As an Enrolled Agent, I know that if I have employees and collect payroll tax for the employees, I had better remit it to the IRS (and state tax agencies). When I’ve been the employer, I’ve done that without fail. A CPA in Utah is alleged to do that once in twelve years. He’s also alleged to have not paid his personal income taxes for eight years.
David Bybee of Kaysville, Utah is alleged to have run several businesses. The IRS supposedly wanted him to remit his income taxes for eight years from 2000 – 2009 (2003 and 2004 were paid). The US Department of Justice was called in when the IRS couldn’t get anywhere. Mr. Bybee was indicted; he allegedly “…took steps to conceal and attempt to conceal the nature, extent and location of his assets from the IRS to avoid paying the taxes.”
I’ve repeated numerous times over the4 years that if you want to get in trouble with the IRS the easiest way is to simply not remit payroll taxes. From the DOJ press release:
A second count of attempt to evade and defeat payment of tax relates to efforts the indictment alleges Bybee took to evade paying payroll taxes to the federal government on behalf of the employees of three companies he controlled from about April 30, 2000, to about March 14, 2011. Bybee deducted and collected payroll taxes totaling at least $39,244.49 but did not report the payroll taxes with the exception of one employment tax payment of $899.32 in April 2012. Bybee was determined to be responsible for the payroll taxes and was assessed penalties totaling $47,919.06 for the unpaid taxes. According to the indictment, he has failed to make any payments.
Mr. Bybee is also accused of not remitting all the federal income tax that was withheld to the IRS. In all, a trifecta of trouble for a CPA.
Once again, you may notice that we have an individual who should absolutely know the rules on remitting taxes. And once again you may notice that we have an individual who didn’t follow through on those rules. Licensing tax professional will get rid of the lowest of bad hanging fruit, but it won’t stop bad people from behaving badly.
Tags: BozoTaxPreparer