How Much Jail Time Per Dollar of Tax Fraud?
A reader asked what the “per day” sentencing would be in the Wesley Snipes tax trial… What a great question!
If the maximum sentence of three years was imposed for the alleged $2.7 million dollars that Wesley Snipes evaded in tax (according to prosecutors), that works out to one day served for every $2,465.75 in unpaid taxes.
But as of today, both sides were still arguing about the total tax liability involved. Snipes’ attorneys claim it is $228,000 - are you kidding me? $75,000 per year? For a movie actor - even a bad movie actor? That’s insane. But I digress… So, if you believe Snipes’ folks, sentencing would work out to one day of sentencing for each $208.22 in unpaid tax.
I am not sure, as of this writing, whether either side has included penalties and interest in their calculations.
Prosecutors are also seeking fines of $5 million as punishment, in addition to the jail time.
As for the unpaid tax? The IRS is pursuing that money in separate, civil actions.
Tags: IRS, tax evasion, Wesley-SnipesRelated Stories
POSTED IN: pop culture, prosecutions, felonies and misdemeanors, taxes of the rich and (in)famous
6 opinions for How Much Jail Time Per Dollar of Tax Fraud?
marlon
Apr 24, 2008 at 10:37 pm
HOW CAN YOU THINK THAT IS THE RIGHT TO GO . HAVE HIM PAYBACK WHAT HE OWNS. IT IS NOT HE CANT PAY. HE SHOULD DO SOMTHING TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT DONT HAVE AS MUCH AS HE DOES. IF NOT HANG HIM////////////////////////////
marlon
Apr 24, 2008 at 10:40 pm
TELL US IS HE BETTER THAN US.////////////////////////////////////////
marlon
Apr 24, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I HAVE NOT GOT A A
ANSWER????????????????
WONDER WHY. I GOT NO MONEY . I GOT PRIDE
marlon
Apr 24, 2008 at 10:52 pm
WHAT DO FRIENDS THINK.
Daniel N. Erasmus
Apr 25, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Posted by Daniel N Erasmus http://www.dnerasmus.com
Some more interesting statistics from the IRS Data Book 2007:
4211 taxpayers were criminally investigated;
2155 were convicted;
2123 were incarcerated - 81.2% a high percentage.
These numbers are close to 10% up from the previous years statistics showing that criminal prosecutions for tax related crimes are increasing.
But then 4211 criminal investigations, out of 189 million tax returns filed where only 0.9% of those tax returns were subjected to an audit, is statistically a low figure (0.002% or 22 in a million).
Kelly
Apr 26, 2008 at 6:17 am
Thanks Daniel, those are really interesting statistics.
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