T.C. Memo. 2005-6
UNITED STATES TAX COURT
WINSTON KNAUSS, Petitioner v.
COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL REVENUE, Respondent
Docket Nos. 12878-01, 7328-02. Filed January 18, 2005.
F. Pen Cosby, for petitioner.
Ronald T. Jordan and Angela J. Kennedy, for respondent.
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION
GALE, Judge: By notice of deficiency dated August 10, 2001,
respondent determined an income tax deficiency and fraud penalty
under section 6663(a)1 with regard to petitioner’s 1997 taxable
year. By notice of deficiency dated January 23, 2002, respondent
1
Unless otherwise noted, all section references are to the
Internal Revenue Code as amended, and all Rule references are to
the Tax Court Rules of Practice and Procedure.
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determined income tax deficiencies and fraud penalties under
section 6663(a) with respect to petitioner’s 1991, 1994, 1995,
and 1996 taxable years. Petitioner timely petitioned for
redetermination with respect to both notices, and the cases
covering each were consolidated for trial, briefing, and opinion.
The deficiencies and fraud penalties determined were as follows:
Penalty
Year Deficiency Sec. 6663(a)
1991 $4,323 $3,242
1994 88,012 66,009
1995 182,387 136,790
1996 173,624 130,218
1997 185,155 139,616
After concessions,2 the issues for decision in these cases
(“this case”) are: (1) Whether petitioner understated gain on
the sale of yachts in 1994, 1996, and 1997 by $155,848, $527,074,
and $615,119, respectively; (2) whether petitioner understated
gain from the sale of real property in 1995 by $232,400; (3)
whether petitioner had unreported income from his yacht charter
business in 1994, 1995, and 1996 of $68,350, $190,615, and
$34,544, respectively; (4) whether petitioner failed to report
income of $92,420, $36,000, and $13,000 in 1994, 1996, and 1997,
respectively, from the settlement of lawsuits; (5) whether
2
Petitioner has conceded that he received $85,119 of income
in 1995 as a finder’s fee that was not reported on his 1995
return. Respondent has conceded that his determination of the
amount of unreported gain on the sale of a yacht in 1994 was
overstated by $1,000.
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petitioner’s wholly owned S corporation, Winston Development,
Inc., overstated deductions on its 1995 Federal income tax return
by $54,802; (6) whether there was an underpayment of tax in 1991;
and (7) whether the underpayments of tax in 1991, 1994, 1995,
1996, and 1997 were due to fraud.
FINDINGS OF FACT
Some of the facts have been stipulated and are incorporated
into our findings by this reference.
Petitioner was a resident of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, when
the petitions were filed.
Petitioner’s Background
Petitioner is a high school graduate. He initially held a
variety of construction jobs before becoming trained to be a
construction project estimator.
In 1968, petitioner started a demolition business that he
operated successfully for 20 years. His business interests grew
to include apartment buildings, a hotel, and a country club. In
1988, petitioner organized Winston Development, Inc. (WDI),3 an
S corporation, to build and sell condominiums in Indiana. At all
relevant times, petitioner owned 100 percent of the stock of WDI.
In the mid-1980s, petitioner also became successfully
3
The parties have stipulated that the name of the
corporation was “Winston Development, Inc.”, though the
corporation filed its tax returns as “Winston Development Corp.”,
and it is frequently referred to in the record by that name.
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engaged in the business of chartering yachts for “dinner cruises”
in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. In the 1990s, petitioner had several
yachts built. Petitioner would typically use the newly
constructed yachts in his charter business and eventually sell
them.
Petitioner married Pam Maire in 1993, but they separated in
February 1995. They filed for divorce in 1995 but reconciled in
June 1996. The couple separated again in 1997 and ultimately
were divorced.
In 1996, petitioner was convicted of three counts of felony
forgery for forging the signatures of nearby residents to
documents indicating they approved of petitioner’s application
for a liquor license for his country club.
Asset Sales
Wrecking Krew
In 1991, petitioner entered into a fixed-price contract with
Marine Builders, Inc., to deliver a completed yacht, built to his
specifications, for $796,707. On December 20, 1991, the yacht
received a certificate of inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard,
which is issued only after a vessel is considered ready to carry
passengers for hire, and was assigned identification No. D979342.
Petitioner took delivery of the yacht the same day and used it
in his charter business. The vessel was named the Wrecking Krew.
Petitioner paid Marine Builders, Inc., the $796,707 contract
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price for the yacht. Shortly after taking delivery, petitioner
paid $2,683 to install deck lights.
In 1992, petitioner advised his return preparer that the
purchase price of the yacht was $833,218.
On January 27, 1994, petitioner sold the Wrecking Krew to
Dream USA, Inc., for $950,000.4 At the time of sale, petitioner
incurred the following costs: $13,068 for lead ballast; $1,000
for lead ballast installation; $5,563 in architect’s fees; and a
sales commission of $51,000. The sum of the foregoing items,
plus the contract price paid to Marine Builders, Inc., and the
cost of the deck lights, equaled $870,021.
Petitioner reported on his 1994 return that his basis in the
Wrecking Krew (plus selling expenses) was $1,025,869. Adjusted
basis reported on the return, as a result of a claim of $100,740
in depreciation, was $925,129, resulting in a reported gain of
$24,871 on the sale of the vessel. Accepting petitioner’s
claimed depreciation, respondent nonetheless determined that
petitioner’s adjusted basis in the vessel at the time of sale had
been overstated by $156,848, resulting in a determination of
unreported gain in that amount. In the answer, respondent
4
By the time of the sale, petitioner had renamed the vessel
Sir Winston, the same name used for the two other vessels at
issue in this case. For simplicity, we shall refer to this
vessel as the Wrecking Krew.
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conceded an additional $1,000 in selling expenses for lead
ballast installation, resulting in unreported gain of $155,848.
Sir Winston
On December 15, 1992, petitioner entered into a contract
with Darling Yachts, Inc., to construct a yacht to his
specifications for $623,706. The contract provided for an offset
to the contract price for any item supplied by petitioner that
Darling Yachts, Inc., was obligated to provide under the
contract. Petitioner supplied a $2,395 radar system and $18,433
in carpeting that Darling Yachts, Inc., was obligated to provide.
Petitioner also paid $49,220 for architectural fees, galley
equipment, blinds and wallpaper, miscellaneous electronics, life
jackets, and a security system for the yacht that were not
required to be provided by Darling Yachts, Inc.
Darling Yachts, Inc., did not complete the vessel by the
December 15, 1993, completion deadline specified on the contract.
