Doyce D. Gentry - Page 6




                                        - 6 -                                         
          petitioner’s admission that he knows now, and knew in 1991, that            
          his returns were due on April 15 following the tax year.                    
               Petitioner’s only apparent theory for avoiding liability               
          for the late-filing additions is that he relied on his accountant           
          to make sure his returns were timely filed.  However, the Supreme           
          Court made it clear in United States v. Boyle, 469 U.S. 241, 249-           
          50 (1985), that a taxpayer cannot avoid late-filing additions to            
          tax merely by showing that he relied on an agent to file his tax            
          return.  Petitioner also failed to introduce any evidence to show           
          that the delay was caused by his accountant’s neglect, as opposed           
          to petitioner’s own neglect.                                                
               Therefore, we hold that petitioner is liable for the late-             
          filing additions to tax as determined by respondent.                        
          Issue 2.  Accuracy-Related Penalty Under Section 6662                       
               Section 6662(a) imposes a 20-percent penalty on the                    
          underpayment of tax attributable to, among other things, the                
          taxpayer’s “negligence”, sec. 6662(b)(1), or “substantial                   
          understatement of income tax”, sec. 6662(b)(2).  Negligence is              
          defined to include the “failure to make a reasonable attempt to             
          comply” with the tax laws.  Sec. 6662(c).  A “substantial                   
          understatement” is an understatement for the taxable year                   
          exceeding the greater of 10 percent of the proper tax, or $5,000.           
          Sec. 6662(d)(1)(A).                                                         
               Petitioner’s tax return for 1991 showed tax due of $468.               






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

Last modified: May 25, 2011