William C. Beretta - Page 22

                                                - 22 -                                                  

            is never presumed and must be established by independent evidence                           
            of fraudulent intent.  Edelson v. Commissioner, supra.  Fraud may                           
            be shown by circumstantial evidence because direct evidence of                              
            the taxpayer's fraudulent intent is seldom available.  Gajewski                             
            v. Commissioner, 67 T.C. 181, 199 (1976), affd. without published                           
            opinion 578 F.2d 1383 (8th Cir. 1978).  The taxpayer's entire                               
            course of conduct may establish the requisite fraudulent intent.                            
            Stone v. Commissioner, 56 T.C. 213, 223-224 (1971); Otsuki v.                               
            Commissioner, 53 T.C. 96, 105-106 (1969).                                                   
                  Courts have developed several indicia of fraud, or “badges                            
            of fraud”, which include:  (1) Understatement of income,                                    
            (2) inadequate books and records, (3) failure to file tax                                   
            returns, (4) implausible or inconsistent explanations of                                    
            behavior, (5) concealment of assets, (6) failure to cooperate                               
            with tax authorities, (7) filing false Forms W-4, (8) failure to                            
            make estimated tax payments, (9) dealing in cash, (10) engaging                             
            in illegal activity, and (11) attempting to conceal illegal                                 
            activity.  Bradford v. Commissioner, 796 F.2d 303, 307 (9th Cir.                            
            1986), affg. T.C. Memo. 1984-601; Recklitis v. Commissioner, 91                             
            T.C. 874, 910 (1988).  This list is nonexclusive.  Miller v.                                
            Commissioner, 94 T.C. 316, 334 (1990).                                                      
                  The strongest evidence of fraud in this case is the method                            
            in which petitioner received income from the restaurants.                                   
            Petitioner instructed Pat Bartley, the manager of the Salinas                               





Page:  Previous  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011