When it had still not been completed approximately 12 months
later, petitioner took possession on December 6, 1994, and
undertook the completion work himself. Immediately prior to
petitioner’s taking possession, a marine survey report5 on the
5
The parties’ stipulation covering this report states that
the survey was conducted on Nov. 3, 1994. However, the report
itself is a stipulated exhibit and states that the survey was
conducted on Dec. 3, 1994. We therefore conclude that the
stipulation is erroneous and that the survey date was Dec. 3,
1994.
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yacht concluded that it was 95 percent complete, and the vessel
was issued a certificate of inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard,
subject to the correction of certain minor deficiencies. The
vessel was assigned identification No. D1026508 and named the Sir
Winston.
Petitioner caused WDI to pay for the installation of
mirrors, doorframes, carpeting, and other fixtures on the Sir
Winston, and two individuals on the WDI payroll did finishing
work on the Sir Winston interiors. Petitioner also replaced a
defective steering mechanism that had been installed by Darling
Yachts, Inc.6
During the 1-year period after petitioner took possession of
the Sir Winston (December 6, 1994 to December 6, 1995),
petitioner had four checking accounts. During this period, the
checks drawn on those accounts that could have been for capital
improvements to the Sir Winston did not exceed $195,799. During
this period, petitioner also had two credit cards through which
he made expenditures totaling $29,917.
In April 1996, petitioner sold the Sir Winston to Dream USA,
Inc., for $1,250,000. Petitioner advised his return preparer,
and reported on his 1996 return, that his basis in the Sir
6
The failure of Darling Yachts, Inc., to complete the
vessel satisfactorily, or to deliver it on time, prompted
litigation between petitioner and Darling Yachts, Inc., discussed
infra.
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Winston was $1,200,000. Adjusted basis reported on the return,
as a result of a claim of $33,360 in depreciation, was
$1,166,640, resulting in a reported gain of $83,360 on the sale
of the vessel. Accepting petitioner’s claimed depreciation,
respondent nonetheless determined that petitioner’s adjusted
basis in the vessel at the time of sale was $639,566, or $527,074
less than claimed by petitioner, resulting in a determination of
unreported gain in that amount.
Sir Winston II
On December 5, 1994, petitioner entered into a fixed-price
contract with Marine Builders, Inc., to build a yacht to his
specifications for $1,099,173. Petitioner made cash payments
totaling $39,000 toward the construction of the yacht.
Petitioner also made direct payments to vendors totaling $33,330
for improvements to the yacht during its construction. The yacht
was issued a certificate of inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard
and assigned identification No. D1037815. The yacht was
delivered complete and ready to carry passengers for hire on
January 11, 1996. Petitioner also named this vessel the Sir
Winston (Sir Winston II).
During the 1-year period after petitioner took delivery of
the Sir Winston II (January 11, 1996 to January 11, 1997),
petitioner had two checking accounts and a brokerage account on
which he could draw checks. During this period, the checks drawn
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on those accounts that could have been for capital improvements
to the Sir Winston did not exceed $79,347. During this period,
petitioner also had two credit cards through which he made
expenditures totaling $54,589.
Petitioner sold the Sir Winston II to Dream Boat, Inc., for
$2 million on April 7, 1997. Petitioner advised his return
preparer, and reported on his 1997 return, that his basis in the
Sir Winston II was $1,789,322. Adjusted basis reported on the
return, as a result of a claim of $41,700 in depreciation, was
$1,747,622, resulting in a reported gain of $252,378 on the sale
of the vessel. Accepting petitioner’s claimed depreciation,
respondent nonetheless determined that petitioner’s adjusted
basis in the vessel at the time of sale was $1,132,503, or
$615,119 less than claimed by petitioner, resulting in a
determination of unreported gain in that amount.
Later-Built Yachts
Petitioner had four more yachts constructed by Marine
Builders, Inc., in addition to the Wrecking Krew and Sir Winston
II at issue in this case. Those later-built yachts were
constructed pursuant to “cost-plus” contracts, whereas the
Wrecking Krew and Sir Winston II were constructed pursuant to
fixed-price contracts. Under the “cost-plus” contracts with
Marine Builders, Inc., petitioner supplied a greater portion of
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the material used in the vessel’s construction than under the
previous fixed-price contracts.
Real Property
On June 7, 1995, petitioner sold real property at 6729
Westfield Boulevard, Indianapolis, Indiana, to Evergreen, LLC for
$1,500,000. Prior to the sale, petitioner leased the property to
Winston Yacht and Country Club, Inc., a country club wholly owned
by petitioner. In November 1995, petitioner provided his return
preparer with a handwritten schedule that purported to list
improvements made to the property between 1990 and 1995 that
totaled $232,400. Petitioner had not previously advised his tax
return preparer of these improvements. The improvements were
included in the cost basis of $1,045,742 reported on petitioner’s
1995 return.
Respondent determined that petitioner’s claimed basis in the
property should be reduced by $232,400 for failure to
substantiate, resulting in a determination of unreported gain in
that amount.
Business Income
Yacht Charter Business
Petitioner was engaged in the yacht charter business in
1994, 1995, and 1996. Petitioner advised his return preparer,
and reported on his returns, that gross receipts from his yacht
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charter business were $74,893, $215,427, and $320,532 in 1994,
1995, and 1996, respectively.
In the notice of deficiency, respondent determined that
petitioner’s gross receipts were $144,217, $415,018, and $364,247
in 1994, 1995, and 1996, respectively, resulting in
determinations of unreported gross receipts of $68,350, $190,615,
and $34,544 in those years.7 With respect to 1994, petitioner
subsequently admitted that he deposited charter receipts of
$116,095, an amount exceeding his reported charter gross receipts
by $41,202. He further admitted that in 1994 he made additional
deposits of funds from third parties totaling $29,247 and cash of
$7,000, but denied that these amounts represented charter
receipts. With respect to 1995, petitioner subsequently admitted
that he deposited charter receipts of $399,239, an amount
exceeding his reported charter gross receipts by $182,812. He
further admitted that in 1995 he made additional deposits of
funds from third parties totaling $5,733, but denied that this
amount represented charter receipts. With respect to 1996,
petitioner subsequently admitted that he deposited charter
receipts of $318,471, an amount that is $2,061 less than his
reported charter gross receipts. He further admitted that in
1996 he made additional deposits of funds from third parties
7
In determining unreported gross receipts, respondent made
adjustments for petitioner’s collection of sales tax.
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totaling $2,075 and cash of $35,800, but denied that these
amounts represented charter receipts.
