Chief Counsel Advice 1226028 Released June 29, 2012 Advice

CCA 1226028: Section 6038D penalty is assessable without deficiency procedures

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This page covers one taxpayer's ruling from 2012, which can't be cited as precedent. Ask about your situation and see what the current Code and IRS guidance say, with citations.

Currency note: this determination was released in 2012
Statutory amendments, regulation changes, court decisions, or later IRS guidance may have changed the analysis since then. Treat this page as historical context, not current tax advice. Verify current law before relying on any specific rule, threshold, or position mentioned here.
Not precedent. Under 26 U.S.C. § 6110(k)(3), this written determination may not be used or cited as precedent. It resolved one taxpayer's situation on its specific facts, and identifying details were redacted by the IRS before release. The official IRS release (linked on this page as a PDF) is the authoritative source.
About this page: The plain-English summary and ruling snapshot below were written by Ezel based on the official IRS release. The full text is the IRS's own document.
View official IRS release (PDF)

Plain-English summary

Chief Counsel advice concluded that the penalty under IRC § 6038D is not itself part of a deficiency. IRC §§ 6665 and 6671 can bring some penalties within deficiency procedures when they are calculated based on a tax subject to those procedures, but their chapter 68 language does not expressly cover § 6038D. The advice further concluded that the § 6038D penalty is set at specific statutory amounts rather than calculated from a tax subject to deficiency procedures, so the IRS may assess it without first following those procedures.

Ruling snapshot

  • Question: May the IRS assess the IRC § 6038D penalty without first following deficiency procedures?
  • Outcome: Advice
  • Key authorities: IRC §§ 6038D, 6665, 6671, and 6110

Full text (IRS public release)

ID: CCA_2012042714292464 Number: 201226028
Release Date: 6/29/2012
Office: --------------
UILC: 6665.02-00, 6671.00-00

From: ------------------
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2012 2:29:24 PM
To: ----------------------------------------------
Cc: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Subject: FW: 8938 Penalty Question

The section 6038D penalty is not itself part of a deficiency - so it cannot be subject to
deficiency procedures on that ground. Sections 6665 and 6671 operate to treat some
penalties as subject to deficiency procedures if they are calculated on the basis of a tax
that is itself subject to deficiency procedures. These Code sections contain language that
refers only to penalties in chapter 68 (or subchapter B of chapter 68), so that they do not
expressly cover the penalty in section 6038D. Even if they did extend to that penalty,
however, the section 6038D penalty is not calculated on the basis of a tax that is itself
subject to deficiency procedures; instead, the penalty is in specific amounts set forth in
the statute. As a result, the section 6038D penalty is assessable by the Service without
following deficiency procedures first.

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