Austin L. Mitchell and Rebecca A. Mitchell - Page 8




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          required by the Internal Revenue Code and has cooperated with all           
          reasonable requests by the Secretary for information, documents,            
          meetings, etc.; and (3) introduces, in a court proceeding,                  
          credible evidence with respect to any factual issue relevant to             
          ascertaining the liability of the taxpayer for any tax imposed              
          under subtitle A or B.  Sec. 7491(a)(1) and (2).1  Respondent               
          contends that petitioners do not meet the requirements of section           
          7491(a).  Petitioners do not contend otherwise.  We treat this as           
          petitioners’ concession that they bear the burden of proof on the           
          farm loss and rental property issues.2                                      
          B.   Whether Petitioner Operated His Farm for Profit                        
               The first issue for decision is whether petitioner operated            
          the farm for profit in 1995, 1996, and 1997.  A taxpayer conducts           
          an activity for profit if he or she does so with an actual and              
          honest profit objective.  Surloff v. Commissioner, 81 T.C. 210,             
          233 (1983); Dreicer v. Commissioner, 78 T.C. 642, 645 (1982),               
          affd. without opinion 702 F.2d 1205 (D.C. Cir. 1983).  In                   
          deciding whether petitioner operated the farm for profit, we                
          consider the following nine nonexclusive factors:  (1) The manner           



               1  Sec. 7491 applies to court proceedings arising in                   
          connection with examinations beginning after July 22, 1998.  See            
          Internal Revenue Service Restructuring & Reform Act of 1998, Pub.           
          L. 105-206, sec. 3001(a), 112 Stat. 685, 726.  The examination in           
          this case began after July 22, 1998.                                        
               2  We discuss the burden of production and burden of proof             
          for the penalties below at par. E.                                          





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