WDI
WDI was engaged in the construction and sale of condominium
units. WDI reported gross receipts of $1,342,216 and $1,624,352
in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Petitioner reviewed all of the
checks written from the WDI corporate account and often directed
the accounting code to which they should be charged. In 1995,
petitioner directed that invoices for expenses associated with
the Sir Winston be paid by checks drawn on WDI’s corporate
account. WDI then deducted the yacht expenditures as expenses on
its 1995 Federal income tax return. WDI’s bookkeeper questioned
petitioner about the payment of invoices for the yacht with
checks drawn on the WDI corporate account and was specifically
instructed by petitioner to record the checks for the yacht
expenses on WDI ledger accounts that he designated. Some of the
checks for the yacht expenses were recorded on WDI’s books as
“repair and maintenance”, while others were recorded as additions
to an asset account for a condominium building under
construction. The amounts recorded as repair expenses were
deducted on WDI’s 1995 return as current expenses. The asset
account charges were included in the “cost of sales” for
condominium units sold in 1995, resulting in a deduction in that
year.
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Settlements of Lawsuits
Marine Builders, Inc.
In 1993 petitioner filed suit against Marine Builders, Inc.,
seeking damages for breach of warranty, breach of contract,
conversion, lost income, and lost value in connection with the
contract to construct the Wrecking Krew. In 1994, petitioner and
Marine Builders, Inc., entered into a settlement agreement which
provided that three installments (totaling $92,420) would be paid
to petitioner “in settlement of damages for contractual claims
that Winston Knauss has alleged against Marine Builders, Inc.”,
and that three further installments (totaling $85,119) would be
paid to petitioner “as a separate matter and as such are not
alleged damages to Winston Knauss for the contracts referenced in
the complaint for damages.” The settlement agreement further
provided that the initial three installments “are not to be
considered income under any respects to Winston Knauss”. The
agreement was silent regarding any such characterization of the
latter three installments. The initial three installments
(totaling $92,420) were paid to petitioner in 1994, and the final
three installments (totaling $85,119) were paid to him in 1995.
Marine Builders, Inc., issued a Form 1099-Misc, Miscellaneous
Income, to petitioner for 1995 denoting $85,119 as nonemployee
compensation. Petitioner subsequently admitted that the $85,119
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was paid to him as a finder’s fee for referral of a customer to
Marine Builders, Inc.
Petitioner did not inform his return preparer of any of the
foregoing payments, and they were not reported as income on his
1994 or 1995 returns.
Darling Yachts, Inc.
On February 23, 1995, petitioner filed suit against Darling
Yachts, Inc., seeking damages for breach of warranty, failure to
complete the vessel, and lost income in connection with the
contract to construct the Sir Winston. An Agreed Judgment in the
case was entered on March 18, 1995, which provided that
petitioner was entitled to recover $65,000 from Darling Yachts,
Inc., in satisfaction of his claims. The judgment further
provided that an initial installment of $25,000 was due upon the
execution of the judgment by the parties, with further monthly
installments of $1,000 commencing January 10, 1996. The judgment
was not executed until March 13, 1996. Pursuant thereto, Darling
Yachts, Inc., paid petitioner $65,000, of which $36,000 was paid
in 1996, and $13,000 was paid in 1997.
Petitioner did not inform his return preparer of the
foregoing payments, and they were not reported as income on his
1996 or 1997 returns.
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Net Operating Loss Carryback
Petitioner timely filed a Form 1045, Application for
Tentative Refund, claiming an adjustment to his 1991 Federal
income tax based on a net operating loss from 1994.
Books and Records
Petitioner did not produce books and records in support of
his yacht purchases or sales, his yacht charter business, his
real estate transactions, or any of his personal financial
transactions. When petitioner and his ex-wife, a school teacher,
separated in February 1995, she took records related to their
joint checking accounts with NBD Bank8 and SunTrust Bank. In
March 1997, following a period of reconciliation but pending
their final divorce, petitioner’s ex-wife again took joint
checking account records.
OPINION
Gain From Sale of Yachts
Respondent determined that petitioner overstated his basis,
and therefore had unreported gain, in the amounts of $156,848,9
$527,074, and $615,119 in 1994, 1996, and 1997, respectively,
from the sale of a yacht in each year. In reaching his
determination of petitioner’s basis, respondent used the sum of
8
Petitioner’s ex-wife also refers to an account at Summit
Bank, which was acquired by NBD Bank sometime in or around 1993.
9
As noted, respondent conceded in his answer that the
amount of unreported gain was $1,000 less, or $155,848.
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the contract price for each yacht’s construction and capital
improvements that had been substantiated. Petitioner contends
that he in fact made expenditures to account for his claimed
basis, but is unable to substantiate the expenditures because all
of his records were stolen by his estranged spouse. On account
of this purported theft, petitioner, relying on Cohan v.
Commissioner, 39 F.2d 540 (2d Cir. 1930), urges us to accept a
reconstruction of his basis based upon an extrapolation from the
costs he incurred in the construction of certain other yachts in
later years.10
We do not find credible petitioner’s claim that his boat
records were stolen by his former spouse. The former spouse
testified credibly that the only records she took when she left
petitioner were those pertaining to the couple’s personal joint
checking accounts.11 She denied taking records related to his
yachts, yacht charter business, or any other records besides the
joint checking accounts in either 1995 or 1997. Petitioner did
not issue a subpoena to his former spouse in an effort to obtain
10
Petitioner has neither claimed nor shown entitlement to
any shift in the burden of proof pursuant to sec. 7491(a).
Accordingly, petitioner retains the burden of proof with respect
to all issues in this case except respondent’s determinations of
fraud for the years in issue. See Rule 142(a) and (b).
11
The checking account records taken by petitioner’s spouse
are in the record and, as discussed more fully hereinafter, do
not support petitioner’s claim that he made expenditures that
created basis in the amounts he claims.
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the records he claims she took, even though she appeared as a
witness in this case. Moreover, some of the purportedly stolen
records in fact turned up as part of petitioner’s evidence
intended to document expenditures for yachts built in later
years. That is, although petitioner claimed that the records
substantiating claimed capital improvements to the Sir Winston II
that he made from January 1996 to January 1997 were stolen,
invoices for yacht-related expenditures dated within that period
were offered by him into evidence for other purposes.12
Our conclusion that petitioner did not make the basis-
generating expenditures that he claims is further buttressed by
the fact that, although the unaccounted for expenditures range
from $155,848 in 1994 to $615,119 in 1997, petitioner did not
seek the testimony of, or even identify, a single vendor or
service provider associated with a claimed capital improvement to
any of the vessels at issue. Instead, he merely rested on his
claim that records were stolen and made no effort, through the
time of trial, to reconstruct those records through bank records
or contacts with third-party vendors.
