Well, I didn’t know that, but one group on individuals made that argument. Joseph Saladino, Marcel Bendshadler, and Michael Mungovan tried that dubious stance. They offered what the Portland Oregonian called a “tax evasion service” as they prepared over 1000 returns where they noted that compensation for personal labor isn’t taxable. One defendant, Richard Ortt, was acquitted; earlier, Richard Fuselier pleaded guilty.
Assistant US Attorney Allan Garten told the Oregonian, “So let’s assume for a moment that you would get a W2 that said $40,000. (The guilty men) would list as income $40,000, and then they would deduct the value of your labor of $40,000 … so that you paid no taxes…That’s illegal.”
Given that the tax fraud involved $9 million, the guilty individuals are looking at lengthy terms at ClubFed. If a tax preparer tries to tell you wages aren’t taxable, run, don’t walk, out of the office.
Tags: BozoTaxPreparer