Harold A. Lange - Page 11

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          conduct to settled tax principles.  Coleman v. Commissioner,                
          supra; see also Takaba v. Commissioner, 119 T.C. 285, 295 (2002);           
          Grasselli v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1994-581.  Section 6673 is            
          a penalty provision intended to deter and penalize frivolous                
          claims and positions in proceedings before this Court.  Bagby v.            
          Commissioner, 102 T.C. 596, 613-614 (1994).                                 
               In this proceeding now before the Court, petitioner asserts            
          nothing but frivolous and groundless arguments.  We believe that            
          petitioner will continue to do so unless and until he is sent a             
          message that his behavior is unacceptable.  Petitioner raised the           
          same arguments in Lange involving his purported return for 2000.            
          We advised petitioner then that his arguments were frivolous and            
          that he risked a section 6673 penalty if he proceeded.  We also             
          advised petitioner on three occasions in the current proceeding             
          (at calendar call, at trial, and in a subsequent order) that he             
          risked incurring a section 6673 penalty if he persisted in                  
          advancing frivolous arguments.  Following one warning that he was           
          wasting the Court’s time with his frivolous arguments, petitioner           
          replied:  “I understand what you are saying” but “I don’t                   
          consider it a waste.”  It is apparent from the entire record that           
          petitioner instituted or maintained this proceeding primarily, if           
          not exclusively, as a protest against the Federal income tax                
          system and his proceeding in this Court is merely a continuation            
          of petitioner’s refusal to acknowledge and satisfy his tax                  
          obligations.  We therefore shall require petitioner to pay a                
          penalty of $5,000 pursuant to section 6673(a)(1).  In addition,             





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