Estate of Eileen K. Brocato - Page 7




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                                       OPINION                                        
          I.  Estoppel                                                                
               We must first decide whether respondent is equitably                   
          estopped from determining additional estate taxes against                   
          petitioner.  The U.S. Supreme Court has stated that the                     
          Government may not be estopped on the same grounds as a private             
          person.  See OPM v. Richmond, 496 U.S. 414, 419 (1990); Heckler             
          v. Community Health Servs., 467 U.S. 51, 60 (1984).  It is well             
          established that the estoppel doctrine should be applied against            
          the Commissioner with the utmost caution and restraint.  See                
          Boulez v. Commissioner, 76 T.C. 209, 214-215 (1981), affd. 810              
          F.2d 209 (D.C. Cir. 1987); Estate of Emerson v. Commissioner, 67            
          T.C. 612, 617 (1977).                                                       
               The traditional elements of estoppel include:                          
               (1) Conduct constituting a [mis]representation of                      
               material fact; (2) actual or imputed knowledge of such                 
               fact by the representor; (3) ignorance of the fact by                  
               the representee; (4) actual or imputed expectation by                  
               the representor that the representee will act in                       
               reliance upon the representation; (5) actual reliance                  
               thereon; and (6) detriment on the part of the                          
               representee. * * * [Graff v. Commissioner, 74 T.C. 743,                
               761 (1980).]                                                           
          See Norfolk S. Corp. v. Commissioner, 104 T.C. 13, 60 (1995);               
          Hudock v. Commissioner, 65 T.C. 351, 363 (1975).  The U.S. Court            
          of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, to which the present case is              
          appealable, requires two additional elements in order to estop              
          the Government:  (1) Affirmative misconduct going beyond mere               






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