Even if we accepted petitioner’s claim that his records were
stolen, his attempt to estimate the expenditures so that we would
12
The same occurred with respect to purportedly stolen
records substantiating capital improvements to the Sir Winston.
Petitioner offered a yacht-related invoice dated Oct. 24, 1995,
notwithstanding his claim that records covering the period
including this date had been stolen.
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accept them under the Cohan rule is unavailing. We do not accept
petitioner’s estimates under the Cohan rule for two reasons.
First, to qualify for the Cohan rule, a taxpayer must show that
some expenditure in fact occurred and only its precise amount
lacks direct proof. See Cohan v. Commissioner, supra at 543-544
(Board of Tax Appeals’s disallowance of any deduction for
entertainment expenditure inconsistent with its finding that
expenditure was made); see also Portillo v. Commissioner, 932
F.2d 1128, 1134-1135 (5th Cir. 1991)(court has discretion to
estimate allowable deductions if there is sufficient evidence to
support the contention that expenses were in fact incurred),
affg. in part, revg. and remanding in part T.C. Memo. 1990-68;
Vanicek v. Commissioner, 85 T.C. 731, 743 (1985). Here, we are
not persuaded that the claimed expenditures occurred. Two of the
yachts at issue were fully completed when delivered to
petitioner. The remaining vessel, the Sir Winston, was nearly
complete but required finishing work and replacement of the
steering mechanism, expenditures which we are satisfied have been
accounted for.13 Thus, we are not persuaded in these
13
Respondent has shown that certain expenditures made by
petitioner with respect to the Sir Winston were caused by him to
be paid and deducted by his S corporation engaged in condominium
development and that petitioner deducted significant amounts for
repairs to the Sir Winston in the year when petitioner took
delivery. On balance, we are satisfied that the expenditures
required to finish the Sir Winston have been accounted for and do
not provide a basis for invoking the Cohan rule.
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circumstances that expenditures in fact occurred which lack only
direct proof as to their amounts.
Second, petitioner’s attempt to estimate his purported
expenditures for capital improvements for the yachts is not
reliable. Petitioner has proffered spreadsheets that purport to
document the expenditures he incurred to complete certain other
yachts that he arranged to have constructed in years after the
construction of the vessels at issue. As best we understand
petitioner’s argument, he contends that the expenditures he made
to complete the later-built yachts provide a basis for estimating
the capital expenditures he made with respect to the yachts at
issue.
However, petitioner’s analysis is fundamentally flawed. The
later-built yachts were constructed pursuant to “cost-plus”
contracts, whereas the yachts at issue were constructed pursuant
to fixed-price contracts. The unchallenged testimony of an
official at Marine Builders, Inc., was that under the “cost-plus”
contracts, petitioner himself provided a greater portion of the
material used in the vessel’s construction than under fixed-price
contracts. Thus, it has not been shown that the expenditures
that petitioner may have been required to incur in connection
with the completion of a yacht under a “cost-plus” contract
approximate the expenditures he would have incurred to obtain a
completed yacht under a fixed-price contract. Moreover, even if
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petitioner’s methodology were reasonable, the invoices that
petitioner proffered to substantiate the costs he claims to have
incurred in connection with the construction of the later-built
yachts were repeatedly shown to have dates that preceded the
commencement of construction of the yacht whose costs they
purportedly substantiated. Even more egregious were repeated
instances where invoices’ dates had been crudely altered in an
effort to make the invoices appear to have been created within
the time period that the yacht whose costs they purported to
substantiate was built. In sum, petitioner’s effort to invoke
the Cohan rule to substantiate his claimed basis in the three
yachts is wholly unreliable, and we reject it.
Because petitioner has failed to substantiate any basis in
the three yachts beyond that determined by respondent, we sustain
respondent’s determination that petitioner had unreported gain
from the sale of yachts of $155,848, $527,074, and $615,119 in
1994, 1996, and 1997, respectively.
Gain From Sale of Real Property
In 1995, petitioner sold real property at 6729 Westfield
Boulevard, Indianapolis, that he leased to the Winston Yacht and
Country Club, Inc. Petitioner reported an adjusted basis in the
Westfield Boulevard property at the time of sale of $1,045,742,
which included capital improvements of $232,400. Respondent
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determined that the claimed capital improvements of $232,400
should be disallowed for lack of substantiation.
The only substantiation of the $232,400 that has been
offered by petitioner in this proceeding is a handwritten list of
capital improvements and their purported cost (totaling $232,400)
that he gave his return preparer in November 1995. There are no
invoices or other supporting documentation for these claimed
expenditures. Instead, petitioner again asserts his contention
that his records were stolen and claims entitlement to an
estimate under the Cohan rule.
As with the claimed expenditures concerning the yachts,
there is no proof that expenditures of this nature were in fact
incurred, nor is there any evidence to support a reasonable
estimate of the amount of these expenditures. We accordingly
sustain respondent’s determination that $232,400 of petitioner’s
claimed basis be disallowed and petitioner’s gain on the sale be
increased in a corresponding amount.
Understatement of Income From Charter Business
Taxpayers must maintain records sufficient to establish the
amount of income required to be shown on a return. Sec. 1.6001-
1(a), Income Tax Regs. In the absence of adequate records, the
Commissioner may reconstruct the taxpayer’s income by any
reasonable method. Estate of Rau v. Commissioner, 301 F.2d 51
(9th Cir. 1962), affg. T.C. Memo. 1959-117; Schellenbarg v.
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Commissioner, 31 T.C. 1269 (1959), affd. in part and revd. in
part on another issue 283 F.2d 871 (6th Cir. 1960); Bolton v.
Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1975-373.
Petitioner failed to produce records establishing his gross
receipts from his yacht charter business for 1994, 1995, and
1996. Using third-party records, respondent determined that
petitioner’s gross receipts were $144,217, $415,018, and $364,247
in 1994, 1995, and 1996, respectively, resulting in a
determination of unreported gross receipts of $68,350, $190,615,
and $34,544 in those years.
As outlined in our findings, with respect to 1994,
petitioner has admitted depositing charter receipts of $116,09514
and other amounts which bring total deposits to $152,342, as
compared to respondent’s determination that his gross receipts
were $144,217. With respect to 1995, petitioner has admitted
depositing charter receipts of $399,23915 and other amounts which
bring total deposits to $404,972, as compared to respondent’s
determination that his gross receipts were $415,018. With
respect to 1996, petitioner has admitted depositing charter
receipts of $318,471 and other amounts, which bring total
14
This figure exceeds petitioner’s reported gross receipts
for 1994 by $41,202.
