National Industrial Investors, Inc. - Page 6

                                                - 6 -                                                  


            person.  E.g., Anthony v. United States, 987 F.2d 670, 674 (10th                           
            Cir. 1993); Norgaard v. Commissioner, 939 F.2d 874, 881 (9th Cir.                          
            1991), affg. in part and revg. in part T.C. Memo. 1989-390;                                
            Powers v. Commissioner, supra at 472.  For a position to be                                
            substantially justified, "substantial evidence" must exist to                              
            support it.  Pierce v. Underwood, 487 U.S. 552, 564 (1988).                                
            "That phrase does not mean a large or considerable amount of                               
            evidence, but rather 'such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind                          
            might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.'" Id. at 564-                            
            565 (quoting Consolidated Edison Co. v. NLRB, 305 U.S. 197, 229                            
            (1938)).  Respondent's position may be incorrect but                                       
            substantially justified "if a reasonable person could think it                             
            correct".  Id. at 566 n.2.  Thus, whether respondent acted                                 
            reasonably in the instant case ultimately turns upon the facts                             
            available to her which formed the legal basis for the position                             
            she took in the deficiency notice and during the litigation.                               
            DeVenney v. Commissioner, supra at 930.                                                    
                  The fact that the Commissioner eventually loses or concedes                          
            a case does not by itself establish that her position is                                   
            unreasonable.  Estate of Perry v. Commissioner, 931 F.2d 1044,                             
            1046 (5th Cir. 1991); Swanson v. Commissioner, 106 T.C. 76, 94                             
            (1996).  However, it "clearly remains" a factor to be considered.                          
            Heasley v. Commissioner, 967 F.2d 116, 120 (5th Cir. 1992), affg.                          






Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011