William G. Applegate - Page 10

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          regarding joint return and timely election under section                    
          6015(b)(1)(A) and (E), respectively.  Additionally, the                     
          parties stipulated that the employee business expenses at issue             
          are attributable to Mr. Applegate's employment with DriAll.                 
          Thus, Ms. Wang has also satisfied the requirement that the                  
          understatement of tax resulting from the disallowed employee                
          business expenses must not be attributable to the individual                
          seeking relief from the liability.  Sec. 6015(b)(1)(B).  The                
          Court now considers whether Ms. Wang satisfies the remaining two            
          elements of section 6015(b) with respect to the Schedule A                  
          deductions for unreimbursed employee business expenses.                     
               The first of the two remaining elements of section                     
          6015(b)(1) requires that Ms. Wang, in signing the return, did not           
          know, and had no reason to know, that there was an                          
          understatement.  See Grossman v. Commissioner, 182 F.3d 275, 279-           
          280 (4th Cir. 1999), affg. T.C. Memo. 1996-452.  A requesting               
          spouse has knowledge or reason to know of an understatement if he           
          or she actually knew of the understatement, or if a reasonably              
          prudent taxpayer in his or her position, at the time he or she              
          signed the return, could have been expected to know that the                
          return contained an understatement or that further investigation            
          was warranted.  Butler v. Commissioner, supra at 283.  In                   
          deciding whether a spouse has reason to know of an                          
          understatement, the Court undertakes a subjective inquiry.  There           






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