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Century Business Owner Repaying Thousands In Sales Tax Theft Case
October 14, 2010
A Century woman is repaying tens of thousands of dollars in sales tax that she collected from customers but the Florida Department of Revenue says she failed to remit to the state.
Tania Michelle Cunningham 36, of Century, surrendered to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department on September 8, 2009 on numerous felony and misdemeanor charges related to theft of state funds. In Escambia County Circuit Court, most of the charges against Cunningham were dropped, and she entered into a plea agreement under which adjudication was withheld on two charges of failure to remit sales tax.
Cunningham was sentenced to 15 years probation, and she was also ordered to pay $76,974.49 in restitution to the Florida Department of Revenue. The restitution amount included both back sales taxes, interest and investigation costs, according to court records.
Department of Revenue investigators alleged that Cunningham routinely collected tax from customers at the businesses; but, during various periods beginning in 2004 through 2006, she failed to send to the state all of the sales taxes that she had collected. Under state law, sales tax is the property of the state at the moment of collection.
According to the Department of Revenue, Cunningham operated Kim’s Mini Mart at 8130 North Century Boulevard and Kim’s Beauty World at 9420 North Century Boulevard during the tax periods in question.
Comments
16 Responses to “Century Business Owner Repaying Thousands In Sales Tax Theft Case”
Hope it all works out for her and her mom,They are hard working ladies.That does not excuse not paying the taxes.I am sure most of that amount is fines,and fees.But that is a huge amount of money for her to pay.Guess we learn as we go.
Dang, girl! Bad way to screw up. I had a store like yours once and when our accoutant didn’t pay the payroll taxes for our employees, that was taken out of ALL of our checks, my husband went to the IRS to report the incident and make it right. The IRS said, sure, we’ll make arrangements: we want our money in 30 days or we’ll shut you down. 12K grew to 30K in a year. We let everyone go, worked it ourselves, paid back the IRS, and lost the business. It did take about three months to find the error, but when I was checking the money, realized that our money was gone, tracked it back to her, and fired her. Went just as straight as could be to the IRS. Never trust them. The sales tax people, either. It’ll always be on their side because they know the law and how to bend it. Thank goodness my husband was smart enough to incorporate our business. Anyway, I always thought you had a great personality and seemed like a really nice lady. Too bad for this mistake that will wind up costing you everything. From: the strawberry hill lady
Terri, if you watch any cop show on tv you’ll discover they like to let the ‘non-violent lawbreakers’ go on for awhile so they can get bigger convictions for them and more feathers in their caps. Maybe this is true in real life too…..
With all the other serious crimes going on in Florida, they found time to investigate this for FOUR years. Just think of all the drug dealers, rapists, child molesters, robbers, wife beaters, etc., that would be off the streets if the money and time that was spent on this had been spent on catching and putting real criminals away.
I agree she should have paid all the money she collected for state taxes to the state. But the punishment should fit the crime – this does not.
I wish my business could have had sales like that,but probably the cost of the investication was what most of the money was for.Investigators are like attorneys…paid well to make people obey the law.cant figure how come it took this long.I miss a payment one month and i get a serious letter from the Dept of Revenue warning me…took them 4 years of investication?? geezz
whenyou own a business, they tax you to death…she was probably trying to keep her doors open…they make it so hard for the small businesses…best of luck to you
That is sad. I’m sure she is a hard working woman. But I am just as sure she knew exactly what she was doing. You can not be in business without knowing you have to pay the taxes you have collected for the government. I have been in business for 33 years and that is one of the very first things you learn. What you see in you account is not all yours which is why you should have seperate accounts so you do not make these kinds of mistake be it intentional or un-intentional. With times being hard people try and use other monies that do not belong to them and end up like this person getting in trouble. Once again I’m sure she is a hard working person but she had to have know what she was doing. There is no defense for this kind of thing when it has been going this long. I do agree the sentence she received is extreme. There are people who are walking the streets that have done a lot worse than she that has has less in sentencing.
$76,974.49 in restitution………
That’s insane! What’s the interest rate???? Sure isn’t close to what the banks are paying – in saving’s accounts or cd’s. And 15 years probation??? Paroled rapists and killers get less….
Good luck Ms. Tania Michelle Cunningham.
Also, if they cut your power off – DO NOT SHOOT THE TELEVISION!!
That figures out to over 1 million dollars in sales. I think Century needs more businesses grossing these kinds of revenues.
15 years probation? thats nuts I doubt those businesses ever made 80K worth of revenue.
From 2004 to 2006 , thats 3 years , are they saying she made $26,000 a year in just “sales tax ” that she didnt turn in? I somehow doubt that
I feel sorry for this young lady. She’s a very hardworking person. A nice personality and I guess poor business sense. Wishing you well Michelle.
UNKNOWN–a mistake ? —is that like saying it was a mistake if you commit an armed robbery and get arrested? This reads as simple theft by not sending in the tax money that was collected.
It’s my opinion that state and local governments should be required to inform the public when U.S., foreign owned, and multi national corporations are exempted from turning sales tax money over to the government and being allowed to keep that tax money for themselves. And I wonder if the departments of revenue would give us a list of the businesses that are currently being allowed to keep that money.
You should of knew the state and federal is a hands off. You never mess with the two; that is a negative for anyone. Well we sometimes learn from our misstakes. Hope everything work out for you.
I WOULDN’T SAY STUPID AT ALL… WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES..
stupid
never mess with the state or federal boys..
lol