- 6 - issue in the case, in an attempt to oust this Court of jurisdiction over the entire case. Section 7121(b)(2) provides that in any legal proceeding, a closing agreement "shall not be annulled, modified, set aside, or disregarded." Petitioners' position appears to be that since the parties settled using the closing agreement, the Tax Court is deprived of the power to determine the amount of the deficiency. In the motion for leave to amend their petition, petitioners argue, in substance, that by affirmatively pleading the closing agreement, the Court would be without jurisdiction and would be required to dismiss the case. According to petitioners, a closing agreement coupled with affirmative pleading ousts the Tax Court of jurisdiction pursuant to section 7121(b). Petitioners challenge only the enforcement of the closing agreement by this Court. They do not respond to the Government's position that their case is factually indistinguishable from Thornock v. Commissioner, 94 T.C. 439 (1990), or Waters v. Commissioner, supra. Nor do they contest the amount of the deficiency agreed to in the closing agreement. But they do press the highly dubious contention that even though this Court obtained jurisdiction by the filing of their petition (on September 8, 1986), it would be divested of jurisdiction by the subsequent (March 1988) closing agreement.2 2 In substance, by preventing this Court from entering a (continued...)Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011