On November 30, 2021, the Tax Court issued a Memorandum Opinion in the case of O’Donnell v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo. 2021-134). The primary issue presented in O’Donnell was whether the settlement officer abused his discretion in sustaining the collection action against a taxpayer who had a “blatant disregard for voluntary compliance.” Background to O’Donnell v. Commissioner Let me begin by saying that James O’Donnell is not a paragon of tax compliance. According to Judge Lauber,