- 2 - CONTENTS Page MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION.......................2 OPINION OF THE SPECIAL TRIAL JUDGE............................3 FINDINGS OF FACT..............................................6 A. The Plastics Recycling Transactions......................6 B. The Partnerships.........................................9 C. Richard Roberts.........................................12 D. Stuart Becker and Steven Leicht.........................13 E. Petitioners and Their Introduction to the Partnership Transactions............................................17 1. Philippe and Nadine Grelsamer.......................17 2. David E. Morgan.....................................20 OPINION......................................................23 A. Section 6653(a)--Negligence.............................26 1. The So-Called Oil Crisis...........................28 2. Petitioners' Purported Reliance on Tax Advisers...........................................34 a. The Circumstances Under Which a Taxpayer May Avoid Liability Under Section 6653(a)(1) and (2) Because of Reasonable Reliance on Competent and Fully Informed Professional Advice.........................................35 b. Green and the Tax Return Preparers.............37 c. Becker.........................................38 d. Conclusion as to Petitioners' Alleged Reliance on Becker.............................43 3. The Private Offering Memoranda.....................46 4. Miscellaneous......................................51 5. Conclusion as to Negligence........................57 B. Section 6659--Valuation Overstatement...................58 1. The Grounds for Petitioners' Underpayments.........60 2. Concession of the Deficiency.......................64 3. Section 6659(e)....................................68 C. Petitioners' Motions For Leave To File Motion for Decision Ordering Relief From the Negligence Penalty and the Penalty Rate of Interest and To File Supporting Memoranda of Law........................................72 MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION DAWSON, Judge: These cases were assigned to Special Trial Judge Norman H. Wolfe pursuant to the provisions of section 7443A(b)(4) and Rules 180, 181, and 183. They were tried and briefed separately but consolidated for purposes of opinion. AllPage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Next
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