- 14 - general, a taxpayer's negligence, whether slight or gross, is not enough to prove fraud. Kellett v. Commissioner, 5 T.C. 608, 616 (1945). Respondent maintains that petitioner's failure to file timely income tax returns was part of a pattern of fraud. Although a taxpayer's failure to file is prima facie evidence of negligence for purposes of section 6653(a), see Emmons v. Commissioner, 92 T.C. 342, 350 (1989), affd. 898 F.2d 50 (5th Cir. 1990), it is insufficient in and of itself to prove fraud. Rowlee v. Commissioner, supra at 1123. The record here simply does not show any affirmative acts of concealment or misrepresentation so as to constitute fraud, such as filing false information or attempting to mislead respondent. Zell v. Commissioner, 763 F.2d 1139, 1146 (10th Cir. 1985), affg. T.C. Memo. 1984-152. For respondent to sustain her position as to the fraud addition to tax, it is not enough that respondent can show the taxpayer to be devious. See Kreps v. Commissioner, 351 F.2d 1, 7 (2d Cir. 1965), affg. 42 T.C. 660 (1964); Shaw v. Commissioner, 27 T.C. 561, 569-570 (1956), affd. 252 F.2d 681 (6th Cir. 1958); Gano v. Commissioner, 19 B.T.A. 518, 532-533 (1930). The evidence must be clear and convincing. In the instant case, we find that the evidence falls short of beingPage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Next
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