Cleveland Indians Baseball Co. v. United States
Cleveland Indians Baseball Co. v. United States
Opinion of the Court
Cleveland Indians Baseball Company (“Company”) filed suit in federal district court against the United States Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) after the IRS denied the Company’s claim for a tax refund based on backpay wages paid pursuant to a grievance settlement agreement. The Company, owing eight players back-pay for wages due in 1986 and fourteen players backpay for wages due in 1987, paid the wages in 1994. The Company
By decision dated April 17, 2001, the Supreme Court of the United States reversed, holding that back wages are subject to FICA and FUTA taxes by reference to the year the wages are in fact paid. See United States v. Cleveland Indians Baseball Co., 532 U.S. 200, 121 S.Ct. 1433, 149 L.Ed.2d 401 (2001) (abrogating Bowman v. United States, 824 F.2d 528 (1987)). Accordingly, we VACATE the judgment and REMAND to the district court to enter final judgment in favor of the United States.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.