The U.S. Tax Court recently upheld the IRS’s frivolous return position, costing a taxpayer $10,000 in fines.

Mark A. Lovely failed to file tax returns for 2005, even though he admitted that he had received compensation from Tradewinds Airline, Inc., and Triad International Maintenance Corp. He claimed the compensation did not constitute “wages” and therefore it was not taxable income.

Each of Lovely’s employers issued to him a Form W-2 Wage and Tax Statement. Because the IRS receives a copy of every W-2, the agency knew that Lovely had earned income and a requirement to file a tax return.

Using this information, the IRS prepared a substitute return for Lovely and assessed income tax, penalties and additions to tax.

In July 2009, Lovely prepared a Form 1040X, Amended U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. He claimed that he had no income for the tax year at issue, which was 2005. He in fact had $29,500 worth of taxable compensation for that year. He requested that the federal income tax amount of $1,475.37, which had been withheld from his wages, be refunded to him.

In September 2012, Lovely followed a similar procedure. This time he filed a 1040X requesting a refund of $781.51.

The IRS determined that both Forms 1040X submitted by Lovely had constituted frivolous returns and assessed a $5,000 fine for each one submitted.

In a collection due process hearing with the IRS, Lovely contested the $10,000 in fines assessed by the IRS for his having submitted frivolous returns. He claimed he did not receive a statutory notice of deficiency and did not have a proper opportunity to dispute the fines.

Both of the issues raised by Lovely are defenses to the existence of the amount of the tax liability according to the Internal Revenue Code. The tax liability in this case was the $10,000 in fines.

The IRS brought up some prior court cases that supported the position that issuing a statutory notice of deficiency and allowing the taxpayer an opportunity to dispute the tax are not required when the taxpayer’s original position on the 1040X is frivolous.

Lovely agreed that he had received compensation for his services but contended that it was not taxable income because he didn’t work for the federal government. The court ruled that his tax-protestor-type arguments in support of his position were frivolous.

Taking all of the facts and circumstances of the case into account, the Tax Court ruled in favor of the IRS and upheld the $10,000 in fines (Mark A. Lovely v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2015-135, July 27, 2015). ■

©2015 CPAmerica International