Mary Ellen Lepordo - Page 18




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               The Court finds, however, that petitioner has not met her              
          burden.  Petitioner did not introduce into evidence her financial           
          records; i.e., current salary, living expenses, and amounts of              
          other debts, which are necessary to support her claim that she              
          will be unable to pay reasonable, basic living expenses if relief           
          is not granted.  Substantiation was particularly necessary in               
          view of petitioner’s assertion that her expenses exceeded her               
          income as well as the large amount of expenses claimed (i.e.,               
          $1,025 for food and $600 for utilities).  Moreover, petitioner              
          remains gainfully employed and has only one child whom she “helps           
          attend school.”  Therefore, this factor weighs against relief.              
          See Banderas v. Commissioner, supra (stating that lack of                   
          economic hardship weighs against relief under Rev. Proc. 2003-              
          61); cf. Butner v. Commissioner, supra (stating same under Rev.             
          Proc. 2000-15).                                                             
          Knowledge or Reason To Know:  A Properly Reported but Not Paid              
          Liability                                                                   
               The IRS will also consider whether the requesting spouse did           
          not know or had no reason to know that the nonelecting spouse               
          would not pay the liability.  Rev. Proc. 2003-61, sec.                      
          4.03(2)(a)(iii)(A), 2003-2 C.B. at 298.  In the case of a                   
          properly reported but unpaid liability, the relevant knowledge is           
          whether the taxpayer knew or had reason to know when the return             
          was signed that the tax would not be paid.  See Washington v.               
          Commissioner, 120 T.C. at 151; see also Feldman v. Commissioner,            






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