Politics and money go hand in hand, and even those with great political powers have had their fair share of money issues. One such money issue that politicians have had has been paying their tax bill.
Here are three politicians/political figures that have wrestled with the IRS and lost:
Tom Daschle
In 2009, the Washington Post reported that previous Democratic senator, Thomas Daschle, failed to pay more than $128,000 in federal taxes. This avoidance originated from his use of a free car and driver. Daschle’s tax trouble came to light during his candidacy for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Daschle withdrew his name from consideration once this information came to light.
Newt Gingrich
As a former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich owed the IRS more than $26,000 in federal income taxes — an amount related to his 2012 presidential campaign. Gingrich paid off the entire balance by April 20, 2015, thus avoiding lasting consequences apart from fines and penalties. Gingrich has stated that he believes that his tax debt was due to the IRS targeting right-leaning groups.
Al Sharpton
The host of MSNBC’s PoliticsNation, Al Sharpton has encouraged the IRS to go after political groups in the past. However, Sharpton is not fond of getting his own money taken away by the IRS. In 1993, he pled guilty for a failure to file state income taxes. In 2014, the New York Times calculated that Sharpton owed $777,000 in state taxes and $3 million to the Federal Government.
Whether you owe money to the IRS or you have a State tax debt, our staff of Enrolled Agents and Tax Professionals can help you! We have over 50 years of experience negotiating with the IRS in all 50 States.
Call The Tax Defense Group today!