Estate of Sylvia P. Goldman, Deceased, Marsha Goldberg and Linda Tanenbaum, Co-executrices - Page 19

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            showing of reliance on professional advice will not suffice.                              
            Sec. 1.6664-4(b), Income Tax Regs.  In order to serve as a                                
            defense, the reliance on professional advice must be reasonable.                          
            See Freytag v. Commissioner, 89 T.C. 849, 888 (1987), affd. 904                           
            F.2d 1011 (5th Cir. 1990), affd. 501 U.S. 868 (1991).  Marsha and                         
            Linda neither read nor understood the estate's tax return when                            
            they signed it.  Marsha testified:  "I'm just one of those people                         
            that the accountant or lawyer tells me to sign [the return], I                            
            guess I just signed it".  It is well established that such blind                          
            reliance on a professional does not establish reasonable cause.                           
            See Bagur v. Commissioner, 66 T.C. 817, 823-824 (1976), remanded                          
            on other grounds 603 F.2d 491 (5th Cir. 1979); Georgiou v.                                
            Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1995-546.  Nor was it shown here that                            
            the accountant was furnished with all the information necessary                           
            to prepare the return for petitioner in an accurate fashion.                              
            Accordingly, we sustain respondent's determination.                                       

                                                  Decision will be entered                            
                                                under Rule 155.                                       
                                                                                                     













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