Ilya G. and Sophia K. Margolis - Page 6




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          determined in the notice of deficiency--resulting in an increase            
          of $2,970 to unreported income.  Second, respondent's counsel               
          determined that petitioners' bank deposits during 1992 totaled              
          $44,766, as opposed to $42,964 as determined in the notice of               
          deficiency--resulting in an increase of $1,802 to unreported                
          income.                                                                     
                                      OPINION                                         
          Issue (1)  Unreported Income                                                
               A.  General Principles of Law                                          
               Because the parties have agreed as to the amount of Mrs.               
          Margolis' unreported self-employment income, we must only decide            
          whether petitioners received additional unreported income as                
          determined by respondent's bank deposits analysis.  In deciding             
          the issue, we keep in mind that at trial respondent asserted an             
          increased deficiency, claiming the amount of the additional                 
          unreported income to be $16,727, as opposed to $11,955 as                   
          determined in the notice of deficiency.                                     
               We begin by referring to two principles of law.                        
               First, it is well established that bank deposits are prima             
          facie evidence of income, Mills v. Commissioner, 399 F.2d 744,              
          748 (4th Cir. 1968), affg. T.C. Memo. 1967-67; Tokarski v.                  
          Commissioner, 87 T.C. 74, 77 (1986); Estate of Mason v.                     
          Commissioner, 64 T.C. 651, 656-657 (1975), affd. 566 F.2d 2 (6th            
          Cir. 1977), and that the taxpayer bears the burden of proving               
          that the Commissioner's determination of income based on the bank           
          deposits method is erroneous.  Clayton v. Commissioner, 102 T.C.            

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