IRS Seized Substantial Amount of Money from Racetrack Owners

Darrin T. Mish

Tax Attorney • 32+ Years Experience

If you're reading this, something about your tax situation has you worried. That's fair — the IRS is intimidating until you know how the rules actually work. I'm Darrin Mish, a Tampa tax attorney. I've handled cases like yours for 32 years. Let me walk you through it.

It’s human nature. People want to make money and they want to keep it. The IRS seized more than $500,000 from racetrack owners Larry and Dixie Masino in Fort Walton Beach. It seems that people will never learn that when you own the IRS money—you usually have to end up paying it, and with a penalty.

The Masinos own a home in Pensacola Beach and the IRS is coming after their home and their funds. $510,723 was seized from four bank accounts owned by the couple. The money resulted from an illegal gambling operation that was owned by the two.

It’s that old game of trying to beat the system. It never works because someone will always catch on, or turn whistleblower. And when the curtain drops, everything owned gets seized. Whatever the lifestyle lived, is it worth it in the long run?

The best advice is to create a business association with a qualified tax attorney who can keep you up-to-speed on IRS tax laws. It’s easy to make money and forget, or refuse, to pay what’s owed to the IRS. Then, over a long period, it becomes difficult to part with your earnings. Take your tax attorney’s professional advice.

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