The Irs Files An $800,000 Tax Lien Against John Kerry’s Campaign

June 4, 2009 - PRLog -- Senator John Kerry may have to pay over $800,000 to the IRS out of his own pocket. The IRS has filed a Tax Lien against John Kerry's 2004 campaign for $819,000. A Kerry Campaign representative said the Tax Debt was already paid.

"The IRS merely has a gap in their electronic records of the 2004 campaign's payroll forms," Kerry spokeswoman Whitney Smith told the Washington Times. "We filed these forms correctly, and we're working with the IRS to provide them any and all needed information to set the record straight."

According to Whitney Smith, the campaign received an IRS Notice on January 7, 2008, stating that the IRS was missing W-2 forms from them. The penalty was noted at $819,000.

Whitney Smith said the campaign did in fact file the forms correct in 2004, but they filed them again in response to the IRS notice. "We've checked with the IRS at least once a month since then asking why the issue has yet to be resolved," she continued. "We still don't have an answer."

Federal Laws prohibit IRS employees from discussing individual cases, so more details about this case are off limits. “I know how tenacious the IRS is when it comes to collecting delinquent tax from businesses.” Says Ronnie Hicks, Senior Tax Attorney at Tax Defense Network. “Delinquencies on employee withholding taxes carry stiff penalties.”
John Kerry's estimated net worth is at $284 million to $336 million, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. John Kerry's campaign accepted public funding, so we don't know if he'll have to pay the debt. But if he does, the IRS will attack him for the full amount owed.

“As far as I know, this is a unique situation for the IRS,” Ronnie Hicks continues, “especially considering the fact that the campaign has already been terminated. But fair is fair, and a campaign is an employer and a business. If all other businesses have to pay taxes, so should the John Kerry’s Campaign.”

# # #

Tax Defense Network has been helping taxpayers with their IRS Tax Debt for over 10 years, has over $145 million in Tax Debt under management and has an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). To take a look at the suite of services offered visit http://www.taxdefensenetwork.com/.