I have sympathy when taxpayers battle the IRS over legitimate issues. Indeed, I’m all for fighting the IRS when they’re (imho) wrong. However, fighting quixotic battles when you are wrong isn’t a good idea. The Miccosukee Tribe in Florida is in that position.
The Miccosukees operate a successful casino near Miami. The tribe itself is exempt from taxation (it’s a sovereign nation). However, the members of the tribe are not exempt from taxation when they receive income related to the casino. And therein lies the issue.
Beginning in 2012 (or perhaps even earlier) the IRS was wondering why payments to tribe members weren’t being reported (on information reporting forms) and taxes withheld. The IRS sent requests to the tribe, and eventually summonsed material from the tribe and the tribe’s financial institutions. The tribe fought the summonses claiming sovereign immunity. The tribe lost the battles, most recently with this decision in June. (It’s unclear if the tribe has since provided this information to the IRS.)
Meanwhile, approximately 20 tribe members were sent Notices of Deficiency by the IRS pertaining to distributions from 2000-2005. The tribe members filed Tax Court petitions in 2013. As best as I can tell, no case related to this has yet been decided.
Separately, the IRS issued tax, penalties and interest on the non-withholding withholding (that is, the money that the IRS thinks should have been withheld by the Miccosukee tribe). The IRS issued a lien and levy notice. The Miccosukee Tribe had a Collection Due Process hearing. When asked to provided financial information the tribe refused. The tribe lost the Collection Due Process Hearing and then filed a Tax Court petition.
The tribe disputed both the underlying liability and the collection activity (the latter, as an abuse of discretion). In May 2014 the Tax Court used an order for summary judgment against the Miccosukee tribe on the underlying liability. Because the tribe had an opportunity to dispute the underlying liability at Appeals, the Court ruled that the tribe could not dispute it in the Tax Court case.
The Tax Court held a trial in March, and ruled today that the levy was not an abuse of discretion.
It is clear from our review of the record that the SO [settlement officer] verified that the requirements of applicable law and administrative procedure were followed and that in sustaining the filing of the NFTLs and the proposed levy the SO properly balanced “the need for the efficient collection of taxes with the legitimate concern of * * * [petitioner] that any collection action be no more intrusive than necessary.” Petitioner did not raise any valid challenge to the appropriateness of the NFTL filings and the proposed levy. Furthermore, petitioner did not submit the financial information necessary for the SO to consider an installment agreement. There is no abuse of discretion when a settlement officer declines to consider collection alternatives under these circumstances…see also sec. 301.6330-1(e)(1), Proced. & Admin. Regs. (“Taxpayers will be expected to provide all relevant information requested by Appeals, including financial statements, for its consideration of the facts and issues involved in the hearing.”). Therefore, we hold that the SO’s determination to sustain the filing of the NFTLs and proceed with the proposed levy was not an abuse of discretion. [citations omitted]
While I expect the Miccouskee Tribe to file an appeal, and this will delay any IRS action for the time while an appeal is pending, it’s clear that time is running out for the Miccosukee Tribe on this matter. They may not want to provide their financial information to the IRS, but they have to. They also need to start complying with the law in regards to reporting and withholding casino income payments. Years ago, the US government ended up owning part of the Bicycle Casino. It wouldn’t surprise me that at some date in the near future that the Miccosukee’s casino is under new management.
Tags: Miccosukee
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