Swanson v. Comm'r , 2007 Tax Ct. Summary LEXIS 10 ( 2007 )

T.C. Summary Opinion 2007-9
UNITED STATES TAX COURT
MICHAEL ALAN SWANSON, Petitioner,
AND JUDITH N. SWANSON, Intervenor v.
COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Docket No. 5412-05S. Filed January 17, 2007.
Michael Alan Swanson, pro se.
Deborah McIntosh, for intervenor.
Michael Lloyd, for respondent.
GOLDBERG, Special Trial Judge: This is a case arising under
sections 6015 and 7463 of the Internal Revenue Code as in effect
at the time the petition was filed. Unless otherwise indicated,
subsequent section references are to the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 as amended, and Rule references are to the Tax Court Rules
of Practice and Procedure. The decision to be entered is not
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reviewable by any other court, and this opinion should not be
cited as authority.
This case arises from petitioner’s election to seek relief
from joint and several liability for Federal income tax for the
taxable year 1999 under section 6015(b), (c), and (f).
Respondent determined that petitioner was not entitled to such
relief. The issue before this Court is whether petitioner is
entitled to relief under section 6015(b), (c), and (f).
Background
Some of the facts are stipulated. The stipulated facts and
the exhibits received into evidence are incorporated herein by
reference. At the time that the petition was filed, petitioner
resided in Evansville, Wyoming.
During the taxable year at issue, petitioner was married to
Judith Swanson (intervenor). There were no children born of the
marriage. Petitioner and intervenor separated sometime in 1999.
In October 1999, intervenor moved to San Diego, California.
Petitioner and intervenor divorced in 2000.
Petitioner and intervenor’s 1999 Federal income tax return
listed a $3,322 overpayment. Of this amount, respondent offset
$1,659.29 for a liability outstanding from the 1997 taxable year.
Respondent also offset $448.50 for an outstanding liability from
the 1998 taxable year. After these offsets were made, petitioner
received a refund of $1,217.21.
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Petitioner currently works as a human resources specialist
for the Department of Agriculture. He held this position
throughout 1999. Intervenor, because of a chronic medical
condition, was classified as disabled sometime shortly before
1999.
Petitioner and intervenor electronically filed their 1999
Federal income tax return.1 On the return, for “Filing Status”
petitioner and intervenor checked the box labeled “Married filing
jointly”. They did not include in gross income $22,168 received
from intervenor’s pension fund. They did not include this amount
as income because of an error with, and their misunderstanding
of, the Federal income tax preparation software that they used to
complete and file the return.
On December 10, 2001, separate notices of deficiency were
sent to petitioner and intervenor in which respondent determined
a deficiency of $4,269 in Federal income tax for the year 1999
based on petitioner and intervenor’s failure to include
intervenor’s pension in gross income. No petition was filed by
either party with the Tax Court seeking a redetermination of the
1
Intervenor argues that she never signed the return filed
electronically by petitioner. On Nov. 14, 2005, intervenor
submitted a Federal income tax return for 1999. On the return,
for “Filing Status” intervenor checked the box labeled “Married
filing separate return”. On line 16(a) and (b), she listed
$22,169 as income from her pension. After claiming the standard
deduction and applicable credits, she computed an overpayment of
tax due of $795.
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deficiency. Accordingly, on May 6, 2002, respondent assessed
the determined deficiency.
On September 24, 2002, petitioner requested a collection due
process hearing; however, his request was denied as untimely.
Petitioner did subsequently receive an equivalent hearing.
Petitioner filed a Form 8857, Request for Innocent Spouse
Relief, on April 30, 2004. On November 16, 2004, the Internal
Revenue Service’s Examination Division denied petitioner’s claim
for relief under section 6015(b), (c), and (f). Although
petitioner appealed to respondent’s Office of Appeals, a notice
of determination was sent to petitioner on February 14, 2005.
The notice denied petitioner relief from joint liability for the
taxable year 1999.
Intervenor filed a Form 8857 on July 28, 2002. That request
was subsequently denied. On November 26, 2003, a notice of
determination was sent to intervenor. Intervenor did not take
any action with respect to that notice.
Respondent, pursuant to Rule 325 and King v. Commissioner,
115 T.C. 118 (2000), served notice of this proceeding on
intervenor. Intervenor filed a notice of intervention on August
30, 2005. She was not present at trial, but was represented by
counsel. Intervenor filed a motion to dismiss at trial. In her
motion, intervenor contends that petitioner’s claim for innocent
spouse relief should be dismissed because she never signed the
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signature page to the electronically filed Federal income tax
return for 1999. Intervenor also claims that petitioner knew
that the income from her pension was taxable and that he received
the benefit of an overpayment refund attributable to that income
for 1999.
