NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Revenue’s Special Investigations Section conducted the investigation that led to yesterday’s guilty verdict by a Sumner County jury of Keith A. Howard, age 41, on a Class E felony count of Sales Tax Evasion and a Class E felony count of Forgery. Howard faces sentencing on Oct. 16, 2009, for filing false and fraudulent documents with the Sumner County Clerk’s office that intentionally understated the purchase price of a Prevost bus he registered. Howard provided documents to the clerk’s office representing the purchase price as $62,500. The actual purchase price was $625,000.
“The Department of Revenue is committed to applying Tennessee’s tax laws and policies uniformly to all taxpayers to ensure a level playing field,” said Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr. “The department cannot and will not allow people engaged in fraudulent tax activities to have a competitive advantage over honest businesspeople.”
This case was pursued criminally by the department in cooperation with District Attorney General Ray Whitley’s office. Citizens who suspect violations of Tennessee’s revenue laws should call the toll-free tax fraud hot line at (800) FRAUDTX (372-8389).
The Department of Revenue is responsible for the administration of state tax laws and motor vehicle title and registration laws established by the legislature and the collection of taxes and fees associated with those laws. The Department of Revenue collects approximately 92 percent of total state tax revenue. During the 2008-2009 fiscal year, the department collected $10.2 billion in state taxes and fees. In addition to collecting state taxes, $1.9 billion of local sales tax was collected by the department for local governments during the 2008-2009 fiscal year. Besides collecting taxes, the department enforces the revenue laws fairly and impartially in an effort to encourage voluntary taxpayer compliance. The department also apportions revenue collections for distribution to the various state funds and local units of government. To learn more about the department, log on to
www.TN.gov/revenue.
Related news: Sept. 25, 2008 – Davidson County Man Arrested on Charges of Sales Tax Evasion and Forgery (http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/1654).
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