15
This figure exceeds petitioner’s reported gross receipts
for 1995 by $182,812.
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deposits to $356,346, as compared to respondent’s determination
that his gross receipts were $364,247.
The only specific error in respondent’s analysis that
petitioner has alleged is his claim that respondent failed to
take account of amounts that were subsequently refunded to
customers when charters were canceled. As evidence for his
claim, petitioner proffers 14 checks he wrote in 1994 and 12 in
1996. The 1994 checks generally contain a notation that they are
refunds (with two exceptions), while the 1996 checks generally do
not (with two exceptions). There is a fatal defect in most of
these checks; namely, there is no evidence that the payee of the
refund check was included as a source of income in respondent’s
reconstruction of petitioner’s charter receipts. Respondent’s
reconstruction is not necessarily comprehensive. Thus, unless a
refund payee was listed as one of the sources of a deposit in
respondent’s reconstruction, proof that a refund was made to that
payee does not require a downward adjustment in respondent’s
reconstructed total.
For 1994, eight of petitioner’s proffered checks contain the
foregoing defect.16 Six checks remain, four of which, for
$10,314 in the aggregate, have “United Yacht Charters” as the
payee. However, the evidence in the record of respondent’s
16
While it is possible that some of the 1994 checks listed
by petitioner were refunds of amounts deposited in 1993 or
earlier years, petitioner has not established this fact.
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reconstruction shows that only $7,762 of receipts from “United
Yacht Charters” was included therein for 1994. We therefore
conclude that the downward adjustment to respondent’s figure that
is appropriate in light of petitioner’s refund evidence is capped
at $7,762. The remaining two checks, both evidencing refunds to
“K.D.B.” aggregating $8,900, should result in a downward
adjustment in that amount, as respondent’s reconstruction for
1994 includes receipts from “K.D.B.” in excess of $8,900. Thus,
we conclude that petitioner has shown error in respondent’s
reconstruction of 1994 gross receipts; they are overstated by
$16,662.
For 1996, all but 3 of petitioner’s 12 proffered checks
suffer the defect of their payee’s not having been shown to be a
source of a deposit in respondent’s reconstruction of
petitioner’s charter gross receipts; that is, none of the payees
on these purported refund checks is listed as the source of a
deposit in respondent’s reconstruction of 1994, 1995, or 1996
gross receipts, and petitioner has not established that any was a
source in some other year. Of the three remaining, we disregard
two because the checks (for $1,020 to “Betty Corson Yacht
Charter, Inc.” and for $2,000 to “Gold Coast”) do not on their
face indicate that they are refunds, and there is no other
evidence to corroborate petitioner’s claim to that effect. The
remaining check, evidencing a refund of $2,000 to “Al Schrold”,
- 25 -
produces only a minor adjustment, because the available evidence
indicates that only $75 in income from this source was included
in respondent’s reconstruction of 1994-96 gross receipts (and
petitioner has failed to show inclusion in his income in any
other year). We therefore conclude that the downward adjustment
in respondent’s reconstruction that is appropriate in light of
petitioner’s evidence is capped at $75. Thus, we conclude that
petitioner has shown error in respondent’s reconstruction of 1996
gross receipts, in that it is overstated by $75.
Petitioner has not alleged or shown any other error in
respondent’s reconstruction of the gross receipts from
petitioner’s yacht charter business in 1994, 1995, or 1996. We
accordingly sustain respondent’s determination of unreported
charter income in those years, except to the extent of $16,662 in
1994 and $75 in 1996.
Disallowed Deductions of WDI
Taxpayers may deduct the ordinary and necessary expenses of
carrying on a trade or business. Sec. 162. Expenses incurred by
a corporation for the personal benefit of its shareholders are
not deductible. Intl. Trading Co. v. Commissioner, 275 F.2d 578,
585 (7th Cir. 1960), affg. T.C. Memo. 1958-104. Further, a
taxpayer may not deduct the business expenses of another
taxpayer. Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111, 114 (1933). The
burden of proof with respect to deductions claimed rests on the
- 26 -
taxpayer. INDOPCO, Inc. v. Commissioner, 503 U.S. 79, 84 (1992);
Interstate Transit Lines v. Commissioner, 319 U.S. 590, 593
(1943); Deputy v. duPont, 308 U.S. 488, 493 (1940); New Colonial
Ice Co. v. Helvering, 292 U.S. 435, 440 (1934).
In the notice of deficiency, respondent determined that
petitioner had additional income of $54,802 from WDI for 1995, as
a result of the disallowance of deductions on the corporation’s
1995 return in that amount. Petitioner has not shown that WDI is
entitled to any of the deductions that were disallowed. We
accordingly sustain respondent’s determination that WDI’s
deductions totaling $54,802 for 1995 should be disallowed.
At trial, respondent also proffered detailed evidence
demonstrating that petitioner caused WDI to pay $18,660 in
expenditures for yachts, and that these expenditures were
deducted on WDI’s 1995 return. While petitioner argues on brief
that the yacht-related expenditures deducted by WDI were proper
because they were reflected in petitioner’s drawing account, we
need not resolve this issue, as respondent has sought no increase
in the 1995 deficiency as a result of this evidence.17
17
We surmise that respondent proffered this evidence in
support of his determination of fraud.
- 27 -
Unreported Income From Settlements of Lawsuits
Marine Builders, Inc.
Petitioner argues that the $92,420 he received in 1994 in
settlement of his lawsuit against Marine Builders, Inc., was a
return of capital.18 The taxability of proceeds received from a
lawsuit depends on the nature of the claim and the basis of the
recovery. Raytheon Prod. Corp. v. Commissioner, 144 F.2d 110,
114 (1st Cir. 1944), affg. 1 T.C. 952 (1943). When amounts
received from a lawsuit, through litigation or settlement,
represent lost profits, the amount is taxable income; when the
amount represents damages for lost capital, such amount is not
taxable. Booker v. Commissioner, 27 T.C. 932, 937 (1957);
Raytheon Prod. Corp. v. Commissioner, 1 T.C. 952, 958 (1943),
affd. 144 F.2d 110 (1st Cir. 1944). Petitioner bears the burden
of establishing that the proceeds of a settlement are what he
claims them to be. Milenbach v. Commissioner, 318 F.3d 924 (9th
Cir. 2003), affg. on this issue 106 T.C. 184 (1996).
The complaint against Marine Builders, Inc., sought damages
for breach of warranty, lost income, and loss of value. The
settlement indicated that payments of $92,420 were for “damages
for contractual claims” but did not indicate what portion, if
any, of the payments was attributable to lost value versus lost
18
Petitioner concedes that the remaining $85,119 payment
received from Marine Builders, Inc., in 1995 is taxable income.
