Robert D. and Anne T. Lewis - Page 7

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          (1) Respondent had a due process obligation to provide actual               
          notice of the deficiency notice, and (2) respondent did not                 
          exercise due diligence in ensuring actual notice to them.                   
          Petitioners cite Tulsa Professional Collection Servs., Inc. v.              
          Pope, 485 U.S. 478 (1988), in support of their first contention.            
          In support of their second contention, petitioners argue that               
          respondent should have sent a copy of the deficiency notice by              
          ordinary mail, or should have contacted either petitioners or               
          their attorney by telephone.  Petitioners aver they had a                   
          telephone answering machine at their Grand Avenue address where a           
          message could have been left by respondent's agent that a notice            
          of deficiency had been mailed and returned to respondent                    
          undelivered.                                                                
               As a general rule, the Commissioner has no duty to                     
          effectuate delivery of the notice after it is mailed.  Monge v.             
          Commissioner, supra at 33.  The legislative history of the last             
          known address rule suggests that Congress considered but rejected           
          requiring actual receipt of the notice because such a requirement           
          would impose an almost impossible burden on the IRS to prove                
          actual receipt and to keep track of the whereabouts of all                  
          taxpayers.  See H. Rept. 2, 70th Cong., 1st Sess. (1927), 1939-1            
          C.B. (Part 2) 384, 399; S. Rept. 960, 70th Cong., 1st Sess.                 
          (1928), 1939-1 C.B. (Part 2) 409, 430.  Instead, Congress adopted           
          the "last known address" rule, thus giving the IRS a safe harbor:           





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