Colorado is a winter paradise, with snow-capped mountains and sweeping views. One business owner capitalized on those features and opened a window cleaning and snow removal business. It was a lucrative choice. Unfortunately, the IRS believes he's been stashing all that income to avoid paying taxes.
The US Department of Justice press release tells us the details:
According to the indictment, Sergio Murillo owned and operated Mountain High Window Cleaning, which provided window cleaning and snow removal services. The indictment alleges that from 2007 through 2010, Murillo concealed hundreds of thousands of dollars in income earned through his business by instructing Mountain High’s clients to write checks payable to him and depositing the funds into his personal bank account instead of his business bank account. He then allegedly filed false tax returns that did not report this income. The indictment also charges that Murillo falsely told Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees that his clients decided whether to make checks payable to him or Mountain High, and that he had only a business bank account into which he deposited all of Mountain High’s income.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. It merely alleges that crimes have been committed. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, Murillo faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison for each of the four counts in which he is charged, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
It's very important to work closely with an experienced IRS tax lawyer if you suspect you are being investigated or you have been accused of tax fraud. It’s best to have tax controversy representation from the onset to keep penalties at a minimum. These tax attorneys also are able to work with tax agents and other officials to see if a compromise settlement is possible.
