Robert Gottsegen - Page 32

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          understated his Federal income tax for that year.  See sec.                 
          6662(b)(2).                                                                 
               As relevant herein, section 6662(a) imposes an accuracy-               
          related penalty equal to 20-percent of an underpayment that is              
          due to a substantial understatement of income tax.  See sec.                
          6662(d).  An individual substantially understates his or her                
          income tax when the reported tax is understated by the greater of           
          10-percent of the tax required to be shown on the return or                 
          $5,000.  Sec. 6662(d)(1)(A).  Tax is not understated to the                 
          extent that the treatment of the item related thereto is based on           
          substantial authority or is adequately disclosed in the return or           
          in a statement attached to the return.  Sec. 6662(d)(2)(B).                 
          However, in the case of a tax shelter, (1) adequate disclosure              
          will not serve to avoid the penalty, and (2) substantial                    
          authority will avoid the penalty only if the taxpayer reasonably            
          believed that the tax treatment of the item by the taxpayer was             
          more likely than not the proper treatment.  Sec. 6662(d)(2)(C).             
               Petitioner reported zero tax on his 1989 return.  The                  
          correct amount due, as stipulated by the parties, was $34,823.              
          Therefore, petitioner understated his income tax in an amount               
          greater than $5,000 or 10-percent of the tax required to be shown           
          on his return.                                                              
               Petitioner makes no argument with regard to substantial                
          authority or adequate disclosure, and we think that no such                 
          argument can be persuasively made.  Moreover, for the reasons               




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