James A. Rochelle - Page 30





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          provide any specified date is tantamount to providing that there            
          is no deadline.  Accordingly, the petition is timely.                       
               The majority asserts that “Respondent’s position finds                 
          further support in the legislative history”.  Majority op. p. 11.           
          Again, I disagree.  Assuming arguendo that the statute is not               
          clear on its face, the legislative history, on the contrary,                
          bolsters petitioner’s contention.  In setting forth the rationale           
          for the amendment to section 6213(a), the Senate Finance                    
          Committee report (report) states:  “The Committee believes that             
          taxpayers should receive assistance in determining the time                 
          period within which they must file a petition in the Tax Court              
          and that taxpayers should be able to rely on the computation of             
          that period by the IRS.”  S. Rept. 105-174, at 90 (1998), 1998-3            
          C.B. 537, 626 (emphasis added).  Focusing on the statement that             
          “taxpayers should be able to rely on the computation of that                
          period by the IRS”, the majority emphasizes that petitioner did             
          not contend that he detrimentally relied on the information in              
          the notice and that the theory of detrimental reliance is not               
          applicable in this case because no misleading information was               
          provided.  I agree that the theory of detrimental reliance is not           
          applicable.  Neither the statute nor the legislative history                
          imposes such a requirement.  While the report provides that                 
          “taxpayers should be able to rely on the computation of that                








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