Petti v. Commissioner

1992 T.C. Memo. 607, 64 T.C.M. 1071, 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 634
CourtUnited States Tax Court
DecidedOctober 13, 1992
DocketDocket No. 13861-86
StatusUnpublished

This text of 1992 T.C. Memo. 607 (Petti v. Commissioner) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Tax Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Petti v. Commissioner, 1992 T.C. Memo. 607, 64 T.C.M. 1071, 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 634 (tax 1992).

Opinion

CHRIS PETTI, Petitioner v. COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Petti v. Commissioner
Docket No. 13861-86
United States Tax Court
T.C. Memo 1992-607; 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 634; 64 T.C.M. (CCH) 1071;
October 13, 1992, Filed

*634 Decision will be entered for respondent as to the amounts of the deficiencies and fraud additions to tax.

For Petitioner: Nicholas De Pento
For Respondent: Patrick E. McGinnis and Alice M. Harbutte
SWIFT

SWIFT

SUPPLEMENTAL MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION

SWIFT, Judge: This matter is before us on remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for a decision with respect to the section 6653(b) 1 fraud additions to petitioner's Federal income taxes for 1980 and 1981. See Petti v. Commissioner, 947 F.2d 950 (9th Cir. 1991), affg. in part, revg. in part, and remanding without published opinion T.C. Memo. 1990-256. In our prior opinion in this case, on the basis of petitioner's failure to satisfy his burden of proof, we sustained respondent's determination of deficiencies in petitioner's Federal income taxes for 1980 ($ 4,268) and for 1981 ($ 10,095), and we also sustained respondent's determination of the negligence additions to tax. Respondent, however, was deemed to have waived the fraud additions to petitioner's Federal income taxes for 1980 and 1981 based upon respondent's failure to make arguments*635 supporting such additions in her reply brief.

The Ninth Circuit reversed our holding only with respect to respondent's waiver of the fraud additions and remanded the case for a decision with respect to petitioner's liability for the fraud additions to tax.

FINDINGS OF FACT

In 1980 and 1981, petitioner and others were involved in an illegal gambling and bookmaking operation which generated significant income in 1980 and 1981. The gambling operation was conducted on a cash basis. Participants in the gambling operation destroyed their books and records on a weekly basis and used code names to conceal their identities.

As a result of an FBI investigation and in connection with the illegal gambling operation, petitioner was charged with and convicted of various crimes including violation of 18 U.S.C. sec. 1955 (1982) (Prohibition of Illegal Gambling Businesses).

The credible evidence in this case (including wiretapped conversations and certain grand jury testimony) establishes that the net income of the gambling operation in which petitioner was involved was at least $ 80,000 in 1980 and $ 123,000 in 1981, and the petitioner's share of the net income of*636 the gambling operation in 1980 and 1981 was $ 15,000 and $ 23,062, respectively. This finding is corroborated by a source and application of funds analysis of petitioner's income for each of the years in issue and by deposits into petitioner's bank accounts.

For 1980 and 1981, petitioner and his wife filed joint Federal income tax returns and reported thereon total income of $18,293 and $43,398, respectively, from wages, Schedule C profits, interest, and a 1981 pension or annuity payment. Petitioner did not report on those 1980 and 1981 Federal income tax returns any of the income he received from the illegal gambling operation.

OPINION

As applicable to 1980 and 1981, section 6653(b) provides for an addition to tax "if any part of any underpayment * * * is due to fraud". The fraud addition to tax under section 6653(b) is equal to 50 percent of the underpayment. Respondent bears the burden of establishing fraud by clear and convincing evidence. Sec. 7454(a); Rule 142(b). See also Bahoric v. Commissioner, 363 F.2d 151, 153 (9th Cir. 1966), affg. T.C. Memo. 1963-333. Fraud is a question of fact to be determined upon *637 consideration of the entire record. Gajewski v. Commissioner, 67 T.C. 181, 199 (1976), affd. without published opinion 578 F.2d 1383 (8th Cir. 1978).

Respondent must prove both that an underpayment of tax exists and that the taxpayer intended to evade paying the correct tax liability. Parks v. Commissioner, 94 T.C. 654, 660-661 (1990). Respondent may prove fraudulent intent of the taxpayer through circumstantial evidence because direct proof pertaining to a taxpayer's intent is seldom available. Rowlee v. Commissioner, 80 T.C. 1111, 1123, (1983). Fraudulent intent may be inferred from the taxpayer's entire course of conduct. Spies v. United States, 317 U.S. 492

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Related

Spies v. United States
317 U.S. 492 (Supreme Court, 1943)
Gajewski v. Commissioner
67 T.C. 181 (U.S. Tax Court, 1976)
Rowlee v. Commissioner
80 T.C. No. 61 (U.S. Tax Court, 1983)
De Venney v. Commissioner
85 T.C. No. 55 (U.S. Tax Court, 1985)
Parks v. Commissioner
94 T.C. No. 38 (U.S. Tax Court, 1990)

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Bluebook (online)
1992 T.C. Memo. 607, 64 T.C.M. 1071, 1992 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 634, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/petti-v-commissioner-tax-1992.