Joe, Joey, Joe-Baby, Sexist: Where’s Your Imposter Syndrome?

JOANNA L. GROSSMAN

SMU Dedman School of Law professor Joanna L. Grossman responds to a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed criticizing soon-to-be First Lady Jill Biden for using the academic title she earned. Professor Grossman dissects the op-ed, penned by a retired lecturer at Northwestern University, and explains the deep and pervasive sexism behind it.

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Quezada v. Internal Revenue Service

Court: US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

Docket: 19-51000

Opinion Date: December 11, 2020

Judge: E. Grady Jolly

Areas of Law: Tax Law

After the IRS assessed taxpayer in 2014 for tax deficiencies dating back to 2005, taxpayer contends that the assessment is barred by the Internal Revenue Code's three-year limitations period, which runs from the date "the return" is filed. The district court held that the limitations period never began to run because taxpayer never filed "the return." The Fifth Circuit vacated the district court's judgment allowing the tax assessment and held that taxpayer filed "the return" that started the limitations clock when he filed forms containing data sufficient to (1) show that he was liable for the taxes assessed and (2) calculate the extent of his tax liability. In this case, taxpayer's Forms 1040 and 1099 constitute "the return" that begins the running of the Internal Revenue Code's three-year assessment limitations period. Because the IRS assessment came more than three years after taxpayer filed those forms, the court concluded that the assessment is barred by the limitations period. The court remanded to the district court with instructions to remand the case to the bankruptcy court for entry of judgment in accord with the opinion.

Coffey v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue

Court: US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit

Dockets: 18-3256, 18-3259

Opinion Date: December 15, 2020

Judge: William Duane Benton

Areas of Law: Tax Law

The Eighth Circuit reversed the tax court's grant of appellees' motion for summary judgment in an action where the Commissioner determined that because Judith S. Coffey was not a bona fide resident of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), she and James L. Coffey owed federal income tax for the 2003 and 2004 tax years. The Coffeys invoked the three-year statute of limitations in 26 U.S.C. 6501(a), and the USVI intervened. The court held that the statute of limitations in section 6501(a) begins only when a return is filed. In this case, because the Coffeys did not meticulously comply with requirements to file with the IRS, the court concluded that the statute of limitations never began. The court rejected the Coffeys' and the USVI's contentions that filing returns solely with the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue began the three-year statute of limitations in section 6501(a). The court explained that without a filing, the documents are not an honest and genuine attempt to satisfy the tax law and are not filed returns.