- 28 -
income. We have held that where the evidence did not provide a
basis for determining an allocation of a settlement payment
between claimed damages for lost profit and for lost capital, the
taxpayer has not met his burden of proving a recovery of capital.
See Aluminum & Metal Serv., Inc. v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo.
1965-129, affd. 358 F.2d 138 (7th Cir. 1966). Petitioner has not
shown what portion, if any, of the settlement payments from
Marine Builders, Inc., was for lost value and not lost income.
We accordingly sustain respondent’s determination that they were
taxable income.
Darling Yachts, Inc.
Petitioner received payments from Darling Yachts, Inc., in
1996 and 1997 and did not report those payments as income. As
with the Marine Builders, Inc., settlement, petitioner argues
that the Darling Yachts, Inc., payments were a return of capital.
In the Darling Yachts, Inc., complaint, petitioner sought damages
for breach of warranty, failure to complete the vessel, and loss
of income. The agreed judgment settling the matter does not
indicate the purpose or nature of the settlement payments.
Petitioner has not shown what portion, if any, of the settlement
payments he received from Darling Yachts, Inc., was attributable
to damages for lost value or lost profits from its failure to
complete the vessel. Accordingly, we conclude that petitioner
has failed to meet his burden of proof that there was a return of
- 29 -
capital; thus, the settlement payments from Darling Yachts, Inc.,
are taxable income, and respondent’s determination is sustained.
See id.
Net Operating Loss Carryback
Respondent determined that the adjustments determined for
petitioner’s 1994 taxable year eliminated the net operating loss
that had been carried back from that year to 1991. As a
consequence, respondent determined a deficiency of $4,323 for
1991. See Pesch v. Commissioner, 78 T.C. 100 (1982).
Respondent’s deficiency determination for 1994 has been
sustained, thereby eliminating any net operating loss for that
year. As a consequence, the deficiency determined for 1991 is
also sustained. See id.; Toussaint v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo.
1984-25, affd. 743 F.2d 309 (5th Cir. 1984).
Fraud
Respondent determined that the underpayments of tax on
petitioner’s 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 returns, as well as his
amended return for 1991, were due to fraud. To establish fraud,
the Commissioner must show by clear and convincing evidence that
there is an underpayment and that a portion of the underpayment
is attributable to fraud. See sec. 7454(a); Rule 142(b);
Petzoldt v. Commissioner, 92 T.C. 661, 699 (1989). If the
Commissioner establishes that any portion of an underpayment is
attributable to fraud, the entire underpayment shall be treated
- 30 -
as attributable to fraud, except that portion which the taxpayer
establishes by a preponderance of the evidence is not
attributable to fraud. See sec. 6663(b); Marretta v.
Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2004-128; Peyton v. Commissioner, T.C.
Memo. 2003-146.
Underpayment
We conclude that respondent has shown the existence of an
underpayment in each year by clear and convincing evidence. With
respect to 1994, petitioner has admitted that he failed to report
$41,202 in gross income from his charter business. Had this
amount been reported, it would have eliminated the net operating
loss that petitioner carried back to 1991. As a consequence, the
underpayment for 1991 has also been established under a clear and
convincing standard. See Toussaint v. Commissioner, supra. With
respect to 1995, petitioner has admitted that he failed to report
charter business gross income of $182,812 and income from a
finder’s fee of $85,119.
With respect to 1996 and 1997, we have found that petitioner
failed to demonstrate error in respondent’s determination that he
understated the gain from the sale of yachts in those years by
$527,074 and $615,119, respectively. While a mere failure by
petitioner to show error in respondent’s determination is not a
sufficient basis for fraud, Petzoldt v. Commissioner, supra at
700; Habersham-Bey v. Commissioner, 78 T.C. 304, 312 (1982);
- 31 -
Otsuki v. Commissioner, 53 T.C. 96, 106 (1969), respondent has
marshaled considerable affirmative evidence that petitioner
substantially overstated the basis reported with respect to the
sale of the Sir Winston and Sir Winston II in 1996 and 1997,
respectively.
In an effort to verify petitioner’s reported basis,
respondent subpoenaed the records of the checking and credit card
accounts that petitioner indicated he maintained during the
relevant periods. Based on petitioner’s representation that the
capital improvements he made to the Sir Winston and Sir Winston
II were all made within the 1-year period following his
acquisition of each vessel, respondent undertook an analysis of
all expenditures made during those periods through the checking
and credit card accounts then held by petitioner19 to identify
expenditures that could have been for capital improvements to the
vessels. With respect to the checking accounts, respondent
sought to identify checks for possible capital improvements by
excluding all checks that could not have been for that purpose.
Respondent first excluded all checks that, on their face, could
not have been for capital improvements, such as checks for
utilities, docking fees, taxes, insurance, and the like.
Respondent was able to exclude other checks based on evidence in
19
We note that respondent’s analysis covered records of
joint checking accounts that petitioner held with his ex-wife,
including those that she conceded taking.
- 32 -
the record, such as matching the checks to petitioner’s monthly
mortgage payment on his residence or to payments, such as for
marine architectural services, that had already been incorporated
in respondent’s determination of petitioner’s basis. The
remaining checks that could not be excluded on the foregoing
basis were treated as possible payments for capital improvements
to the vessels.
On the basis of this methodology, respondent concluded that
petitioner could not have expended more than $46,507 for capital
improvements to the Sir Winston from the four checking accounts
he held during the 1-year period following the vessel’s
acquisition.20 Upon careful review, we are convinced that
respondent’s methodology is reasonable.21 Petitioner has not
20
This is the total from respondent’s description of his
analysis of the four checking accounts in the requested findings
of fact in his brief. Elsewhere in the text of his brief, he
omits the checks from one account at the First Indiana Bank,
totaling $2,543. By using the total from respondent’s requested
fact findings, we have resolved any ambiguity in petitioner’s
favor.
21
In his analysis of petitioner’s SunTrust Bank checking
account, respondent did not consider checks for less than $800,
based on the fact that petitioner’s capital improvements to the
vessels that had been substantiated were virtually always in
excess of that figure. We are persuaded that this methodological
assumption was reasonable in the circumstances. In any event,
even if all checks under $800 were treated as expended for
capital improvements, there would still be substantial amounts of
claimed basis in the Sir Winston and Sir Winston II unaccounted
for, because the totals of the checks written for less than $800
during the 1-year periods after the acquisition of the Sir
Winston and Sir Winston II were $86,010 and $98,278,
(continued...)