Discussion
Except as otherwise provided in section 6015, petitioner
bears the burden of proof. See Rule 142(a); Alt v. Commissioner,
119 T.C. 306, 311 (2002), affd. 101 Fed. Appx. 34 (6th Cir.
2004).
Generally, spouses filing joint Federal income tax returns
are jointly and severally liable for the taxes due thereon. Sec.
6013(d)(3). Section 6015 provides three avenues for relief from
that liability to a taxpayer who has filed a joint return: (1)
Section 6015(b) allows relief for understatements of tax
attributable to certain erroneous items on a return; (2) section
6015(c) provides relief for a portion of an understatement of tax
to taxpayers who are separated or divorced; and (3) section
6015(f) more broadly confers on the Secretary discretion to grant
equitable relief to taxpayers who otherwise do not qualify under
section 6015(b) or (c).
The first avenue for relief is section 6015(b). Under
section 6015(b), the Court may grant a taxpayer full or
apportioned relief from joint and several liability for an
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understatement of tax on a joint return attributable to erroneous
items of the other spouse if the taxpayer establishes that in
signing the return he “did not know, and had no reason to know”
of the understatement. Sec. 6015(b)(1)(C), (2).
Petitioner testified that he was aware of intervenor’s
pension account and that he did, in fact, consider it income to
them. The only issue raised by petitioner with respect to
intervenor’s pension income was whether the amount was considered
taxable. Petitioner admits that he erred in entering the
information into his Federal income tax preparation software
program and in misunderstanding from information provided to him
by the software program that the pension income was not taxable
because intervenor is disabled. However, because petitioner, by
his own admission, had actual knowledge of the pension income,
section 6015(b) does not apply. Thus, petitioner is not entitled
to relief under section 6015(b).
The second avenue for relief is section 6015(c). Section
6015(c) affords proportionate relief to the requesting spouse
through allocation to the responsible party. Generally, the
avenue of relief allows a spouse to elect to be treated as if a
separate return had been filed. Rowe v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo.
2001-325. To be eligible for relief under section 6015(c), the
requesting spouse must no longer be married to, or must be
legally separated from, the individual with whom the tax return
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was filed and must have elected the applicability of section
6015(c) not later than 2 years after the date on which collection
activity began. Sec. 6015(c)(3). Furthermore, and perhaps most
important to these facts, relief under section 6015(c) is not
available to a taxpayer if it is shown that the taxpayer had
actual knowledge when signing the return of any “item” giving
rise to the deficiency. Sec. 6015(c)(3)(C).
Petitioner is now divorced from intervenor, and the divorce
decree was finalized before petitioner requested relief from
joint and several liability. Petitioner timely filed a Form 8857
to request relief under section 6015. Accordingly, the remaining
issue is whether petitioner had no actual knowledge of the income
item leading to the underpayment.
In this case, petitioner had actual knowledge of the “item”
because he entered the amount listed on intervenor’s Form 1099
from her pension account into the income tax preparation software
when completing and filing the 1999 return. Because petitioner
had actual knowledge of intervenor’s pension income, and, in
fact, applied the tax withheld from that income against total tax
liability on the 1999 return, he is precluded from claiming
relief under section 6015(c).
Because petitioner is not eligible for relief under section
6015(b) and (c), we must consider the equitable relief provisions
of section 6015(f). Section 6015(f) provides, in part, that a
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taxpayer may be relieved from joint and several liability if it
is determined that, taking into account all the facts and
circumstances, it is inequitable to hold the taxpayer liable for
the unpaid tax, and relief is not available under section 6015(b)
or (c). To prevail, petitioner must prove that respondent’s
denial of equitable relief from joint liability under section
6015(f) was an abuse of discretion. Jonson v. Commissioner, 118
T.C. 106, 125 (2002), affd. 353 F.3d 1181 (10th Cir. 2003);
Cheshire v. Commissioner, 115 T.C. 183, 198 (2000), affd. 282
F.3d 326 (5th Cir. 2002); Butler v. Commissioner, 114 T.C. 276,
291-292 (2000).
As directed by section 6015(f), the Commissioner has
prescribed guidelines in Rev. Proc. 2003-61, 2003-2 C.B. 296,
modifying Rev. Proc. 2000-15, 2000-1 C.B. 447, that are to be
used in determining whether it is inequitable to hold a
requesting spouse liable for all or part of the liability for any
unpaid tax or deficiency.2 The requesting spouse must satisfy
seven conditions (threshold conditions) before the Commissioner
will consider a request for relief under section 6015(f). Rev.
