Tax Court Upholds Administrative Adjudication of Civil Tax Fraud Penalties
The United States Tax Court, in Silver Moss Properties, LLC v. Commissioner, 165 T.C. No. 3 (2025), recently addressed a critical question for tax professionals: whether the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees a right to a jury trial for civil fraud penalties under Internal Revenue Code (I.R.C.) Section 6663(a) in a Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 (TEFRA) partnership-level proceeding. The court unequivocally held that it retains the authority to adjudicate such penalties without a jury.
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