- 33 -
disputed the methodology, other than to disagree with its
conclusions. Our own review reveals a few errors in its
application, however. Respondent does not appear to have
accounted for a $143,818 cashier’s check drawn on one of
petitioner’s checking accounts. We also disagree with the
treatment of three minor checks, two to “Costco” totaling $2,298
and a $3,176 check to a payee that we find illegible, all of
which respondent excluded from the class of checks that could
have been for capital improvements. Giving petitioner the
benefit of any doubt, by treating the foregoing four checks as
having possibly been for capital improvements, raises by $149,292
respondent’s total for possible capital improvements expenditures
through the checking accounts, from an amount not exceeding
$46,507 to an amount not exceeding $195,799. In comparison, the
amount of basis in the Sir Winston that petitioner has been
unable to substantiate is $527,074.
Respondent’s analysis also sought to identify the possible
capital improvements expenditures made through the credit card
accounts held by petitioner during the 1-year period following
21
(...continued)
respectively.
Similarly, in the case of one of petitioner’s First Indiana
Bank checking accounts, respondent did not consider checks for
less than $301. However, treating all such checks as
expenditures for capital improvements would have produced an
increase of only $1,396 in possible capital improvements.
- 34 -
his acquisition of the Sir Winston. While we find respondent’s
effort to classify the credit card expenditures less persuasive,
this is no help to petitioner. Even if all credit card
expenditures during the period ($29,917) are treated as having
been for capital improvements (a highly unrealistic assumption in
petitioner’s favor), this would still leave a substantial amount
of claimed basis in the Sir Winston unaccounted for. That is, if
the $29,917 in petitioner’s credit card expenditures is added to
the $195,799 in checks that could have been for capital
improvements, the $225,716 total still falls substantially short
of accounting for the $527,074 in reported basis that petitioner
has not been able to substantiate. In sum, even under
assumptions that are extremely favorable to petitioner, the
possible capital improvement expenditures traceable through
petitioner’s checking and credit card accounts cannot explain
almost $300,000 in claimed basis. This leaves only cash
transactions to account for this amount, a premise we do not
believe. Consequently, we conclude that respondent has shown by
clear and convincing evidence that petitioner had an underpayment
for 1996, attributable to a failure to report a substantial
amount of gain on the sale of the Sir Winston.22
22
In reaching our conclusion that respondent has clearly
and convincingly shown that petitioner overstated his basis in
the Sir Winston by a substantial amount, we are mindful of the
fact that petitioner took possession of the vessel before the
(continued...)
- 35 -
A similar result obtains with respect to the Sir Winston II.
Respondent’s analysis of the two checking accounts and one
brokerage account held by petitioner during the 1-year period
following his acquisition of the Sir Winston II concluded that
petitioner could not have expended more than $72,315 from these
sources for capital improvements to that vessel. Upon review of
respondent’s analysis, we conclude that five additional checks
that were not treated by respondent as possible capital
improvements expenditures should have been so treated. Those
checks include two checks to “Costco” totaling $1,901, two checks
to “Henry Lee Co.” totaling $2,226, and a check to “Weaver &
Weaver, P.A.” for $2,905. We conclude that the payees on these
checks do not provide a sufficient basis to exclude them as
possible expenditures for capital improvements. The total of the
foregoing additional checks is $7,032, which when added to
respondent’s calculation brings the total of possible capital
expenditures from petitioner’s checking and brokerage accounts to
22
(...continued)
builder had completed it. Nonetheless, a marine survey conducted
3 days before petitioner took possession found that the vessel
was 95 percent complete, and a U.S. Coast Guard certificate of
inspection, qualified by minor deficiencies, was issued at the
same time. Moreover, petitioner settled his lawsuit against the
builder for $65,000, a figure that is inconsistent with the claim
that expenditures exceeding $500,000 were required to complete
the Sir Winston after petitioner took possession. Thus, we do
not believe that the somewhat unfinished state of the Sir Winston
when petitioner took possession can account for the remainder of
the $527,074 in claimed, but unsubstantiated, capital
improvements.
- 36 -
$79,347. As with the Sir Winston, we make the assumption
favorable to petitioner that the entire $54,689 of his credit
card expenditures during the 1-year period following acquisition
of the Sir Winston II was expended for capital improvements to
that vessel. Thus, after the petitioner-favorable adjustments
that we make to respondent’s analysis, the maximum in
expenditures from his checking, brokerage, and credit card
accounts that could have been for capital improvements to the Sir
Winston II is $134,036, or $522,783 less than the $656,819 in
reported basis that petitioner has not substantiated. We do not
accept the premise that cash transactions can account for this
discrepancy, and consequently we conclude that respondent has
shown by clear and convincing evidence that petitioner had an
underpayment for 1997, attributable to a failure to report a
substantial amount of gain on the sale of the Sir Winston II.
Fraudulent Intent
“Fraud is established by proving that the taxpayer intended
to evade tax believed to be owing by conduct intended to conceal,
mislead, or otherwise prevent the collection of such tax.”
Recklitis v. Commissioner, 91 T.C. 874, 909 (1988). The
existence of fraud is a question of fact established by
consideration of the entire record. Petzoldt v. Commissioner, 92
T.C. at 699; Estate of Pittard v. Commissioner, 69 T.C. 391
(1977). Direct proof of fraud is seldom available; therefore,
- 37 -
fraud may be proved by circumstantial evidence and reasonable
inferences from the facts. Petzoldt v. Commissioner, supra;
Rowlee v. Commissioner, 80 T.C. 1111, 1123 (1983). The courts
have recognized numerous indicia or “badges” of fraud, including
the following: (1) A pattern of underreporting income; (2)
maintaining inadequate records; (3) giving implausible or
inconsistent explanations of behavior; (4) making false entries;
(5) dealing in cash; (6) engaging in illegal activities; and (7)
the lack of credibility of taxpayer’s testimony. Spies v. United
States, 317 U.S. 492, 499 (1943); Conti v. Commissioner, 39 F.3d
658, 662 (6th Cir. 1994), affg. and remanding on other grounds 99
T.C. 370 (1992) and T.C. Memo. 1992-616; Douge v. Commissioner,
899 F.2d 164, 168 (2d Cir. 1990); Laurins v. Commissioner, 889
F.2d 910 (9th Cir. 1989), affg. Norman v. Commissioner, T.C.
Memo. 1987-265; Bradford v. Commissioner, 796 F.2d 303, 307-308
(9th Cir. 1986), affg. T.C. Memo. 1984-601; Korecky v.
Commissioner, 781 F.2d 1566 (11th Cir. 1986), affg. T.C. Memo.