Proc. 2003-61, sec. 4.01, 2003-2 C.B. at 297. Respondent agrees
2
Rev. Proc. 2000-15, 2000-1 C.B. 447, was superseded by Rev.
Proc. 2003-61, 2003-2 C.B. 296, and is effective as to requests
for relief filed on or after Nov. 1, 2003, and for requests for
relief pending on Nov. 1, 2003, as to which no preliminary
determination letter had been issued as of that date.
Petitioner’s application for relief was filed after Nov. 1, 2003,
on Apr. 30, 2004.
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that petitioner has satisfied those threshold conditions.
In this case, there are three additional elements, which, if
satisfied, would ordinarily result in the granting of relief in
the case of an underpayment (balance due on return). Petitioner
was divorced from intervenor in 2000 and therefore satisfies the
first element. The second element is inapplicable under these
facts because at the time the return was filed, there was no tax
to be paid. Finally, as to the third element, whether the
requesting spouse will suffer economic hardship if relief is not
granted, petitioner has failed to prove that he would be unable
to pay his reasonable basic living expenses were relief denied.
See sec. 301.6343-1(b)(4)(i), Proced. & Admin. Regs. Therefore,
we conclude that petitioner does not qualify for relief under
Rev. Proc. 2003-61, sec. 4.02, 2003-2 C.B. at 298.
Where, as here, the requesting spouse satisfies the
seven threshold conditions set forth in Rev. Proc. 2003-61, sec.
4.01 but does not qualify for relief under Rev. Proc. 2003-61,
sec. 4.02, he may still be granted relief if, upon taking into
account all the facts and circumstances, it would be inequitable
to hold the requesting spouse liable for all or part of the
unpaid deficiency. Rev. Proc. 2003-61, sec. 4.03, 2003-2 C.B. at
298, lists six factors to be considered in determining whether to
grant equitable relief. We will now consider petitioner’s
request in the light of those factors.
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In this case, petitioner divorced intervenor in 2000;
therefore, he satisfies the first factor. With respect
to the second factor, petitioner must show that he would be
unable to pay basic reasonable living expenses if relief were not
granted. See Monsour v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2004-190.
Being unable to pay basic reasonable living expenses would amount
to economic hardship. Sec. 301.6343-1(b)(4)(i), Proced. & Admin.
Regs. Petitioner has not alleged that denial of his request for
relief would result in economic hardship. He is gainfully
employed and has no dependents. The Court fails to
see, and petitioner has neither raised as an issue or
established, that he would suffer economic hardship if his
request for relief from joint liability were denied.
As to the third factor, as discussed earlier, petitioner had
actual knowledge of the pension income when he completed the 1999
income tax return. Rev. Proc. 2003-61, sec. 4.03 specifically
states that actual knowledge by the requesting spouse of the item
giving rise to the deficiency is a strong factor weighing against
relief. This strong factor may be overcome only if the factors
in favor of equitable relief are particularly compelling. We
conclude that they are not.
As to the fourth factor, petitioner points to language in
the separation agreement which states that if a deficiency
“results from the unreported income of one spouse, then the
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spouse who failed to report the income shall be solely
responsible for any deficiency, including taxes, penalties and
interest.” Petitioner testified that he used the software
program to complete and file their tax return and that he
misunderstood that the pension was, in fact, taxable. Therefore,
while the agreement holds petitioner and intervenor liable for
the deficiencies that arise from their own income, petitioner was
ultimately aware of the pension at the time he filed the return.
We find this fact ultimately dispositive.
As to the fifth factor, petitioner received a substantial
benefit in that the overpayment due on the joint return was
applied to joint tax liabilities petitioner owed for taxable
years 1997 and 1998. In addition, after the overpayment was
applied to the outstanding liabilities, petitioner received a
refund of more than $1,200.
Petitioner’s failure to satisfy all but one3 of the factors
in Rev. Proc. 2003-61, sec. 4.03 is determinative. On these
facts and circumstances, the Court holds that there was no abuse
of discretion by respondent in denying relief to petitioner under
section 6015(f). The Court, therefore, sustains that denial.
Because we have already sustained respondent, we need not
3
With reference to the sixth factor, we note that at trial,
respondent asserted that petitioner had not timely filed income
tax returns for taxable years 2000 and 2001. Petitioner did not
rebut this assertion.
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address intervenor’s motion to dismiss on the grounds that she
did not file a joint return with petitioner in 1999, and that
petitioner’s claim for relief should be denied because he had
actual knowledge of the pension income at the time the 1999
return was filed. For this reason, we will deny intervenor’s
motion in our order disposing of this case.
Reviewed and adopted as the report of the Small Tax
Case Division.
An appropriate order and
decision will be entered.