Ohio businesswoman faces criminal tax charges

Criminal tax chargesAbout an hour's drive straight south of Columbus, you will come to Chillicothe... Ohio's first capital. It's the home of the Majestic -- "America’s oldest continuously operating theater," its owner's claim -- which has hosted performances by Laurel & Hardy, Bob Hope, Sophie Tucker and other legends.


According to its website, the theater will soon be presenting a comedy titled, "Love, Sex and the IRS." In an unrelated, and not nearly as funny media report, Chillicothe is also where a business owner recently pleaded guilty to a single count of failing to account for and pay to the Internal Revenue Service employment taxes she had withheld from her company. 

 

Earlier this year, a Columbus TV station reported that she had been indicted on nine charges of withholding taxes and not remitting them to the IRS. Although the articles did not state it, it seems possible that her criminal defense lawyer was able to negotiate with the U.S. Attorney and IRS the dropping of some charges in exchange for the guilty plea.

According to the Chillicothe Gazette, she now faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Regular readers might recall that we recently touched upon the topic of failing to withhold FICA and federal income taxes, or withholding them and then failing to transfer the withheld taxes to the IRS. As we mentioned before, the federal agency takes these failures seriously and failure to comply can result in criminal tax charges.

In the event you are approached by an IRS agent inquiring about the withholding of employee taxes, or about any other aspect of taxation or your business, you should speak with an experienced criminal tax lawyer. In that way, your rights will be protected and you can begin the process of resolving outstanding income tax problems with the IRS. 

Contact Robert J. Fedor, Esq.