John Paul Massa - Page 7




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               The third issue for decision is whether petitioner is liable           
          for the section 6651(a)(1) addition to tax.                                 
               Section 6651(a)(1) imposes an addition to tax for failure to           
          timely file a return, unless the taxpayer establishes that such             
          failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful                   
          neglect.  "Reasonable cause" requires the taxpayer to demonstrate           
          that it exercised ordinary business care and prudence and was               
          nonetheless unable to file a return within the prescribed time.             
          United States v. Boyle, 469 U.S. 241, 245-246 (1985).  "Willful             
          neglect" means a conscious, intentional failure or reckless                 
          indifference.  Id.  The addition to tax equals 5 percent of the             
          tax required to be shown on the return if the failure to file is            
          for not more than 1 month, with an additional 5 percent for each            
          additional month or fraction of a month during which the failure            
          to file continues, not to exceed a maximum of 25 percent.  Sec.             
          6651(a)(1).                                                                 
               Petitioner testified that he thought that he was not                   
          required to file a return for 1992 because he believed that his             
          gross income for 1992 was less than $5,900.  Section 6012                   
          provides that an individual with a filing status of single must             
          file an income tax return for any taxable year in which his                 
          "gross income" exceeds the sum of the section 151(d)(1) exemption           
          amount and the section 63(c)(2) basic standard deduction for such           
          individual.  Sec. 6012(a)(1)(A)(i).  The sum of these amounts for           
          petitioner's 1992 taxable year was $5,900.  However, petitioner's           
          reported gross income for 1992 was $31,452, consisting of                   


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