Article December 1, 2003 Issue

Honesty prevails amid tax evasion allegations

By Scott C. Jenkins

WHEN YOU'RE UP AGAINST the specter of an insurmountable foe, your world may seem steeped in darkness. At such a time, fear—like the chill of a long, cold winter—can penetrate deep.

That's how I felt a number of years ago when the United States Internal Revenue Service accused me of violating federal law. They alleged that I had not properly deposited payroll taxes for a company I had worked for five years earlier. Therefore, they said, they were holding me personally responsible for tens of thousands of dollars. They even threatened to garnish my wages and freeze my assets until the money was paid. The IRS maintained it was proceeding immediately because its case against me was airtight. A court date was already set.

I was stunned by these accusations. And I was also deeply hurt that three of my former co-workers apparently were blaming me for the missing funds. I wondered why they would do such a thing. I also wondered how such a bad thing could result from all the good things I knew I had accomplished for that firm.