Dunn v. Commissioner

1978 T.C. Memo. 204, 37 T.C.M. 866, 1978 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 309
Procedural entryThis page is a short order in Dunn v. Commissioner. Read the opinion of the Court — 70 T.C. 715
United States Tax Court·Decided June 5, 1978·No. Docket No. 4463-76.·Unpublished

Opinion

ALTON G. DUNN, JR. AND NANCY C. DUNN, Petitioners v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Dunn v. Commissioner
Docket No. 4463-76.
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1978-204; 1978 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 309; 37 T.C.M. (CCH) 866; T.C.M. (RIA) 780204;
June 5, 1978, Filed
*309

Petitioner Alton, an attorney, was also a partner of his father in an insurance agency. In 1962 petitioner discovered that his father was erroneously computing the partnership income. After trying unsuccessfully to get his father to correctly report the partnership income petitioner decided not to file a return for 1962 rather than file a knowingly incorrect return. Petitioner hoped that his failure to file would prompt an audit of his tax liability for 1962 and thus lead to a forced correction of his father's computations of the partnership income. When no audit of his tax liability was forthcoming, petitioner continued not filing returns for the years 1963-71 when his tax liability was finally investigated by the revenue service. Petitioner then paid the back taxes with interest and respondent issued a notice of deficiency to petitioner and his wife determining an addition to tax for fraud. Held, respondent failed to prove that petitioner's failure to file returns was with the intent to evade tax for the years 1962-66. Held, further, petitioner's failure to file returns for the years 1967-71 was with intent to evade tax and the addition to tax for fraud under section 6653(b), I.R.C. 1954, *310 is imposed on Alton for those years. Held, further,Alton is liable for the additions to tax for negligence, sec. 6653(a), and for failure to file, sec. 6651(a), for the years 1962-66 by concession. Held, further, petitioner Nancy is not liable for the additions to tax for negligence, sec. 6653(a), and for failure to file, sec. 6651(a), for the years 1968-71, asserted by respondent in his answer.

Alton G. Dunn, Jr., and Nancy C. Dunn, pro se.
Joan B. Alexander, for the respondent.

DRENNEN

MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

DRENNEN, Judge: In the notice of deficiency respondent determined that petitioners owed additions to tax for fraud pursuant to section 6653(b), I.R.C. 1954, 1 as a result of failure to file income tax returns as follows:

TaxableAddition to tax under
yearsec. 6653(b)
1962$ 352.63
1963368.39
1964501.03
1965471.27
1966652.17
19671,285.09
19681,255.95
19692,512.40
19701,507.91
19711,030.00
$9,936.84

Respondent now concedes that petitioner Nancy C. Dunn is not liable for the above additions to tax for any of the taxable years at issue. *311

By way of his answer respondent alleged in the alternative that petitioner Alton G. Dunn, Jr., failed to file tax returns for the taxable years 1962 through 1971 and prayed that additions to tax for failure to file a return pursuant to section 6651(a)(1) and for negligent or intentional disregard of applicable rules and regulations pursuant to section 6653(a) be imposed for these taxable years in the event the additions to tax for fraud are not upheld. Petitioner Alton C. Dunn concedes in his opening brief that imposition of these additions to tax is justified. The additions to tax pursuant to sections 6651(a)(1)

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Dunn v. Commissioner, 1978 T.C. Memo. 204, 37 T.C.M. 866, 1978 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 309 (tax 1978).

1978 T.C. Memo. 204 (Dunn v. Commissioner) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Spies v. United States
317 U.S. 492 (Supreme Court, 1943)
Marko Durovic v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
487 F.2d 36 (Seventh Circuit, 1973)
Stoltzfus v. United States
264 F. Supp. 824 (E.D. Pennsylvania, 1967)
Acker v. Commissioner
26 T.C. 107 (U.S. Tax Court, 1956)
Durovic v. Commissioner
54 T.C. 1364 (U.S. Tax Court, 1970)
Sanderling, Inc. v. Commissioner
66 T.C. 743 (U.S. Tax Court, 1976)
Gajewski v. Commissioner
67 T.C. 181 (U.S. Tax Court, 1976)
Pickett v. Commissioner
1975 T.C. Memo. 33 (U.S. Tax Court, 1975)
Cirillo v. Commissioner
314 F.2d 478 (Third Circuit, 1963)
Irolla v. United States
390 F.2d 951 (Court of Claims, 1968)