Wouldn't it be nice to not have to pay taxes? One Florida salesmen thought so and gave it a try for over a decade. When he almost got caught, he formed a new corporation to cover up his evasion, and continued to claim personal expenses, like a boat and his girlfriend's plastic surgery, until the IRS finally built a strong case against him.
The Department of Justice gives us the details.
According to documents filed with the court, Thomas Daly, 53, admitted that he evaded paying taxes on more than $1.5 million in income that he earned from 2002 to 2015. Daly further admitted that, except for the 2007 tax year, he has not filed an income tax return since 2002. Daly worked for a Fort Lauderdale company selling hurricane-resistant windows to residential homeowners in South Florida. In August 2009, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) notified Daly of its intent to levy his wages because of his failure to pay taxes. To obstruct the IRS’s collection efforts, Daly established his own business, South Florida Home Marketing Inc. (SFHM), and changed his employment status from an employee to an independent contractor. Daly listed himself as the director of SFHM and opened a business bank account in its name. Due to Daly’s change in employment status, his employer paid SFHM directly and the IRS’s attempts to levy Daly’s wages were thwarted.
From approximately August 2009 through April 2017, Daly used SFHM’s bank account to pay for personal expenses, including rent, cigars, international travel, entertainment, his girlfriend’s cosmetic surgery, jewelry and a boat. He also falsely classified numerous personal expenses as business expenses on the memo line of the checks drawn on the SFHM bank account. Daly admitted that he made these false entries with the intent to claim false business expense deductions and evade the assessment of his income taxes. Daly admitted that his actions caused a tax loss of more than $351,241.
Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 18. Daly faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison, a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.
If you have been potentially evading taxes, or filing false returns, you should speak to an experienced tax controversy attorney that can help you address any potential legal issues before the IRS comes knocking.
Robert J. Fedor Esq., LLC has extensive experience in tax controversy and litigation matters. Their attorneys practice nationwide and can advise you on the next steps to coming into compliance with the law.
