Theodore Langworthy, Jr. - Page 21

                                       - 21 -                                         
          resolved on the basis of the entire record.  DiLeo v.                       
          Commissioner, supra at 874; Gajewski v. Commissioner, 67 T.C.               
          181, 191 (1976), affd. without published opinion 578 F.2d 1383              
          (8th Cir. 1978).  Fraud is not to be imputed or presumed.  It               
          must be affirmatively established by clear and convincing                   
          evidence.  Beaver v. Commissioner, 55 T.C. 85, 92 (1970).  The              
          taxpayer's entire course of conduct may establish the requisite             
          fraudulent intent.  DiLeo v. Commissioner, supra at 874; Stone v.           
          Commissioner, 56 T.C. 213, 223-224 (1971).  Because direct                  
          evidence of the taxpayer's fraudulent intent is rarely available,           
          fraud may be proven by circumstantial evidence and reasonable               
          inferences drawn from the facts.  DiLeo v. Commissioner, supra at           
          874; Rowlee v. Commissioner, supra at 1123.                                 
               Courts have relied on a number of indicia of fraud in                  
          deciding whether to sustain the Commissioner's determinations               
          with respect to fraud.  Although no single factor is necessarily            
          sufficient to establish fraud, the existence of several indicia             
          is persuasive circumstantial evidence of fraud.  Petzoldt v.                
          Commissioner, 92 T.C. 661, 700 (1989).  In Bradford v.                      
          Commissioner, 796 F.2d 303, 307 (9th Cir. 1986), affg. T.C. Memo.           
          1984-601, the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit gave a                 
          nonexclusive list of circumstantial evidence that may give rise             
          to a finding of fraudulent intent.  Badges of fraud include (1)             
          understatement of income, (2) inadequate records, and (3) dealing           
          in cash.  Id.   A failure to be forthright with one's return                




Page:  Previous  11  12  13  14  15  16  17  18  19  20  21  22  23  24  25  26  27  28  29  30  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011