Page:T.C. Memo. 2012-281.pdf/22

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erroneous. Id. at 1549; see also United States v. Janis, 428 U.S. 433, 441-442 (1976).

Respondent introduced abundant evidence establishing that petitioner was involved in the operations of and had an ownership interest in CSE during the years at issue. Petitioner managed CSE’s financial affairs, purchased assets, and drafted and signed checks. She also supervised employees and made executive decisions in Mr. Hovind’s absence. We conclude that respondent laid the requisite minimal evidentiary foundation for the contested unreported income adjustments and that respondent’s determinations are entitled to a presumption of correctness.

Although her argument is not entirely clear, petitioner appears to contend that respondent’s determinations are not entitled to the presumption of correctness because respondent acted arbitrarily in allocating 100% of the income from CSE to both petitioner and Mr. Hovind. Respondent contends that he may issue separate notices of deficiency to two taxpayers assigning identical items of income to both taxpayers.

The Commissioner “may, in notices of deficiency present alternative claims for deficiencies when there is a basis for doing so. He may assert, in the alternative, that the same income was received by different taxpayers”. Doggett v. Commissioner, 66 T.C. 101, 103 (1976). It is well established that the

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