Inverworld, Inc., et al. - Page 163

                                                - 239 -                                                   
            liability for the addition to tax for negligence merely by                                    
            shifting the responsibility to a tax professional.  Enoch v.                                  
            Commissioner, 57 T.C. 781, 802-803 (1972).  Reliance on an expert                             
            is not an absolute defense but is a factor to be considered.                                  
            Freytag v. Commissioner, supra at 888.  A taxpayer's reliance                                 
            must be in good faith and demonstrably reasonable.  Ewing v.                                  
            Commissioner, 91 T.C. 396, 423 (1988), affd. without published                                
            opinion 940 F.2d 1534 (9th Cir. 1991); Freytag v. Commissioner,                               
            supra at 888-889.  In such a case, a taxpayer will be entitled to                             
            rely upon an expert's advice, even if the advice should prove to                              
            be erroneous.  Jackson v. Commissioner, 86 T.C. 492, 539 (1986),                              
            affd. on other issues 864 F.2d 1521 (10th Cir. 1989); Brown v.                                
            Commissioner, 47 T.C. 399, 410 (1967), affd. 398 F.2d 832 (6th                                
            Cir. 1968).                                                                                   
                  The ultimate responsibility for a correct return lies with                              
            the taxpayer, who must furnish the necessary information to the                               
            agent who prepared the return.  Enoch v. Commissioner, supra at                               
            802.  In other words, reliance upon expert advice will not                                    
            exculpate a taxpayer who supplies the return preparer with                                    
            incomplete or inaccurate information.  Lester Lumber Co. v.                                   
            Commissioner, 14 T.C. 255, 263 (1950).                                                        
                  Turning to the facts of the instant cases, we note that LTD                             
            did not file any income tax returns or withholding tax returns                                
            and that INC did not file any withholding tax returns.  We have                               
            held that LTD is liable for corporate income tax for taxable                                  





Page:  Previous  225  226  227  228  229  230  231  232  233  234  235  236  237  238  239  240  241  242  243  244  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011