- 13 - was created when petitioner transferred any assets, including the Whittington property to AIM. We find that the promissory note does not establish that there was a genuine debt. In re Lane, supra; Stinnett’s Pontiac Serv., Inc. v. Commissioner, supra; Tyler v. Tomlinson, supra. The balance sheets submitted by AIM to the Mississippi and Alabama licensing boards in 1992 and to Citizens National Bank show that shareholders had lent only $30,000 to AIM. Similarly, a balance sheet that AIM submitted to the Alabama licensing board in December 1993 shows that shareholders had lent only $37,406 to AIM. The only documents that state that AIM owed $121,596 to petitioner are the promissory note and AIM’s 1992 tax return. AIM’s 1992 return does not establish that AIM owed petitioner that amount because tax returns do not establish the truth of the facts stated in them. Lawinger v. Commissioner, 103 T.C. 428, 438 (1994); Wilkinson v. Commissioner, 71 T.C. 633, 639 (1979); Roberts v. Commissioner, 62 T.C. 834, 837 (1974). In deciding whether petitioner and AIM created a bona fide debt, we give more weight to the balance sheets than to the promissory note because the balance sheets were AIM’s official representations of its assets and liabilities to Government agencies and to its bank. Petitioners contend that we should ignore the balance sheets and statements that conflict with the note because petitioner was not knowledgeable about financial documents when they werePage: Previous 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011