1981 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 3 | Tax Ct. | 1981
MEMORANDUM FINDINGS OF FACT AND OPINION
GOFFE,
FINDINGS OF FACT
Petitioner1981 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 3">*4 filed no U.S. income tax return for the taxable year 1977. During 1975, 1976 and 1977 petitioner was engaged in the masonry contracting business, earning a gross profit of $ 7,727.60 during 1975 and a gross profit of $ 4,599.07 during 1976.
Petitioner maintained no books and records for the taxable year 1977.
The Commissioner, in his statutory notice of deficiency, determined that petitioner realized a gross profit of $ 6,163.34 for the taxable year 1977 based upon the average gross profit he realized in 1975 and 1976. He also determined that petitioner filed no return for 1977 and was liable for additions to tax under the provisions of
OPINION
The burden of proof is upon petitioner to show that the determinations of the Commissioner in the statutory notice of deficiency are in error.
Petitioner neither disputed nor offered any evidence to show why the additions to tax should not be imposed.
He offered no evidence to show the amount of gross profit realized from his masonry business. He readily admitted that he was1981 Tax Ct. Memo LEXIS 3">*5 engaged in such business during 1975, 1976 and 1977; however, he also admitted that he maintained no books and records during 1977 to reflect the income, costs of goods sold and expenses of such business.
Instead, petitioner contends that imposing upon him the duty to maintain books and records from which to determine his gross profit violates his constitutional rights by subjecting him to involuntary servitude. There is no merit to this contention.
Footnotes
1. All section references are to the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.↩