Greg Mitchell - Taxes And Bankruptcy

In re Minor; 127 AFTR 2d 2021-XXXX (DC CA); Case No. 2:20-cv-03626 (DC, C.D. CA)

This case involves taxes in a bankruptcy case that were priority taxes under the Bankruptcy Code.

The Debtor in this case filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May, 2013 and received a discharge in May, 2015.  In March, 2018, the IRS filed an amended proof of claim in the bankruptcy case for almost $26 million for unpaid federal income taxes owed by Minor for tax years 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2011 (the “IRS Claim”).  The IRS Claim consisted of a secured claim of $24,857,210.48, a priority claim of $997,869.07, and an unsecured claim of $61,398.90.

The California Franchise Tax Board (“FTB”) also filed its own proof of claim, the details of which were not relevant for purposes of this case.  What was relevant was that the bankruptcy trustee did not have enough funds to pay both the IRS and the FTB claims in full.  Therefore, the bankruptcy trustee (“Trustee”), the IRS, and the FTB entered into a stipulation regarding the division of available funds (the “Stipulation”).

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