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determining to proceed with the collection action as determined
in petitioners’ notices of determination with respect to peti-
tioners’ unpaid liabilities for 1997 and 1998.
In respondent’s motion, respondent requests that the Court
require petitioners to pay a penalty to the United States pursu-
ant to section 6673(a)(1). Section 6673(a)(1) authorizes the
Court to require a taxpayer to pay to the United States a penalty
in an amount not to exceed $25,000 whenever it appears to the
Court, inter alia, that a proceeding before it was instituted or
maintained primarily for delay, sec. 6673(a)(1)(A), or that the
taxpayer’s position in such a proceeding is frivolous or ground-
less, sec. 6673(a)(1)(B).
In Pierson v. Commissioner, 115 T.C. 576, 581 (2000), we
issued an unequivocal warning to taxpayers concerning the imposi-
tion of a penalty under section 6673(a) on those taxpayers who
abuse the protections afforded by sections 6320 and 6330 by
instituting or maintaining actions under those sections primarily
for delay or by taking frivolous or groundless positions in such
actions.
In the instant case, petitioners advance, we believe primar-
ily for delay, frivolous and/or groundless contentions, argu-
ments, and requests, thereby causing the Court to waste its
limited resources. We shall impose a penalty on petitioners
pursuant to section 6673(a)(1) in the amount of $4,400.
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Last modified: May 25, 2011