In case you forgot about it, this is the weekend to purchase school type supplies tax free in South Carolina today thru Sunday at midnight. This can be particularly beneficial for those big ticket items such as computers, ipads and laptops.
Officially known in South Carolina as the Sales Tax Holiday, you are allowed to purchase many items that you might not think of as school supplies without incurring the normal state sales tax of 6% or the additional local sales taxes.
Click here to view a list of items eligible for the sales tax exemption. (PDF)
Click here to see FAQ on the South Carolina sales tax holiday. (PDF)
Tax On Wheels, LLC can be reached at 803 732-4288
Columbia, SC — Deborah C. Westbrook, 61, was arrested today by South Carolina Department of Revenue investigators on four counts of income tax evasion.
According to the investigation, Westbrook earned income of $167,817 during 2007 through 2010 and failed to file SC income tax returns for the duration of the period. Also during that time, Westbrook filed fraudulent W4 withholding forms with her employer to avoid having taxes withheld from her wages. Since state income taxes were not withheld from Westbrook’s wages, she avoided payment of $6,247 in state income taxes.
Westbrook is facing up to 20 years in prison and/or fines of up to $40,000 if convicted of the charges.
Westbrook is being held at the Lexington County Detention Center awaiting a bond hearing. The Lexington County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the arrest.
The investigation into a Charleston income tax refund scam continues as another individual was arrested this morning by South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) officials.
O’Neill Pinckney of Mt. Pleasant was taken to the Charleston County Detention Center and charged with one count of assisting in the preparation of a false return and one count of forgery; he is currently awaiting a bond hearing.
In 2008, Pinckney filed income taxes with a fraudulent W2 form from an establishment where he was not employed. Pinckney therefore received overstated federal and state tax refunds of $4,593 and $706, respectively. Pinckney’s tax liability for 2008 totals $5,299.
If convicted of the charges, Pinckney could face fines up to $500 and/or 15 years in prison.
South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) investigators arrested a woman from Goose Creek over the weekend for one count of assisting in the preparation of a false return and one count of forgery.
Noella Lockwood, 34, could face penalties of up to $500 in fines and/or 15 years in prison if convicted of the felony charges, according to officials.
Upon review of Lockwood’s 2009 income tax returns, SCDOR investigators determined that Lockwood filed her tax returns via a tax preparer and used a fraudulent W2 form from an employer who she did not work for during that time. By submission of the fraudulent W2 form, Lockwood received an overstated fraudulent SC income tax refund of $717 to which she was not entitled.
Aisha Dowling was arrested by officials with the South Carolina Department of Revenue in connection with an ongoing tax refund scam in the Lowcountry. The City of Charleston Police Department assisted with the arrest.
For tax years 2008 through 2011, Dowling, a Charleston resident, filed with tax preparers fraudulent W2 forms from employers where either she did not work during the time, or she had inflated the wages and withholding taxes. Dowling therefore received South Carolina tax refunds to which she was not entitled in the amounts of $600, $690, $640 and $692, for 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.
Dowling was charged with four felony charges of assisting in the preparation of a false return and four counts of forgery. She is facing charges of up to $40,000 in fines and/or 40 years in prison if convicted of the charges.
You may view previous installments of the great South Carolina tax cheat lock up by clicking here.
Some South Carolina residents are finding out the hard way what tax professionals have known for a long time; the state is frequently much more aggressive in enforcing tax law than the federal government.
There have been a string of recent arrests made by the South Carolina Department of Revenue for egregious but fairly common activities going back as far as 2007. I would expect that many of these people had pretty much considered themselves to have “gotten away” with these alleged crimes committed years earlier. There is no statute of limitations when it comes to tax fraud or failure to file.
If you think the tax laws are not enforced vigorously just scroll through the past few posts to see the details of what has transpired just in South Carolina.
If you have potential tax issues such as unfiled tax returns or amended returns that need to be filed contact Tax On Wheels, LLC at 803 732-4288, if possible before the tax authorities contact you.
Two men were arrested Tuesday by SC Department of Revenue officials following an ongoing investigation into an income tax refund scam in the Charleston area.
Luther Smalls and Smarty Campbell, both of Mount Pleasant, SC, were detained at the Charleston County Detention Center for separate charges of assisting in the preparation of a false return and forgery.
Upon review of Luther Smalls’ 2008 income tax returns, it was determined that Smalls filed his income taxes via a tax preparer and used a fraudulent W2 form from an employer who he did not work for during that time. By submission of the fraudulent W2 form, Smalls received an overstated fraudulent SC income tax refund of $713. If convicted of the two charges, Smalls, 49, could face up to $500 in fines and/or 15 years in prison.
For one charge of assisting in the preparation of a false return and one count of forgery, Smarty Campbell is facing charges of up to $500 in fines and/or 10 years in prison. Campbell, 64, submitted to a tax preparer his 2009 income tax returns containing a W2 form from a company in which he was never employed. By use of the fraudulent income tax return, Campbell received a state tax refund of $474 to which he was not entitled.
Leigh Anne Hoppe was arrested today for failure to file state income tax returns for years 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Hoppe, 48, is a timeshare agent in Hilton Head and earned income of $190,465 during years 2007 – 2009 with a tax liability of $8,944. Hoppe was required to file a South Carolina income tax return on or before April 15 for these tax years as required by law.
If convicted of the charges, Hoppe could face up to three years in prison and/or fines of up to $30,000.
A Mount Pleasant man is being held at the Charleston County Detention Center following his arrest today for one count of assisting in the preparation of a false return and one count of forgery.
Robert Vanderhorst, IV, 25, is currently being held pending a bond hearing and if charged, could face penalties of up to $500 in fines and/or 15 years in prison, according to investigators from the SC Department of Revenue.
Upon review of Vanderhorst’s 2009 income tax returns, SCDOR determined that Vanderhorst filed via a tax preparer and used a fraudulent W2 form from an employer who he did not work for during that time. By submission of the fraudulent W2 forms, Vanderhorst received an overstated fraudulent SC income tax refund of $679.
Darcell Lockwood was arrested today by SCDOR investigators for assisting in the preparation of a fraudulent return and forgery.
Lockwood, 36, is currently being held at the Charleston County Detention Center pending a bond hearing. The Mount Pleasant Police Department assisted with the arrest.
The arrest follows an ongoing investigation of a tax refund scam involving numerous individuals in the Charleston area. After reviewing Lockwood’s 2009 income tax returns, the SCDOR investigation revealed that Lockwood, a Mt. Pleasant resident, submitted to a tax preparer a fraudulent W2 form although Lockwood did not actually work for the employer listed.
The use of the W2 form resulted in Lockwood receiving a fraudulent SC income tax refund in the amount of $717, to which he was not entitled. If convicted of the charges, Lockwood could face up to $500 in fines and/or 15 years in prison.