The Statue of Limitations

DETERMINING WHEN A RETURN IS SUFFICIENT TO
START THE STATUE OF LIMITATIONS. 

Determining the Statute of Limitations: While the statute of limitations for examination is
generally three years from the date a return is filed, the statue can be automatically extended, can
be voluntarily extended, or tolled under various provisions provided in the code, regulations,
rulings and court cases. Your job is to advise your clients as to the applicable statute of
limitations based on the fact pattern to be provided to you below. Remember: the date a return is
deemed filed is a question of both fact and law.
It is October 1, 2021. The clients have not filed their joint current year’s tax return. No
extension has been filed. Your clients have filed timely in the past and there is no reason to
suspect that there is unreported income (once the return is filed). They live in Florida and have
been unaffected by a hurricane or other severe weather event. Your team must write a
memorandum to the client explaining when a tax return filing will be deemed sufficient to start
the statute of limitations for both examination and assessment purposes. In addition, the clients
have asked if they should file a joint tax return under the facts above. You should cite, as
appropriate, the code, regulations, rulings, court cases… etc. Make sure that the memo addresses
all the following questions for both types of returns: When is the statutes of limitations tolled from running? For how long?