Paul Harrison Duncan - Page 12




                                       - 12 -                                         

          to file a timely return.  See Crocker v. Commissioner, 92 T.C.              
          899, 913 (1989);  Estate of Vriniotis v. Commissioner, 79 T.C.              
          298, 310 (1982); sec. 301.6651-1(c)(1), Proced. & Admin. Regs.              
          Willful neglect is viewed as a conscious, intentional failure or            
          reckless indifference to the obligation to file.  See United                
          States v. Boyle, 469 U.S. 241, 245-246 (1985); Estate of Newton             
          v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1990-208.  Whether the taxpayer has             
          sufficiently shown reasonable cause and no willful neglect is a             
          question of fact to be decided on the entire record.  See Estate            
          of Duttenhofer v. Commissioner, 49 T.C. 200, 204 (1967), affd.              
          410 F.2d 302 (6th Cir. 1969).                                               
               A taxpayer may establish reasonable cause for failing to               
          file a timely return by proving that he reasonably relied on the            
          advice of an accountant or attorney and later found that such               
          advice was erroneous or mistaken.  See United States v. Boyle,              
          supra at 250; Estate of Paxton v. Commissioner, 86 T.C. 785, 820            
          (1986); CTUW Georgia Ketteman Hollingsworth Trust v.                        
          Commissioner, 86 T.C. 91, 108-109 (1986).  In United States v.              
          Boyle, supra at 251, the Supreme Court explained that a                     
          taxpayer’s reliance on the advice of an attorney concerning a               
          matter of law, such as whether a return must be filed,                      
          constitutes reasonable cause because “Most taxpayers are not                
          competent to discern error in the substantive advice of an                  
          accountant or attorney.”  However, the Supreme Court noted that             





Page:  Previous  1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10  11  12  13  Next

Last modified: May 25, 2011