- 42 - exercise due care in claiming large deductions and tax credits with respect to SAB Foam on his Federal income tax return. In view of petitioner’s sophistication, experience, and education, it was not reasonable for petitioner to rely as he did on an interconnected group of advisers, promoters, and insiders, none of whom had any expertise in plastics recycling. Petitioner should have been able to determine that the recyclers were not unique, that they were not worth the amount ascribed to them, and that SAB Foam lacked economic substance and had no potential for profit. None of the so-called advisers undertook a good faith investigation of the fair market value of the recyclers or of the underlying economic viability or financial structure of SAB Foam. Further, most of petitioner’s professional advisers had a financial interest in either SAB Foam or another similar partnership. The Plastics Recycling transaction was a sham, and, as a sophisticated attorney, petitioner should have been able to figure this out if he really had tried. Upon consideration of the entire record, respondent’s determinations that petitioner is subject to negligence penalties under section 6653(a)(1) and (2), with respect to his tax return for 1982, are sustained. Issue 2. Piggyback Agreement Petitioner argues that he is entitled to the benefits of the Stipulation of Settlement for Tax Shelter Adjustments (piggyback agreement) applicable to Plastics Recycling cases. PetitionerPage: Previous 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Next
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