United States v. Fahey
United States v. Fahey
Opinion of the Court
These are appeals from orders of the district court directing enforcement of four summonses issued to third parties by the Internal Revenue Service. The taxpayers instructed the third party defendants to disregard the summonses and intervened in the suits.
The taxpayers argue first that the United States government is without authority under the constitution to bring civil actions against citizens, and that the court therefore lacks jurisdiction to enforce these IRS summonses. This argument, though creative, is frivolous.
The taxpayers’ brief also suggests that the IRS is actually achieving criminal ends in this investigation under the guise of civil processes. This contention also lacks merit. The government established a prima facie case that the issuance of these summonses was in furtherance of a valid civil tax determination purpose. The taxpayers offered no proof in contradiction. See United States v. MacKay, 608 F.2d 830, at 834 (10th Cir. 1979).
AFFIRMED.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.