had been met. SO Lin also considered the issues petitioner raised and whether the proposed collection 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*164 action balanced the need for efficient collection with any legitimate concerns of petitioner. Petitioner timely filed petitions with this Court disputing the failure to pay additions and related interest.
This case involves when the Commissioner can assess failure to pay additions if the taxpayer appeals the Court's deficiency redetermination without filing a bond but ultimately pays the deficiency amounts when they are finally determined. Respondent first assessed failure to pay additions after the Ninth Circuit reversed in part and remanded the Court's First Decision. Petitioner argues that respondent improperly assessed the failure to pay additions, as the First Decision had been remanded and it paid the deficiencies when the amounts were finally determined. Respondent argues that the failure to pay additions were properly assessed because petitioner failed to file a bond and petitioner received valid notice and demand for payment of tax, which petitioner ignored. We first begin with the standard of review in collection review matters.
This Court in collection review matters will review an Appeals Office determination de novo where the underlying tax liability 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*165 is at issue.
Petitioner neither received a deficiency notice for the failure to pay additions nor was given an opportunity to dispute the additions before the CDP hearing. Thus, we review de novo respondent's determination that petitioner is liable for the failure to pay additions. We review for abuse of discretion all other issues related to respondent's determination to proceed with the proposed levy action against petitioner.
We now address whether petitioner 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*166 is liable for the failure to pay additions. The Commissioner has the burden of production with respect to additions to tax.
A failure to pay addition may be imposed when a taxpayer fails to pay any tax required to be shown on a return within 21 calendar days of notice and demand for payment.
Respondent has met the prima facie requirements for imposing the failure to pay addition. Respondent, relying on Form 4340, Certificate of Assessments, Payments, and Other Specified Matters, showed that he provided notice and demand to petitioner for payment of assessed tax liabilities. 52011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*167 Respondent also showed that petitioner failed to pay its tax liabilities within 21 calendar days of notice and demand.
Petitioner next argues that the March 1, 2004, notice and demand was invalid because it was based on a deficiency amount that was redetermined after appeal of this Court's First Decision. Put simply, petitioner argues respondent can assess and collect a failure to pay addition only once a deficiency is finally determined (or this Court's decision becomes final). Petitioner's argument, however, lacks merit.
Respondent has met the prima facie requirements for imposing the failure to pay 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*168 addition. Respondent properly issued notice and demand to petitioner for payment of assessed tax liabilities. Respondent also showed that petitioner failed to pay its tax liabilities within 21 calendar days of that notice and demand.
The Commissioner need not await a final deficiency determination to assess and collect a failure to pay addition. See
Where a taxpayer appeals a decision of this Court and files a bond, assessment is stayed until the deficiency is finally determined.
We now consider whether petitioner's 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*169 failure to pay tax was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect. The taxpayer has the burden of proving reasonable cause and the absence of willful neglect.
Reasonable cause may be found where a taxpayer shows that he or she was unable to pay the tax or would suffer an undue hardship, despite exercising ordinary care and prudence in providing for payment. See
We now review whether respondent abused his discretion in deciding to sustain the proposed levy 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*170 action against petitioner to collect unpaid tax liabilities for 1995 and 1996. We begin with general rules that apply to collection actions.
The Secretary is required to furnish the taxpayer with written notice of a proposed levy.
After the hearing, the Appeals officer is required to make a determination that addresses issues the taxpayer raised, verify that all requirements of applicable law and administrative procedure have been met and balance the need for the efficient collection of taxes with the legitimate concern of the person that any collection action be no more intrusive than necessary.
The record reflects that SO Lin properly verified that respondent followed the applicable law and administrative procedure. He reviewed respondent's account transcript and concluded that petitioner received all notices and was accorded all rights to which it was entitled regarding the assessments. Additionally, SO Lin considered all relevant issues and defenses. Petitioner did not provide any collection alternatives for SO Lin's consideration. Finally, the record reflects that SO Lin properly balanced the need for efficient collection of taxes with petitioner's legitimate concern that any collection be no more intrusive than necessary.
Petitioner argues that respondent abused his discretion because respondent improperly assessed the failure to pay additions. We have already found that respondent properly assessed them. We therefore conclude that SO Lin did not abuse his discretion in sustaining the levy action to collect petitioner's 1995 and 1996 tax.
We have considered all arguments made in reaching our decision, and, to the extent not mentioned, we conclude that they are moot, 2011 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 159">*172 irrelevant, or without merit.
To reflect the foregoing,
1. All section references are to the Internal Revenue Code, and all Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure, unless otherwise indicated.↩
2. The Court treated petitioner's separate petition at docket No. 9961-10 as an interest abatement claim under
3. All monetary amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar.↩
4. The determination notice was issued for 1995 and 1996. We have jurisdiction to consider petitioner's Federal income tax liability for 1997, a non-determination year, to the extent that it affects the collection action for unpaid Federal tax liabilities for 1995 and 1996. See
5. Petitioner argues that respondent may not rely on the Statutory Notice of Balance Due entry in Form 4340 to establish that he sent petitioner notice and demand. We disagree. A Statutory Notice of Balance Due entry on Form 4340 is sufficient to presumptively establish that notice and demand was sent on the date corresponding to the Statutory Notice of Balance Due entry. See