Charlotte's Office Boutique, Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue

CALLAHAN, Circuit Judge:

On its face, this is an appeal by Charlotte’s Office Boutique, Inc., from the Tax Court’s determination that its royalty payments to Charlotte Odell, one of its two shareholders, were actually wages and that appellant was liable for employment taxes on those wages and penalties. This appeal, however, also raises a challenge to the Tax Court’s jurisdiction, which was first raised before the Tax Court by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue (“Commissioner”) and is asserted by both parties on appeal, with the Commissioner taking the laboring oar.

Following the trial in the…