- 43 - intended to evade taxes that he or she believed to be owing by conduct intended to conceal, mislead, or otherwise prevent the collection of such taxes. Stoltzfus v. United States, 398 F.2d 1002, 1004 (3d Cir. 1968); Parks v. Commissioner, 94 T.C. 654, 661 (1990). The existence of fraudulent intent is a question of fact to be resolved upon consideration of the entire record. Gajewski v. Commissioner, 67 T.C. 181, 199 (1976), affd. without published opinion 578 F.2d 1383 (8th Cir. 1978). Although fraudulent intent is never presumed, it may be established by circumstantial evidence because direct proof of the taxpayer's intent is rarely available. Petzoldt v. Commissioner, 92 T.C. 661, 699 (1989); Rowlee v. Commissioner, 80 T.C. 1111, 1123 (1983). The taxpayer's entire course of conduct may establish the requisite fraudulent intent. Rowlee v. Commissioner, supra at 1123; Otsuki v. Commissioner, 53 T.C. 96, 106 (1969). The courts have established a number of badges of fraud from which fraudulent intent may be inferred. Those badges include: (1) Substantial and consistent understatement of income, (2) failure to maintain adequate records, (3) incomplete and erroneous information provided to tax return preparer or book- keeper, (4) destruction of books and records, (5) implausible explanation of behavior, (6) lack of credibility of the tax- payer's testimony, and (7) failure to cooperate with tax authori- ties. See Bradford v. Commissioner, 796 F.2d 303, 307-308 (9th Cir. 1986), affg. T.C. Memo. 1984-601; Toussaint v. Commissioner,Page: Previous 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 Next
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