- 7 - for a deficiency of $59 in her 1991 income tax; (3) petitioner agrees that respondent was substantially justified in her position that petitioner received $703.50 of income in January 1991; and (4) respondent agrees that petitioner may file a claim for litigation and administrative costs. The Court entered the agreed decision on October 30, 1995. On December 6, 1995, petitioner filed her Motion for Award of Reasonable Administrative and Litigation Costs and Fees, and the Court ordered for cause that the October 30, 1995, decision be vacated. Discussion Section 7430(a) provides that a party that has prevailed in a Tax Court proceeding may recover reasonable administrative and litigation costs and fees. The Court will award administrative and litigation costs only if petitioner establishes that: (1) She has exhausted her administrative remedies (applicable to litigation costs only); (2) she has "substantially prevailed" in the controversy; (3) she satisfies certain net worth requirements; (4) the position of the United States was not substantially justified; (5) she has not unreasonably protracted the administrative or Court proceedings; and (6) the amount of costs sought is reasonable. Sec. 7430. Petitioner bears the burden of proving that she meets each of these requirements. Rule 232(e); Estate of Johnson v. Commissioner, 985 F.2d 1315, 1318 (5th Cir. 1993). Her failure to establish any one of thePage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011