Willie Thomas - Page 13

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          determine whether petitioner is liable for the additions to tax             
          for fraud with respect to 1984 and 1985.                                    
               A.  Underpayment                                                       
               The record provides sufficient evidence that for 1984 and              
          1985 petitioner omitted significant amounts of income and                   
          underpaid his taxes.  As stated earlier, petitioner is liable for           
          self-employment tax because he failed to meet his burden of                 
          proof.  Rule 142(a).  While respondent determined that petitioner           
          underpaid his taxes by $78,807.11 for 1984 and $41,092.63 for               
          1985, she failed to produce clear and convincing evidence that              
          petitioner's income was derived from self-employment.  As a                 
          result, these underpayments must be reduced accordingly.                    
               B.  Fraudulent Intent                                                  
               To prove fraud, respondent must establish that petitioner              
          intended to evade taxes.  This intent may be established by                 
          conduct designed to conceal, mislead, or otherwise prevent the              
          collection of taxes.  Korecky v. Commissioner, 781 F.2d 1566,               
          1568 (11th Cir. 1986), affg. T.C. Memo. 1985-63; Rowlee v.                  
          Commissioner, 80 T.C. 1111, 1123 (1983).  Fraudulent intent is              
          not to be imputed or presumed but rather must be established by             
          some independent evidence.  Beaver v. Commissioner, 55 T.C. 85,             
          92 (1970); Otsuki v. Commissioner, 53 T.C. 96, 106 (1969).                  
          Because direct proof of the taxpayer's intent is rarely                     
          available, fraudulent intent may be established by circumstantial           
          evidence and reasonable inferences drawn from the facts.  Spies             




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