The Tax Times: Tax Court Rejects Jury Trial for Conservation Easement Fraud Penalties

Silver Moss Properties et al. v. Commissioner, docket number 10646-21, is a pivotal Tax Court case addressing a partnership-level dispute under TEFRA involving Silver Moss Properties, LLC. The controversy centered on the claim of a conservation easement deduction taken for property contributed to the Atlantic Coast Conservancy and raised significant procedural and constitutional questions about the imposition of civil fraud penalties.

Conservation Easement Deduction Challenge

The IRS challenged Silver Moss Properties, LLC’s deduction for its conservation easement, asserting that the claimed deduction was improper based on valuation, legal substance, and compliance issues. The partnership structure meant the dispute was adjudicated at the entity level under TEFRA, with all affected partners bound by the final Tax Court determination.

Civil Fraud Penalties and Jury Trial Rights

Central to the proceeding was Silver Moss Properties’ attempt to invoke the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial for civil fraud penalties, following the Supreme Court’s decision in SEC v. Jarkesy, which held that individuals facing civil penalties from an administrative agency are entitled to a jury trial. The taxpayer argued that the Tax Court, as a non-Article III court, cannot constitutionally impose such penalties without affording a jury trial. This argument was supported by amicus briefs filed on behalf of the Center for Taxpayer Rights and advocated by prominent tax litigators.

Tax Court Ruling

The Tax Court rejected Silver Moss’s request for a jury trial, distinguishing tax penalty proceedings from the context of Jarkesy and affirming its jurisdiction to adjudicate civil fraud penalties. The court reasoned that the IRS’s process does not implicate the same Seventh Amendment concerns, as tax proceedings historically have been conducted in administrative or judicial forums without juries. Accordingly, motions for partial summary judgment on the constitutional grounds were denied, and the Tax Court retained authority over the penalty dispute.

Procedural and Wider Impact

This decision is significant for partnerships, conservation easement cases, and taxpayers at risk of civil fraud penalties. The outcome underscores the limits of jury trial protections in tax controversy, clarifies the scope of Tax Court authority, and suggests that efforts to extend the Jarkesy rationale to tax fraud penalty cases will require further appellate consideration.

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