William O. Harrison - Page 31

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             the testimony of petitioners' witnesses to be credible and               
             decline respondent's invitation to dismiss it as "simply                 
             the unsupported self-serving testimony of petitioners."                  
             In this regard, we note that, as of the time of trial,                   
             Ms. Ruble had no ongoing business or other connection                    
             with petitioners or her former employer, Mr. Whittington.                
                  The problem with petitioners' evidence, however, is                 
             that it does not go far enough.  Petitioners have shown                  
             that for the year 1988, after making reasonable inquiry                  
             of petitioner's former law firm and petitioner's cattle                  
             feeding business, petitioners' accountants estimated                     
             petitioners' income from those activities.  According to                 
             petitioners:  "These two items alone accounted for more                  
             than the difference between the amount of tax shown due on               
             the 1988 return and the amount of tax estimated on Form                  
             4868 for 1988."  In effect, petitioners have limited their               
             case to showing the reasonableness of their estimated tax                
             liability for 1988, $1,408, as compared to the total tax of              
             $96,418 reported on their 1988 return.  Petitioners have                 
             not addressed the adjustments determined in the notice of                
             deficiency, as revised by the agreed computation of the                  
             1988 deficiency, on the basis of which their total                       
             tax liability is $175,686, or $79,268 more than the tax                  
             reported on their return.  Nor have petitioners shown any                






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