Is Al Franken the Next Celebrity Tax Scofflaw?

Al Franken has had an interesting career. He’s been a comedian and a screenwriter, and now he’s running for the US Senate, hoping to get the nod of the Democrat-Farm Labor Party in Minnesota (and then, of course, in the general election).

However, Mr. Franken (or his accountant) has forgotten about California’s rules on corporations. A California corporation must make a minimum franchise/income tax payment of $800 a year, even if the corporation has no income (or lost money, for that matter). Mr. Franken has a California corporation, Alan Franken Inc., which the Secretary of State’s website shows as forfeited (it did not pay its state registration fees).

This is apparently becoming big news in Minnesota, as the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is covering this story. Andy Barr, a spokesman for the Franken campaign, is quoted by the Star-Tribune: “Al feels that because his name is at the top of the organization, he takes ultimate responsibility for everything that goes on. But if there’s a mistake that’s been made, he’s pretty insistent that the accountant fix it. He’s been pretty vocal with [the accountant] on this point.”

We’re not talking big bucks here. The tax owed (including penalties) is $5,800 for not making the required minimum payments from 2003 – 2008. The corporation will likely also the Secretary of State’s office $25/year plus a $250 penalty for each year that the required registration form wasn’t filed. Once all of that paperwork is filed, and the state income tax returns for 2003 – 2008 are filed, Mr. Franken can dissolve his corporation.

So is Mr. Franken the next celebrity tax scofflaw? Only if he allows this mess to percolate for several weeks rather than insisting to his accountant that he prepare the appropriate returns and file them. Otherwise, the DFL in Minnesota will likely have to find a different candidate to run against Republican Senator Norm Coleman.

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