Gary B. and Kathleen Mitchell - Page 17

                                       - 17 -                                         
          6653(a)(1) for 1988.  For 1987, if any part of the underpayment             
          is due to negligence, the addition to tax is 5 percent of the               
          underpayment, plus 50 percent of the interest due on the part of            
          the underpayment that is due to negligence.  In this instance,              
          respondent determined that the entire underpayment was due to               
          negligence.  For 1988, if any part of the underpayment is due to            
          negligence, the addition to tax is 5 percent of the underpayment.           
               Negligence is defined as the lack of due care or failure to            
          do what a reasonable and ordinarily prudent person would do under           
          the circumstances.  Neely v. Commissioner, 85 T.C. 934, 947                 
          (1985).  Petitioners bear the burden of proving that additions to           
          tax do not apply.  Rule 142(a); Luman v. Commissioner, 79 T.C.              
          846, 860-861 (1982).                                                        
               Petitioners claimed on their return that substantial amounts           
          of renovations ($112,470) were part of the cost of the new                  
          residence and thus eligible for section 1034 treatment, knowing             
          that those renovations had not been begun prior to the 2-year               
          limit.  Compounding their claim, they dated checks to make it               
          appear that the total amount claimed on their tax return                    
          qualified, knowing that such dates were not correct.                        
          Accordingly, for the 1988 taxable year in which petitioners would           
          have been required to report any gain which was not rolled over,            
          they are negligent.  In addition, petitioners did not offer any             
          evidence to show that any portion of any underpayment for 1987              






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

Last modified: May 25, 2011