Appeal Dismissed in Cadrecha

The Federal Circuit yesterday dismissed the taxpayer’s appeal in Cadrecha.  As noted in our prior post, this was a formality after the parties agreed to settle the case.… Read More

Cadrecha Appeal to Be Dismissed Following Settlement Agreement

We have previously reported on the taxpayers’ appeal in Cadrecha from an application of the statute of limitations that the Court of Federal Claims acknowledged as “harsh,” but found to be required by law.  The taxpayers’ brief emphasized the unfairness of the result, and it struck a chord with the Department of Justice, whose appellate lawyers concluded that the taxpayers ought to get a break — either because they deserved one or perhaps because DOJ feared that the facts were so sympathetic that they created a risk of an adverse Federal Circuit decision that would cause mischief down the road.… Read More

Opening Brief Filed in Cadrecha

The taxpayers have filed their opening brief (literally! only 18 pages!) in Cadrecha.  They focus on two points.  First, they argue that the Court of Federal Claims mistakenly relied on an IRS official’s affidavit for conclusions about what transpired in telephone conversations, when the taxpayers were not given an adequate opportunity to dispute those facts.  Therefore, the court erred in ruling at the motion to dismiss stage.  Second, they argue that their claim should be viewed as timely in any event.  The taxpayers reason that, since the IRS’s notice of disallowance referred to a May 2007 claim, the timely March … Read More

Taxpayers Ask Federal Circuit to Overturn “Harsh” Application of Statute of Limitations

In Cadrecha v. United States, No. 11-152 (Apr. 2, 2012), the Court of Federal Claims ruled that the taxpayers could not escape the clutches of the statute of limitations, even though the failure to file a timely lawsuit was largely attributable to contradictory and confusing IRS communications.  The taxpayers have now appealed, hoping that the Federal Circuit will be more sympathetic.

The Court of Federal Claims acknowledged that the result was “harsh” on these facts.  The taxpayers filed a timely amended return in March 2007, styled as a protective claim for refund, on the theory that a recent Court … Read More