According to reports from local media, James Brantley, a slaughterhouse and meatpacking business owner from Tennessee was recently sentenced to federal prison for his role in the hiring of undocumented individuals and associated payroll tax evasion. This story is a reminder that whether your employees are undocumented or authorized to work in the United States, the IRS and state taxing authorities take employment taxes incredibly seriously and will identify and pursue violations when they arise.
See our Criminal Tax Law Q and A Library
Meatpacking Company Raided, Owner Convicted and Sentenced On Evasion Charges
James Brantley owned and operated Southern Provision, LLC. Southern was in the business of both the slaughtering and processing of meat. According to prosecutors, Brantley directed three managers, one of whom was an illegal immigrant himself, to hire undocumented workers. As a part of his plea agreement, Brantley admitted that he knew at that time that hiring undocumented workers would result in a severe underpayment of payroll taxes.
See our Employment Tax Law Q and A Library
The unlawful practice and related tax evasion came to light after a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. During that raid, over one hundred undocumented immigrants were taken into custody. Brantley also admitted as a part of his plea agreement that he had begun hiring illegal immigrants to work at his company as early as 1988.
The federal sentencing judge also sentenced Brantley to serve three years of supervised release after he serves out his year and a half of physical incarceration. Lastly, Brantley was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS. Government officials estimated that he caused a total tax loss of more than $2.5 million.
Payroll Tax Is A Big-Ticket Enforcement Item For The IRS
Payroll tax is the primary mechanism whereby the federal government collects tax revenue. Employers who have inconsistencies between their labor and the amounts remitted to the IRS are a high-value target for federal and state tax investigators. One cause of such inconsistencies that affects many business owners is worker classification.
Although many business owners believe that they can come to an agreement with a worker that he or she will be classified as an independent contractor and receive a 1099, such practice is not legal. The determination of whether a worker is an employee or a contractor hinges on various factors and is not generally open to negotiation. Factors include control, the provision of materials necessary to complete the job, supervision, and pay frequency.
If you are a business owner and are concerned about the accuracy of your labor classification or any other tax position related to payroll tax, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax attorney to discuss the specifics of your situation. As we mentioned above, payroll tax issues are frequently raised in the process of a business tax audit. An experienced business tax attorney will help your business come into compliance and attempt to reduce the negative repercussions that a high-risk tax examination can bring.
Contact an Experienced Tax Attorney Today
The tax and accounting professionals at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing have worked with business owners of companies ranging in size from large to small. If you have received notice from the IRS or state taxing authorities that your payroll tax withholding, accounting, and remittance procedures are being scrutinized, our team of zealous advocates will help you develop a legal strategy aimed at preserving the integrity of you and you business. Do not let the threat of a criminal investigation or prosecution keep you up at night. Contact the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing today for a reduced-rate consultation.
Here is a link to our YouTube channel: click here!
Also, we’ve expanded our offices! In addition to our offices in Irvine and Los Angeles, the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing now have offices San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Panorama City, Oxnard, San Diego, Bakersfield, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento.
Note: If you have concerns about the privacy of our initial or subsequent communication and are unable to easily travel to our Irvine / Orange County Main Office, consider scheduling a GoToMeeting to safely and securely establish an initial or maintain an existing attorney client relationship. With end-to-end encryption, strong passwords and top-rated reliability, no one is messing with your meeting. To schedule a reduced rate initial consultation via GoToMeeting follow this link. Call our office and request a GoToMeeting if you are an existing client. We are generally happy to travel to any of our appointment only satellite offices for a subsequent meeting in appropriate circumstances once a relationship is established via a signed engagement letter and the payment of an initial retainer or where enough retainer is available where a current client to cover the reasonable travel time and time required for the meeting.
