Opinion
35941-21W
07-08-2022
ZUBIN THOMAS MAHARAJ, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
ORDER AND ORDER OF DISMISSAL FOR LACK OF JURISDICTION
Kathleen Kerrigan Chief Judge
In this case petitioner seeks review of a notice of determination under section 7623 concerning whistleblower action. The notice of determination on which this case is based states: "The Whistleblower Office has made a final decision to reject your claim for an award. The claim has been rejected because the IRS decided not to pursue the information you provided."
By opinion issued January 11, 2022, in the case of Li v. Commissioner, 22 F.4th 1014 (D.C. Cir. 2022), the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (to which all Tax Court whistleblower cases are appealable pursuant to 26 U.S.C. 7482(b)(1)) held that the Tax Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction of whistleblower cases, such as this one, in which the IRS rejects the whistleblower claim and therefore does not commence any administrative or judicial proceeding based on the whistleblower's information. On March 7, 2022, respondent filed a Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction. By Order issued March 10, 2022, proceedings in this case were stayed pending the final outcome of Li v. Commissioner. The court of appeals' judgment in that case is now final.
Accordingly, upon due consideration of the foregoing, it is
ORDERED that the stay of proceedings in this case is lifted. It is further
ORDERED that the parties are no longer required to file status reports on or before September 9, 2022. It is further
ORDERED that respondent's Motion to Dismiss for Lack of Jurisdiction is granted and this case is dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.