1985-63; Bingham v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 1998-102, affd.
without published opinion 188 F.3d 512 (9th Cir. 1999). Although
no single factor is necessarily sufficient to establish fraud,
the existence of several indicia constitutes persuasive
circumstantial evidence of fraud. Petzoldt v. Commissioner,
supra at 700. Further, the taxpayer’s background, including his
sophistication, experience, and education may be considered
- 38 -
circumstantial evidence of fraud. Korecky v. Commissioner supra;
Plunkett v. Commissioner, 465 F.2d 299, 303 (7th Cir.
1972)(taxpayer’s business success indicated more than gross
negligence), affg. T.C. Memo. 1970-274; Niedringhaus v.
Commissioner, 99 T.C. 202, 211 (1992).
Petitioner had a clear pattern of underreporting income, as
the previously described understatements spanning 1994 through
1997 document.
Petitioner’s records were inadequate with respect to his
basis in the yachts and the real estate he sold, as well as his
charter business. Moreover, his testimony concerning his former
spouse’s theft of his records lacked credibility, and other
evidence concerning his records shows that his account is
implausible and inconsistent. Notably, petitioner has failed,
through the time of trial, to make any serious effort to
reconstruct his records. Though he claims his ex-wife took
records, he did not subpoena her to obtain them. He generally
failed to contact any vendors of the goods or services that
underlay his unsubstantiated basis claims; in one instance where
a contact was made, petitioner did not disclose the retrieved
records to respondent. Petitioner did not offer the testimony of
any vendors. Petitioner claimed that his efforts to obtain
records from his financial institutions were unsuccessful,
whereas respondent was able to obtain them. Instead of making a
- 39 -
good faith attempt at reconstruction, petitioner merely rested on
his claim that his records had been stolen. We believe that a
taxpayer in petitioner’s position, facing challenged basis claims
exceeding $1 million in the aggregate, would have made a more
serious effort to reconstruct unless he knew that such efforts
would tend to disprove his claims. The records of petitioner’s
financial transactions that have been proffered in this case were
generally obtained through the efforts of respondent alone and
substantially rebut petitioner’s basis claims.
In addition, petitioner’s claim that the records
substantiating his basis had been stolen was undermined when, at
trial, he proffered various invoices purporting to be
substantiation of costs of later-built yachts that, upon close
inspection, bore dates that fell within the time period for which
records were claimed to have been taken. Moreover, the repeated
instances where the dates on invoices proffered as evidence had
been altered is further evidence of petitioner’s fraudulent
intent.
We also take account of the fact that petitioner was
convicted of felony forgery in 1996 for forging the signatures of
persons residing near the country club he operated on that
business’s application for a liquor license.
In an apparent effort to address the pervasive lack of
records in this case, petitioner has also sought to portray
- 40 -
himself as unsophisticated or careless with respect to
recordkeeping. The evidence, however, belies the notion that
petitioner was an unskilled or indifferent recordkeeper. The
bookkeeper for his condominium development company credibly
testified that when she raised questions concerning whether the
company should pay what were clearly invoices for yacht expenses,
she was not only specifically ordered by petitioner to pay them,
but was further instructed as to the specific ledger accounts in
which to record the expenditures so that they would appear to be
expenses incident to the construction or maintenance of the
condominiums. The evidence shows that petitioner was a
knowledgeable, but deceitful, recordkeeper. Cf. Korecky v.
Commissioner, supra (rejecting claim of recordkeeping
inexperience as fraud defense).
Petitioner also claims that he was distraught and mentally
impaired during 1995 and 1996, due to the breakup of his marriage
and his conviction for felony forgery. Putting aside the fact
that this claim does not address 1994 or 1997, we reject it
because it is contradicted by substantial evidence. During the
claimed impairment, petitioner was operating three successful
businesses in two States, generating more than $3.5 million in
revenue.23 During the years in issue, he also negotiated the
23
WDI reported gross receipts of $1,342,216 and $1,624,352
in 1995 and 1996, respectively. Petitioner admitted to gross
(continued...)
- 41 -
profitable sale of three yachts and real estate worth more than
$5.7 million. He also brought two lawsuits that resulted in
significant monetary settlements to him. In sum, we are not
persuaded that petitioner was experiencing any significant
incapacity during the period that fraud has been alleged. To the
contrary, the record amply demonstrates that petitioner was an
astute businessman. In this context, such a background is
further circumstantial evidence that his underpayment of taxes
was due to fraud.
We conclude that, viewed as a whole, the evidence
establishes that a portion of the underpayment in each year at
issue was attributable to fraud and that petitioner has failed to
show that any portion of the underpayments was not attributable
to fraud. Petitioner’s efforts to provide a nonfraudulent
explanation for his actions are unconvincing. The sheer
magnitude of the overstatements of basis and petitioner’s
inconsistent and implausible explanations of his lack of
substantiation strongly suggest that petitioner was attempting to
avoid paying tax on the gain from the sale of the yachts. While
he claims on brief that the lawsuit proceeds were a return of
23
(...continued)
receipts from his charter business of $399,239 in 1995 and
$318,471 in 1996. The total 2-year revenues from these two
enterprises are $3,684,278. Petitioner's 1995 and 1996 receipts
for the Winston Yacht and Country Club, Inc., are not in record
and are not included in this total.
- 42 -
capital, he did not disclose their receipt to his return preparer
so that adjustments pursuant to this treatment could be made. As
for petitioner’s failure to report more than $200,000 in charter
income that he admits receiving in 1994 and 1995, or a finder’s
fee exceeding $85,000 that he admits receiving in 1995,
petitioner has not even offered an explanation, other than his
general claim of impairment.
We accordingly sustain respondent’s determination of fraud
for 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997. A taxpayer is liable for a civil
fraud penalty on a deficiency that arises when the taxpayer
carries back a fraudulent loss. Toussaint v. Commissioner, T.C.
Memo. 1984-25. Therefore, it follows from our conclusion
regarding fraud for 1994 that the underpayment in 1991 was also
due to fraud, as the underpayment in 1991 resulted from the
carryback of a fraudulent loss from 1994. The fraud penalty for
1991 is therefore also sustained.24
To reflect the foregoing,
Decisions will be entered
under Rule 155.
24
Our conclusion that the underpayments for 1991, 1994,
1995, 1996, and 1997 were attributable to fraud disposes of
petitioner’s claim that the period of limitations for assessment
of 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 income taxes has expired, see
sec. 6501(c)(1); Badaracco v. Commissioner, 464 U.S. 386, 394-396
(1984), as well as respondent’s allegations in the alternative
that petitioner is liable for accuracy-related penalties under
sec. 6662(a) for the years in issue.