- 9 - Sec. 7454(a); Rule 142(b); Niedringhaus v. Commissioner, supra at 210. 1. Underpayment When an allegation of fraud is intertwined with reconstructed unreported income, as in the present case, the Commissioner may satisfy the burden of establishing an underpayment by either proving a likely source of the unreported income, or disproving the nontaxable source(s) that the taxpayer alleges for the unreported income. Parks v. Commissioner, 94 T.C. 654, 658 (1990). We have already found that respondent established by clear and convincing evidence that petitioner received amounts totaling $515,993 in 1988. On the instant record, we now find that respondent has established by clear and convincing evidence a likely source of petitioner’s unreported income for 1988; namely, petitioner’s coal businesses. Accordingly, we hold that respondent has established by clear and convincing evidence that petitioner underpaid his Federal income taxes for 1988. 2. Fraudulent Intent The existence of fraud is a question of fact. See Hagaman v. Commissioner, 958 F.2d 684, 696 (6th Cir. 1992), affg. and remanding T.C. Memo. 1987-549. To establish fraud, Commissioner must show that taxpayer “engaged in conduct with the intent to evade taxes” that “he knew or believed to be owing.” United States v. Walton, 909 F.2d 915, 926 (6th Cir. 1990). Because direct evidence of fraud is rarely available, it may be inferredPage: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Next
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