Personal Finance: Ask the Experts: State updates list of Top 500 delinquent taxpayers

Personal Finance: Ask the Experts

Get advice on money matters from The Bee's Claudia Buck and a panel of local experts

October 11, 2012

State updates list of Top 500 delinquent taxpayers

Look out, deadbeat taxpayers.

Last month, it was the state Board of Equalization. Now the Franchise Tax Board has released its updated list of its Top 500 tax delinquents: those who owe at least $100,000 in unpaid income taxes. The list includes both individuals and corporations.

On the personal side, the offenders range from Halsey Minor, the Bay Area-based creator of technology news website CNET, who the state says owes $10.7 million in taxes, to Daniel Harralson, a horse racing owner in Clovis, who is listed as owing $140,000.

Those listed as corporations include Sacramento attorney Roxanne T. Daneri, who the FTB says owes $336,000, and D&P Products Inc., whose tax bill is listed at $258,000.

And under new state legislation, every name on the Top 500 list is turned over to state licensing agencies, who have the option of canceling or not renewing their professional and occupational licenses. Those listed also risk losing their driver's license and cannot enter into any state contracts.

It's part of the state's continuing effort to close California's $10 billion so-called "tax gap," the difference between what's owed and what hasn't been coughed up by taxpayers.

The state BOE released its updated list of those owing back sales and use taxes in September.

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Claudia Buck is The Sacramento Bee's personal finance columnist. Read all her columns here. Contact her at cbuck@sacbee.com

Terri Carpenter

Terri Carpenter offers advice on job hunting, retraining and career counseling. Carpenter works at Sacramento Works Inc., the career and job training arm of the Sacramento Employment and Training Agency (SETA). With 15 years in the field, she has hands-on experience with everyone from first-time job seekers to career professionals seeking advice after a layoff or looking for a mid-career change. Ask her a question.

Carlena Tapella

Carlena Tapella is a partner in the law firm of Webb & Tapella Law Corp. in Sacramento. The firm specializes in estate planning and probate, such as estates, trusts, conservatorships and litigation. She is a past president of the Sacramento County Bar Association's Estate Planning & Probate Section. Ask her a question.

Kimberly Foss, certified financial planner, is the founder of Empyrion Wealth Management in Roseville. With nearly 30 years in the financial industry, her clients include women in transition, small business owners, retirees and "pre-retirees." Ask her a question.

Gregory Burke, a CPA and tax expert with John Waddell & Co. in Sacramento since 1984, worked as an IRS tax auditor for six years. He’s a past chairman of the California Society of CPAs. Ask him a question.

Daniel Tahara takes your questions about California taxes. Tahara, a spokesman for the state Franchise Tax Board, has 10 years of experience as a tax auditor. Ask him a question.