§ 7429. Review of jeopardy levy or assessment procedures

(a) Administrative review

(1) Administrative review

(A) Prior approval required

No assessment may be made under section 6851 (a), 6852 (a), 6861 (a), or 6862, and no levy may be made under section 6331 (a) less than 30 days after notice and demand for payment is made, unless the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service (or such Counsel’s delegate) personally approves (in writing) such assessment or levy.

(B) Information to taxpayer

Within 5 days after the day on which such an assessment or levy is made, the Secretary shall provide the taxpayer with a written statement of the information upon which the Secretary relied in making such assessment or levy.

(2) Request for review

Within 30 days after the day on which the taxpayer is furnished the written statement described in paragraph (1), or within 30 days after the last day of the period within which such statement is required to be furnished, the taxpayer may request the Secretary to review the action taken.

(3) Redetermination by Secretary

After a request for review is made under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall determine—

(A) whether or not—

(i) the making of the assessment under section 6851, 6861, or 6862, as the case may be, is reasonable under the circumstances, and

(ii) the amount so assessed or demanded as a result of the action taken under section 6851, 6861, or 6862 is appropriate under the circumstances, or

(B) whether or not the levy described in subsection (a)(1) is reasonable under the circumstances.

(b) Judicial review

(1) Proceedings permitted

Within 90 days after the earlier of—

(A) the day the Secretary notifies the taxpayer of the Secretary’s determination described in subsection (a)(3), or

(B) the 16th day after the request described in subsection (a)(2) was made,

the taxpayer may bring a civil action against the United States for a determination under this subsection in the court with jurisdiction determined under paragraph (2).

(2) Jurisdiction for determination

(A) In general

Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the district courts of the United States shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any civil action for a determination under this subsection.

(B) Tax Court

If a petition for a redetermination of a deficiency under section 6213 (a) has been timely filed with the Tax Court before the making of an assessment or levy that is subject to the review procedures of this section, and 1 or more of the taxes and taxable periods before the Tax Court because of such petition is also included in the written statement that is provided to the taxpayer under subsection (a), then the Tax Court also shall have jurisdiction over any civil action for a determination under this subsection with respect to all the taxes and taxable periods included in such written statement.

(3) Determination by court

Within 20 days after a proceeding is commenced under paragraph (1), the court shall determine—

(A) whether or not—

(i) the making of the assessment under section 6851, 6861, or 6862, as the case may be, is reasonable under the circumstances, and

(ii) the amount so assessed or demanded as a result of the action taken under section 6851, 6861, or 6862 is appropriate under the circumstances, or

(B) whether or not the levy described in subsection (a)(1) is reasonable under the circumstances.

If the court determines that proper service was not made on the United States or on the Secretary, as may be appropriate, within 5 days after the date of the commencement of the proceeding, then the running of the 20-day period set forth in the preceding sentence shall not begin before the day on which proper service was made on the United States or on the Secretary, as may be appropriate.

(4) Order of court

If the court determines that the making of such levy is unreasonable, that the making of such assessment is unreasonable, or that the amount assessed or demanded is inappropriate, then the court may order the Secretary to release such levy, to abate such assessment, to redetermine (in whole or in part) the amount assessed or demanded, or to take such other action as the court finds appropriate.

If the taxpayer requests an extension of the 20-day period set forth in subsection (b)(2) and establishes reasonable grounds why such extension should be granted, the court may grant an extension of not more than 40 additional days.

(d) Computation of days

For purposes of this section, Saturday, Sunday, or a legal holiday in the District of Columbia shall not be counted as the last day of any period.

(e) Venue

(1) District court

A civil action in a district court under subsection (b) shall be commenced only in the judicial district described in section 1402 (a)(1) or (2) of title 28, United States Code.

(2) Transfer of actions

If a civil action is filed under subsection (b) with the Tax Court and such court finds that there is want of jurisdiction because of the jurisdiction provisions of subsection (b)(2), then the Tax Court shall, if such court determines it is in the interest of justice, transfer the civil action to the district court in which the action could have been brought at the time such action was filed. Any civil action so transferred shall proceed as if such action had been filed in the district court to which such action is transferred on the date on which such action was actually filed in the Tax Court from which such action is transferred.

(f) Finality of determination

Any determination made by a court under this section shall be final and conclusive and shall not be reviewed by any other court.

(g) Burden of proof

(1) Reasonableness of levy, termination, or jeopardy assessment

In a proceeding under subsection (b) involving the issue of whether the making of a levy described in subsection (a)(1) or the making of an assessment under section 6851, 6852, 6861, or 6862 is reasonable under the circumstances, the burden of proof in respect to such issue shall be upon the Secretary.

(2) Reasonableness of amount of assessment

In a proceeding under subsection (b) involving the issue of whether an amount assessed or demanded as a result of action taken under section 6851, 6852, 6861, or 6862 is appropriate under the circumstances, the Secretary shall provide a written statement which contains any information with respect to which his determination of the amount assessed was based, but the burden of proof in respect of such issue shall be upon the taxpayer.

U.S. Code

§ 7429. Review of jeopardy levy or assessment procedures