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District of Columbia Code Division VIII. General Laws. § 47-4211. Imposition of accuracy-related penalty.

Current as of January 01, 2024 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a) For purposes of this section, the term:

(1) “Negligence” means a failure to make a reasonable attempt to comply with the provisions of this title or to exercise ordinary and reasonable care in the preparation of a tax return without the intent to defraud. A position with respect to an item is attributable to negligence if it lacks a reasonable basis. Negligence is indicated where:

(A) The taxpayer fails to include on an income tax return an amount of income shown on an information return;

(B) The taxpayer fails to make a reasonable attempt to ascertain the correctness of a deduction, credit, or exclusion on a return; or

(C) The taxpayer fails to keep adequate books and records or to substantiate items properly.

(2) “Gross valuation misstatement” means the reporting on any return for a tax imposed by this title of the value of a property or the adjusted basis of a property which is greater than or equal to 400%, or less than or equal to 25%, of the amount determined to be the correct amount of the valuation or adjusted basis.

(3)(A) “Substantial understatement of income tax” means, for a taxable year, an understatement made by taxpayer in filing an individual or estate tax return if the amount of the understatement for the taxable year exceeds the greater of:

(i) Ten percent of the tax required to be shown on the return for the taxable year; or

(ii) $2,000.

(B) In the case of a taxpayer other than an individual or estate, subparagraph (A) of this paragraph shall be applied by substituting “$4,000” for “$2,000”.

(C)(i) For purposes of this section, the term “understatement” means the excess of the amount of tax required to be shown on a return less the tax shown on the return.

(ii) The amount of the understatement under sub-subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall be reduced by the portion of the understatement which is attributable to:

(I) The tax treatment of an item by the taxpayer if there is or was substantial authority for the treatment; or

(II) An item if:

(aa) The relevant facts affecting the item's tax treatment are adequately disclosed in a statement attached to the return; and

(bb) There is a reasonable basis for the tax treatment of the item by the taxpayer.

(4) “Substantial valuation misstatement” means the reporting on any return for a tax imposed by this title of the value of a property or the adjusted basis of a property which is greater than or equal to 200%, or less than or equal to 50%, of the amount determined to be the correct amount of the valuation or adjusted basis.

(b)(1) There shall be added to a tax imposed by this title an amount equal to 20% of the portion of an underpayment which is attributable to one or more of the following:

(A) Negligence;

(B) A substantial understatement of income tax; or

(C) A substantial valuation misstatement.

(2) There shall be added to the tax imposed by this title an amount equal to 40% of the portion of an underpayment which is attributable to a gross valuation misstatement.

(c)(1) Subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to the portion of an underpayment on which a penalty is imposed under § 47-4212.

(2) No penalty shall be imposed under subsection (b) of this section by reason of a substantial valuation misstatement or a gross valuation misstatement unless the portion of the underpayment for the taxable year attributable to the substantial valuation misstatement exceeds $5,000 ($10,000 in the case of a corporation).

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - District of Columbia Code Division VIII. General Laws. § 47-4211. Imposition of accuracy-related penalty. - last updated January 01, 2024 | https://codes.findlaw.com/dc/division-viii-general-laws/dc-code-sect-47-4211/

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