Paul Mifsud and Maria G. Mifsud - Page 34




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          (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.                                                   






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