- 51 - Commissioner, 96 T.C. 858, 874 (1991), affd. 959 F.2d 16 (2d Cir. 1992); Rowlee v. Commissioner, 80 T.C. 1111, 1123 (1983). The existence of fraud is a question of fact to be resolved upon consideration of the entire record. Parks v. Commissioner, 94 T.C. 654, 660 (1990); Gajewski v. Commissioner, 67 T.C. 181, 199 (1976), affd. without published opinion 578 F.2d 1383 (8th Cir. 1978); Beaver v. Commissioner, 55 T.C. 85, 92 (1970). A pattern of consistent underreporting of income may indicate fraud, as does the failure to maintain adequate records of income and expenses. Holland v. United States, 348 U.S. 121, 137 (1954); Korecky v. Commissioner, 781 F.2d 1566, 1568 (11th Cir. 1986), affg. T.C. Memo. 1985-63; Lollis v. Commissioner, 595 F.2d 1189, 1192 (9th Cir. 1979), affg. T.C. Memo. 1976-15; Grosshandler v. Commissioner, 75 T.C. 1, 20 (1980); Otsuki v. Commissioner, 53 T.C. 96, 109 (1969). The use of a corporation to disguise the personal nature of expenses constitutes an indicium of fraud. Truesdell v. Commissioner, 89 T.C. 1280, 1302-1303 (1987); Benes v. Commissioner, 42 T.C. 358, 383 (1964), affd. 355 F.2d 929 (6th Cir. 1966). A corporation can act only through its officers and does not escape responsibility for acts of its officers performed in that capacity. DiLeo v. Commissioner, supra at 875; Federbush v. Commissioner, 34 T.C. 740, 749 (1960), affd. 325 F.2d 1 (2d Cir. 1963). It follows that corporate fraud is established throughPage: Previous 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011