- 15 - law * * * The inquiry is objective. If a person should have known that his position is groundless, a court may and should impose sanctions." Coleman v. Commissioner, 791 F.2d 68, 71 (7th Cir. 1986); Booker v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1996-261; see also Hansen v. Commissioner, 820 F.2d 1464, 1470 (9th Cir. 1987) (apparent finding that petitioner should have known that claim was frivolous allows for section 6673 penalty). Based on the record in this case, we conclude that petitioner's position in this proceeding is both frivolous and groundless and that petitioner undertook certain actions primarily for delay. Petitioner has never substantively addressed the pertinent issues in this case, which relate to the correct determination of income and deductions for the years in issue and various additions to tax. Instead, petitioner has asserted absurd, discredited, and misguided tax-protester arguments such as the following: (1) the Internal Revenue Code does not make anyone "liable" for an income tax, (2) the Internal Revenue Code contains no mandatory provisions, and therefore, compliance is voluntary, (3) the Tax Court has no authority to decide matters of law or Constitutional issues, and (4) an income tax on petitioner’s rents pursuant to Pollock v. Farmers’ Loan & Trust Co., supra, is an unapportioned direct tax. Petitioner has maintained her frivolous and groundless positions not only by way of her testimony and on brief, but also in numerous additional written submissions to the Court, all ofPage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011