CA6 Rejects Taxpayers Argument for Bankruptcy Discharge Based on Exception to Discharge for Intent to Evade Tax (4/14/21; 4/15/21)

In United States v. Helton (6th Cir. 4/14/21) (unpublished), CA6 here; TN here, the taxpayer, a lawyer, sought to avoid the exception for bankruptcy discharge in 11 USC 523(a)(1)(C) for a debt “with respect to which the debtor . . . willfully attempted in any manner to evade or defeat such tax.”  The relevant part of the opinion is:

Helton's principal argument, rather, is that § 523(a)(1)(C) requires proof that the debtor acted with “specific intent to evade the tax.” Hawkins v. Franchise Tax Bd., 769 F.3d 662, 670 (9th Cir. 2014). Thus, in Helton's view, the government was required to prove not only that Helton chose to allocate his funds toward Mercedes-Benz sedans and dinners out each night and luxury gifts, rather than towards his taxes; instead, the government was required also to prove that he purchased or paid for those things specifically to avoid paying his taxes. Regardless of whether that is the law in the Ninth Circuit, it is not the law in this one, as shown above. See, e.g., Gardner, 360 F.3d at 561; accord In re Feshbach, 974 F.3d 1320, 1331 (11th Cir. 2020); United States v. Coney, 689 F.3d 365, 374 (5th Cir. 2012); In re Fegeley, 118 F.3d 979, 984 (3d Cir. 1997). We therefore reject his argument.

I have not tried to track down whether there was Ninth Circuit authority for the distinction as articulated by the Court for Helton’s argument.  In the context of the way the Court explained the distinction, it does not appear to me to be a material distinction.

Added 4/15/21 3:15pm:  Les Book of the Procedurally Taxing Blog reminded me that Lavar Taylor, here, had posted two blog entries on the Ninth Circuit's view of § 523(a)(1)(C):

• What Constitutes An Attempt To Evade Or Defeat Taxes For Purposes Of Section 523(a)(1)(C) Of The Bankruptcy Code: The Ninth Circuit Parts Company With Other Circuits (Part 1) (Procedurally Taxing Blog 9/18/14), here.
• What Constitutes An Attempt To Evade Or Defeat Taxes For Purposes Of Section 523(a)(1)(C) Of The Bankruptcy Code: The Ninth Circuit Parts Company With Other Circuits (Part 2) (Procedurally Taxing Blog 9/19/14), here.