Will it cost me more to hire the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, who’s main office and the vast majority of the firm’s staff is located in Irvine California, but an appointment only Satellite office is close to my location, as opposed to a local company? Absolutely not! See our policies that address this issue here:According to reports from local media, James Brantley, a slaughterhouse and meatpacking business owner from Tennessee was recently sentenced to federal prison for his role in the hiring of undocumented individuals and associated payroll tax evasion. This story is a reminder that whether your employees are undocumented or authorized to work in the United States, the IRS and state taxing authorities take employment taxes incredibly seriously and will identify and pursue violations when they arise.See our Criminal Tax Law Q and A Library
Meatpacking Company Raided, Owner Convicted and Sentenced On Evasion Charges
James Brantley owned and operated Southern Provision, LLC. Southern was in the business of both the slaughtering and processing of meat. According to prosecutors, Brantley directed three managers, one of whom was an illegal immigrant himself, to hire undocumented workers. As a part of his plea agreement, Brantley admitted that he knew at that time that hiring undocumented workers would result in a severe underpayment of payroll taxes.See our Employment Tax Law Q and A Library
The unlawful practice and related tax evasion came to light after a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. During that raid, over one hundred undocumented immigrants were taken into custody. Brantley also admitted as a part of his plea agreement that he had begun hiring illegal immigrants to work at his company as early as 1988.
The federal sentencing judge also sentenced Brantley to serve three years of supervised release after he serves out his year and a half of physical incarceration. Lastly, Brantley was ordered to pay restitution to the IRS. Government officials estimated that he caused a total tax loss of more than $2.5 million.
Payroll Tax Is A Big-Ticket Enforcement Item For The IRS
Payroll tax is the primary mechanism whereby the federal government collects tax revenue. Employers who have inconsistencies between their labor and the amounts remitted to the IRS are a high-value target for federal and state tax investigators. One cause of such inconsistencies that affects many business owners is worker classification.
Although many business owners believe that they can come to an agreement with a worker that he or she will be classified as an independent contractor and receive a 1099, such practice is not legal. The determination of whether a worker is an employee or a contractor hinges on various factors and is not generally open to negotiation. Factors include control, the provision of materials necessary to complete the job, supervision, and pay frequency.
If you are a business owner and are concerned about the accuracy of your labor classification or any other tax position related to payroll tax, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced tax attorney to discuss the specifics of your situation. As we mentioned above, payroll tax issues are frequently raised in the process of a business tax audit. An experienced business tax attorney will help your business come into compliance and attempt to reduce the negative repercussions that a high-risk tax examination can bring.
Contact an Experienced Tax Attorney Today
The tax and accounting professionals at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing have worked with business owners of companies ranging in size from large to small. If you have received notice from the IRS or state taxing authorities that your payroll tax withholding, accounting, and remittance procedures are being scrutinized, our team of zealous advocates will help you develop a legal strategy aimed at preserving the integrity of you and you business. Do not let the threat of a criminal investigation or prosecution keep you up at night. Contact the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing today for a reduced-rate consultation.
Here is a link to our YouTube channel: click here!
Also, we’ve expanded our offices! In addition to our offices in Irvine and Los Angeles, the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing now have offices San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Panorama City, Oxnard, San Diego, Bakersfield, San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Sacramento.
Note: If you have concerns about the privacy of our initial or subsequent communication and are unable to easily travel to our Irvine / Orange County Main Office, consider scheduling a GoToMeeting to safely and securely establish an initial or maintain an existing attorney client relationship. With end-to-end encryption, strong passwords and top-rated reliability, no one is messing with your meeting. To schedule a reduced rate initial consultation via GoToMeeting follow this link. Call our office and request a GoToMeeting if you are an existing client. We are generally happy to travel to any of our appointment only satellite offices for a subsequent meeting in appropriate circumstances once a relationship is established via a signed engagement letter and the payment of an initial retainer or where enough retainer is available where a current client to cover the reasonable travel time and time required for the meeting.
Will it cost me more to hire the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, who’s main office and the vast majority of the firm’s staff is located in Irvine California, but an appointment only Satellite office is close to my location, as opposed to a local company? Absolutely not! See our policies that address this issue here:
