Tardy taxpayers at state Capitol

Tardy taxpayers at state Capitol
Sun April 13, 2008

Rep. Lance Cargill, R-Harrah
Cargill filed overdue federal and state income tax returns after the Tax Commission warned him in January about missing 2005 and 2006 state returns, The Oklahoman reported earlier. He said then he was due refunds. He also paid property taxes late on his Harrah law office six years in a row. The late fees added up to more than $560.
"I take full responsibility,” he said in January.




Rep. Greg Piatt, R-Ardmore
He was late on 2004 business personal taxes on a snow cone stand. Also, his distributing company was late on 2006 business personal taxes, records show. He said the 2006 taxes were the office manager's responsibility. Late fees totaled $4.97.

"Everyone should pay what they owe,” Piatt said. "Obviously, paying late does happen. That's why there are penalties involved. You pay your stuff and you get it right the next year.”


Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon
Armes fell behind on both income tax returns and property taxes. He was late on his 2005 and 2006 state and federal returns. He said they are in now and he got refunds. He was late on 2001 taxes on his home and 2002 taxes on a rental house. He said those were bank errors. He also was late on 2007 taxes on a house in Lawton he was renovating for sale. He paid Jan. 28, records show. Late fees totaled almost $100.

"The project took longer than expected,” he said of the fix-up house. "Once I realized that this redo house was not current, I paid those immediately, in full.”


Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City
Morrissette was late four years in a row on property taxes for a rental home, The Oklahoman reported Feb. 1. Morrissette paid $271.01 in penalties and interest.

"It was an oversight,” he said in January.




Rep. Charles Key, R-Oklahoma City
Key was hit in 2006 with a tax warrant alleging he owed the state $1,525 in unpaid 2004 income taxes, penalties and interest. A Tax Commission spokeswoman said Key made a partial payment but still owes more than $1,000.

Key also was late eight years in a row on the property taxes on his home. His tardiness cost him $356.17 in penalties and interest.

"There were some mistakes made,” Key said of the tax warrant. "I take full responsibility for it. ... We got it worked out. ... It was a disagreement over how much was owed. ... There's nothing I can say to make it look good. ... I try to pay my taxes like everybody else but I'm a middle income earner and it's difficult sometimes to pay your taxes and pay all the expenses that you have.”


Rep. Randy McDaniel, R-Edmond
McDaniel fell 13 months behind on 2006 property taxes on his rental properties even though he is a longtime financial adviser.

He said he had new life priorities — a marriage, a move and a new baby — and never got a tax bill. He paid the Oklahoma County Treasurer on Feb. 4 to catch up on the late 2006 and late 2007 property taxes. He also was late on some 2001, 2003 and 2004 property taxes. Late fees totaled almost $1,900.

"I'm very proud of my history of always paying everything on time and in full in every endeavor, which probably would be reflected in a consumer credit report,” he said last week. "I do know if I was ever late for any payment of any kind, whether it be a credit card payment, a phone bill or in this case, it was definitely unintentional.”


Rep. Terry Harrison, D-McAlester
He is taxed on his home, a steak house, a law office and rental houses. Some payments were late on 2004, 2005 and 2006 taxes. Late fees were about $430.

The steak house also was late in paying $778.96 in sales taxes, a tax warrant shows. Late fees on the sales taxes were $586.70.

"I have people who write checks for me,” Harrison said. "Literally. I never write any of my checks. I have employees that do. And if one of my employees was remiss in paying something on time, certainly it's my responsibility and my fault. I can't blame anyone else. ... I should have been a better supervisor.”


Rep. Phil Richardson, R-Minco
Richardson said he owns a Caddo County hog farm that has almost $2,700 in overdue real estate taxes. He said the company leasing the farm is supposed to pay.

He was late on 2004 and 2006 property taxes on his home and other land in Grady County. He paid the first half on time but missed the deadline for paying the second half. Late fees were $15.28.

"It's pretty easy to forget the second time because you pay the first-half taxes and they don't send you a statement. Sometimes it's been confusing on when that is due,” he said last week. "Basically, this past year, I just paid it all at once.”


