94-1590

Corporate Franchise

Signed 2/27/95

 

 

BEFORE THE UTAH STATE TAX COMMISSION

____________________________________

 

XXXXX

Petitioner, : INFORMAL DECISION

)

v. : Appeal No. 94-1590

)

COLLECTION DIVISION OF THE : Account No. XXXXX

UTAH STATE TAX COMMISSION, )

:

Respondent. ) Tax Type: Corp. Fran.

_____________________________________

 

STATEMENT OF CASE

This matter came before the Utah State Tax Commission pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act and the rules of the Utah State Tax Commission for informal proceedings. An informal hearing was held on XXXXX. Jane Phan, Administrative Law Judge, heard the matter for and on behalf of the Commission. Present and representing Petitioner by telephone conference call was XXXXX. Present and representing Respondent was XXXXX.

Based upon the evidence and testimony presented at the informal hearing, the Commission makes its:

FINDINGS


A penalty of $$$$$ and interest of approximately $$$$$ was assessed against Petitioner relating to corporate franchise tax for the XXXXX tax year. Petitioner had requested a waiver of penalty and interest which was denied by the Collection Division Waiver Unit. The underlying amount of the tax was $$$$$.

Petitioner is a corporation whose principal officer died in a car accident in XXXXX. Petitioner's representative at the hearing stated that although he and others were officers or directors of the Petitioner at the time the tax was due they were not actively involved in the operations or management of Petitioner. In XXXXX the decedent's wife received a Notice and Demand For Payment of Taxes which at that time indicated the assessment of the penalty and interest against Petitioner. The representative for Petitioner at the hearing stated that this was the first notice that he or any other officer or director of the Petitioner had of the tax liability. Petitioner's representative stated that because of the death of the principal of the corporation, who was the only person who would have known that taxes were due, the penalty should be waived.


At the hearing Respondent stated that the return for which the taxes were owed was filed by Petitioner on XXXXX and it was at that time that the payment of the tax should have been made. It was the Respondent's position that since the payment should have been made on XXXXX, which was several months prior to the death of the principal, the penalty and interest were validly assessed.

APPLICABLE LAW

The Tax Commission is granted the authority to waive, reduce, or compromise penalties and interest upon a showing of reasonable cause. (Utah Code Ann. '59-1-401(10).)

DECISION AND ORDER

The Tax Commission finds sufficient cause does not exist to waive the penalty or interest associated with the Corporate Franchise Tax for the year ending XXXXX. It is so ordered.

DATED this 27 day of February, 1995.

BY ORDER OF THE UTAH STATE TAX COMMISSION.

W. Val Oveson Roger O. Tew

Chairman Commissioner

 

Joe B. Pacheco Alice Shearer

Commissioner Commissioner

 

NOTICE: You have twenty (20) days after the date of a final order to file a Request for Reconsideration with the Commission. If you do not file a Request for Reconsideration with the Commission, you have thirty (30) days after the date of a final order to file a Petition for Judicial Review by trial de novo in district court. (Utah Administrative Rule R861-1-5A(P) and Utah Code Ann. '63-46b-15.)

 

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