James G. LeBloch and Cathy Michelsen LeBloch - Page 22




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          Commissioner, 121 T.C. 273, 275 (2003).  In fact, we find from              
          the record that petitioners did not cooperate with such                     
          reasonable requests by respondent during the course of the audit.           
          We hold that petitioners bear the burden of proof.                          
          B.  Unreported Income                                                       
               Gross income includes all income from whatever source                  
          derived, sec. 61(a), and taxpayers are required to keep books and           
          records sufficient to establish their Federal income tax                    
          liability, see sec. 6001; see also sec. 1.6001-1(b), Income Tax             
          Regs.  Where taxpayers have not maintained adequate business                
          records to establish such liability, the Commissioner may                   
          reconstruct income by any method that the Commissioner believes             
          reflects income clearly.  See sec. 446(b); Parks v. Commissioner,           
          94 T.C. 654, 658 (1990).  The Commissioner’s method need not be             
          exact; however, it must be reasonable.  See Holland v. United               
          States, 348 U.S. 121 (1954).                                                
               The bank deposits method for computing unreported income has           
          long been sanctioned by the judiciary.  See Factor v.                       
          Commissioner, 281 F.2d 100, 116 (9th Cir. 1960), affg. T.C. Memo.           
          1958-94; DiLeo v. Commissioner, 96 T.C. 858, 867 (1991), affd.              
          959 F.2d 16 (2d Cir. 1992).  Bank deposits are prima facie                  
          evidence of income.  See Tokarski v. Commissioner, 87 T.C. 74, 77           
          (1986).  Where an individual taxpayer has failed to maintain                
          adequate records as to the amount and source of his or her income           







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