Rep. Jabar Shumate, D-Tulsa
The Tax Commission warned Shumate in January about missing 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005 and 2006 state income tax returns. He said last week he has caught up on those state returns and overdue federal tax returns, too. He said, overall, he got refunds. He plans to send in his 2007 returns today — two days early.

"You get to moving fast,” Shumate said. "I didn't check back with my tax man to make sure certain things were done. There were some years I filed extensions and I didn't follow up. I've gone throughout my district to apologize. It was a huge oversight on my part.”


Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, D-Tulsa
McIntyre was late in paying her 2004, 2005 and 2007 property taxes on her home. Late fees totaled $21.37.

McIntyre paid her 2007 bill after a Tulsa newspaper reporter contacted her Jan. 31.

McIntyre said before then she had scolded Shumate for not filing his tax returns.

"I just chewed him out,” McIntyre said of Shumate. "And I'll be durned if I didn't get a call, too, about my property tax. ... I could have sworn last year that I paid those. I was truly shocked. Although it sounded, you know: ‘Yeah, right, here's another lying politician.' I thought I had paid it.

... We're public officials, and I have no excuse. ... It should have been done. It wasn't done. But it won't happen again. Now, that, I do know. I was on the school board in Tulsa for 16 years, starting in 1981. So I do know the value of property taxes. Definitely.”


Rep. Dennis Johnson, R-Duncan
He is taxed on his home, rental properties and business. He was late on some payments in six of the last seven years. Late fees totaled more than $340.

"One person might argue that it's neglect, and I guess, after a fashion, it is. I don't think it's entirely unusual,” he said last week. "I will admit that I've been late from time to time. It's not something I deliberately did. ... It's a difficult thing to keep track of. I'm active in my church, and I'm active in a gospel group, and I'm active in my business and I'm active in politics. ... You've got a lot of things on your plate at any given time.”


Sen. Charlie Laster, D-Shawnee
He was late four years in a row in paying real estate taxes on his home. Late fees totaled $132.94. He said he tried to pay his 2007 tax bill on time, New Year's Eve, but the courthouse was closed.

"I didn't consider it a big deal, but then there has been a lot of notoriety brought to it since then, so I'm certainly going to be more careful about it now,” Laster said last week.


Rep. Ryan McMullen, D-Burns Flat
He filed overdue 2006 federal and state income tax returns shortly after getting a Tax Commission warning in January. He said he got back more than $2,000 in refunds. He said he filed his 2007 tax returns months early.

"I've never been so on top of that in my life,” McMullen said last week.


Rep. Jerry McPeak, D-Warner
He's missed one tax deadline since elected four years ago, paying 2004 real estate taxes late. He also was late on 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2003 real estate taxes as well as some personal property taxes. Late fees were $75.58.

"I just overlooked it,” he said last week. "I've never been in politics before. So, honest to gosh, I never worried about it before.”

Sen. Jeff Rabon, D-Hugo
He paid 2003 and 2004 property taxes late on his then-home. Late fees were $87.29. He owes $82.08, plus a $3.70 penalty, on the 2007 property taxes on his new home, records show. Taxes were due Jan. 31.

He said the treasurer sent the 2003 tax bill to the previous homeowner. He said his mortgage company made a mistake on his 2007 payment. He had no explanation for the late 2004 payment.

"I'm an imperfect human. I make mistakes,” Rabon said last week.

Rep. Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City
He was late a few weeks on his 2001 property taxes on a lot in Moore and his 2006 property taxes on his Oklahoma City home. His late fees were $32.63.

"One year, I paid ... a day late or something,” Reynolds said. "The other one, it's simply I missed it last year.”


Rep. Gus Blackwell, R-Goodwell
He was late in paying property taxes on his home 13 years in a row and on rental houses some years, The Oklahoman reported Feb. 1. His explanation was he was mistaken about when property taxes were due.

"I'm not blaming anyone but myself,” Blackwell said in January.

Sen. Connie Johnson, D-Oklahoma City
Johnson missed deadlines to file her 2004, 2005 and 2006 state tax returns, records show. In January, she blamed a 2002 divorce and said she was behind on federal returns, too. She has caught up on the state returns, The Oklahoman was told.