- 34 - (2) the $2,600 of unreported income for each of those years to which the parties agreed at trial.8 We turn now to the requirement of fraudulent intent under section 6663. To prove fraudulent intent on the part of pe- titioners for the years at issue, respondent must establish by clear and convincing evidence that they intended to evade tax for each such year, which they believed to be owing, by conduct intended to conceal, mislead, or otherwise prevent the collection of such tax. See Laurins v. Commissioner, 889 F.2d 910, 913 (9th Cir. 1989), affg. Norman v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1987-265; Stoltzfus v. United States, 398 F.2d 1002, 1004 (3d Cir. 1968); Parks v. Commissioner, supra at 661. The existence of fraud is a question of fact to be resolved upon consideration of the entire record. See DiLeo v. Commissioner, 96 T.C. 858, 874 (1991), affd. 959 F.2d 16 (2d Cir. 1992); Recklitis v. Commissioner, 91 T.C. 874, 909 (1988); Gajewski v. Commissioner, 67 T.C. 181, 199 (1976), affd. without published opinion 578 F.2d 1383 (8th Cir. 1978). Fraud is never presumed or imputed and should not be found in circumstances which create at most only suspicion. See Toussaint v. Commissioner, 743 F.2d 309, 312 (5th Cir. 1984), affg. T.C. Memo. 1984-25; Petzoldt v. Commissioner, 92 T.C. 661, 700 (1989); Katz v. Commissioner, 90 T.C. 1130, 1144 (1988). 8 See supra note 2.Page: Previous 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011