Ex-Ch. J Michael B (“Iron Mike”) Thornton has a pretrial checklist for every innocent spouser (both potitioner and intervenor) lined up and holding short, awaiting trial.

Here’s Malka Yerushalmi, Petitioner, and Joseph Yerushalmi, Intervenor, Docket No. 5520-08, filed 11/4/19. And the docket number is no mistake; this one has been going for eleven (count ‘em, eleven) years.

But trial is finally coming on. It all happens on March 30, 2020 in Our Fair City, on this Minor Outlying Island off the Coast of North America. Cain’t hardly wait.

Meantime, our national legislature enacted Public Law 116-26, 7/1/19; that’s the Taxpayer First Act to you. Who says Congress can’t get anything done? Oops, sorry, this is a non-political blog.

All y’all will recall that this statute opens for innocent spousers information dehors the administrative record, namely, specifically and to wit, “any additional newly discovered or previously unavailable evidence. “ Section 6015(e)(7)(B).

How about changed circumstances? Maybe what wasn’t a hardship for petitioner eleven years ago is a hardship today. See my blogpost “Back to the Future,” 8/1/11.

However that may be, to prevent ambushes and wild cards, ex-Ch. J Iron Mike hands the parties a pretrial checklist, which they are to complete and set forth in a written report discussing how Section 6015(e)(7) impacts their case, and also “…(1) identifying the administrative record established at the time of the determination, (2) informing the Court of any additional newly discovered or previously unavailable evidence the parties plan to submit, (3) describing any disputes to the completeness of the administrative record or evidentiary problems the parties anticipate, and (4) the current status of this case.” Order, at p. 2.

Oh, btw, if the parties haven’t settled, they shall also “…report on the preparation of the stipulation of facts and preparation for trial, including the estimated length of trial. “ Order, at p. 2.

Innocent spousers and counsel, best make this checklist part of your pretrial prep.

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Occasionally I get a headline that is so serviceable it impels me to reuse, repurpose and recycle it. Today is another example, a designated hitter from STJ Daniel A (“Yuda”) Guy, wherein he denies admins & legals to Paul Edwin Johnson & Susan H. Johnson, Docket No. 14429-18, filed 11/1/19.

Paul got a big IRA distribution and rolled it over, but he didn’t give IRS anything more than his say-so until after the CP2501 mismatch notice (the trustees of the rolled-into IRA did send in Form 5498, but it had no date for the rollover, so the 60-day barrier was still there), CP2000 proposed changes, SNOD, petition, remand to Appeals, and finally a stip of settlement agreeing that the IRA distrib was properly rolled.

Paul & Susan want admins, consisting of “$71 for out of pocket expenses (postage and the Court’s $60 petition filing fee), $3 for mileage expenses, $3,709 for preparation and filing expenses, and $9,703 representing a purported accuracy related penalty.” Order, at p. 3.

STJ Yuda treats this matter-of-factly, as is his usual wont. In a footnote. “The majority of the expenses that Mr. Johnson claims do not constitute ‘reasonable litigation costs’ as Congress defined that term in sec. 7430(c)(1)(A) and (B). Consequently, the Court limits its consideration to his claim for an award of $71 (i.e., postage expenses and the Court’s filing fee).” Order, at p. 3, footnote 2.

Maybe Mr. J. didn’t exhaust his administrative remedies, but STJ Yuda need not go there.

“…IRS received third-party information that Mr. Johnson received a pension distribution from ETC and an IRA distribution of $141,793 from Riversource, and that he made a contribution of $141,233 to an IRA account at ETC. In the light of this information, respondent was justified in seeking clarification from Mr. Johnson on three points: (1) did he receive a $20,000 pension distribution from ETC, (2) did he make a rollover contribution of the full amount of the IRA distribution from Riversource, and if so, (3) did he make the rollover contribution to ETC within the 60-day period prescribed in section 408(d)(3)(A)(i). As the owner and beneficiary of these retirement accounts, and having claimed the benefit of a rollover contribution on his joint tax return, Mr. Johnson should have maintained records of these transactions and readily shared them with respondent upon request. Unfortunately, petitioners failed to provide any documentation to respondent to assist in resolving these questions, leading to the issuance of the notice of deficiency.

“The Commissioner is entitled to maintain his position, for purposes of determining whether it was substantially justified, until adequate substantiation is received from the taxpayer. Where the resolution of adjustments hinges on factual determinations, the Commissioner is not required to concede the adjustments until he has received, and has had reasonable time to review, sufficient substantiation for the matter in question. Because petitioners did not provide any documents, records, or other objective evidence to show that Mr. Johnson made a timely and proper rollover contribution during the year in issue, respondent’s position in this case was substantially justified.” Order, at pp. 4-5. (Citations omitted).

If you’re going to claim legals & admins, by all means go all-in, but follow the rules. And when IRS wants information, see the title of this sermonette.

Nevertheless, and notwithstanding anything to the contrary or at variance with anything hereinbefore or hereinafter set forth (as my already-on-their-way-to-a-two-cliché lunch colleagues would say), the sad tale of Richard Alan Saunders & Shelia Candy Saunders, Docket No. 13352-15S, filed 11/1/19 is told again, with a rewrite from Judge Wells.

“In our opinion, we found that petitioners were not entitled to claim Mr. Steed as a dependent because he did not meet the section 152(d) definition of a “qualifying relative”. Saunders v. Commissioner, T.C. Summary Opinion 2019-29 (slip op. at 9). While this conclusion is correct, on the Court’s own motion, we deem it necessary to make a technical correction to our reasoning to comply with the relevant statutory prerequisites. We found that because Mr. Steed’s SSI exceeded the section 151(d)(1)(B) exemption amount, he failed to meet the requirement of section 152(d)(1)(B). We also noted that it was unclear whether petitioners provided for more than one-half of Mr. Steed’s support, as required by section 152(d)(1)(C).

“SSI is not taken into account for purposes of the section 152(d)(1)(B) requirement; it is, however, taken into account for purposes of the section 152(d)(1)(C) requirement. Sec. 1.152-1, Income Tax Regs….. During [year at issue], Mr. Steed received $733 per month in SSI. Petitioners did not provide an estimate or evidence of the amount of total support Mr. Steed received per month. We do not know the fair market value of the lodging petitioners provided to Mr. Steed. We noted in our opinion that Mr. Steed’s share of the household expenses varies depending on whether it is calculated on a per room or a per person basis. We now consider that each member of the household received an equal part of petitioners’ contributions as part of his or her support. See id.slip op.at 20. Using a per person basis and adding the $80 per month in transportation costs, we estimate that petitioners provided Mr. Steed with monthly support of $560. This amount is less than the $733 in SSI, and therefore less than half of Mr. Steed’s total support. Accordingly, Mr. Steed does not meet the definition of a “qualifying relative”. See sec. 152(d)(1)(C).” Order, at pp. 1-2. (Citation omitted).

Now it’s true that Rich and Sheila Candy used a paid preparer. But Judge Wells excused chops, because they reasonably relied, were unsophisticated, and acted in good faith. And the paid preparer got it wrong.

But even a Tax Court Senior Judge with 33 (count ‘em, 33) years on the Tax Court bench got mixed up in the labyrinth that is Section 152.

See my blogpost “If This Were a Political Blog,” 9/30/19.

Congress, please copy.