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A Columbia, South Carolina couple was arrested on Thursday and charged with tax evasion, according to a news release from the S.C. Department of Revenue (SCDOR).
Misty Rose Belton, 43, was charged with four counts of tax evasion, one count of failure to pay taxes, and one count of operating a business with a suspended retail license. According to SCDOR, Belton operated MA Associates, LLC, a vacuum systems sales company.
Belton allegedly reported net taxable sales of $3,063,122 from 2017 to 2020, which under-reported actual sales of $5,226,769.
“As a result, she evaded $170,259 in state sales tax,” SCDOR’s release noted.
Belton also allegedly failed to file sales tax returns for 2021 on net taxable income of $750,546 – resulting in $60,044 worth of owed sales tax.
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SCDOR also announced the arrest of Michael Orlando Belton Sr., 52, who sold vacuum systems for Belton’s business.
According to the agency release, Belton failed to file Individual income tax returns in 2017 and 2018, though his taxable income for those years was $100,095. This resulted in more than $6,000 of owed taxes. He is charged with two counts of failure to pay taxes, file returns and keep records.
If convicted, Misty Belton faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a fine of $10,000 for each count of tax evasion, one year in prison and/or a fine of $10,000 for the failure to pay taxes and file a return, and 30 days in jail and/or a fine of $200 for the count of operating a business on a suspended retail license. Michael Belton, if convicted, faces a maximum sentence of one year and/or a fine of $10,000 for each count.
Both Beltons are being held pending a bond hearing at the Alvin S. Glenn detention center in Columbia, S.C. As with anyone accused of committing any crime, the Beltons are considered innocent until proven guilty by our criminal justice system – or until such time as they may wish to enter some form of allocution in connection with a plea agreement with prosecutors related to any of the charges filed against them.
“The SCDOR is committed to the fair administration of tax laws,” SCDOR officials noted. “By taking enforcement action against noncompliant taxpayers, the department seeks to prevent unfairly increasing the tax burden on those who do comply.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children.
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4 comments
I thought conservatives were in favor of small business owners cheating on their taxes?
mashed potato in chief going after the food trucks again. gotta pay for ukrainian laundry services and those illegals stay at the waldorf astoria somehow
What kind of cuck mentality do you have to have to pay your taxes but play the violin for people cheating on theirs? If what they did was so noble then join them, what could go wrong, right?
Guys like you whine about the little guys getting busted but celebrate the big whales getting away year after year.
you mad lmao . geriatric joey needs help off the stage.