- 9 - regarding joint return and timely election under section 6015(b)(1)(A) and (E), respectively. Additionally, the parties stipulated that the employee business expenses at issue are attributable to Mr. Applegate's employment with DriAll. Thus, Ms. Wang has also satisfied the requirement that the understatement of tax resulting from the disallowed employee business expenses must not be attributable to the individual seeking relief from the liability. Sec. 6015(b)(1)(B). The Court now considers whether Ms. Wang satisfies the remaining two elements of section 6015(b) with respect to the Schedule A deductions for unreimbursed employee business expenses. The first of the two remaining elements of section 6015(b)(1) requires that Ms. Wang, in signing the return, did not know, and had no reason to know, that there was an understatement. See Grossman v. Commissioner, 182 F.3d 275, 279- 280 (4th Cir. 1999), affg. T.C. Memo. 1996-452. A requesting spouse has knowledge or reason to know of an understatement if he or she actually knew of the understatement, or if a reasonably prudent taxpayer in his or her position, at the time he or she signed the return, could have been expected to know that the return contained an understatement or that further investigation was warranted. Butler v. Commissioner, supra at 283. In deciding whether a spouse has reason to know of an understatement, the Court undertakes a subjective inquiry. TherePage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Next
Last modified: May 25, 2011