South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) agents today arrested a Darlington County contractor and charged him with five counts of failing to collect, account for, or pay Withholding Tax over five years.

Joseph Nuel Atkinson Jr., 56, of Darlington, was responsible for making Withholding Tax payments for his business, Carolina Contractors. For tax years 2014 to 2018, Atkinson failed to pay a total of $37,398 in state Income Taxes withheld from employees' pay by the due dates, according to arrest warrants. Atkinson issued W-2 forms to employees showing the taxes withheld.

If convicted, Atkinson faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a fine of $10,000 per count. He is being held in the Darlington County Detention Center pending a bond hearing.

The SCDOR is committed to the fair administration of tax laws. By taking enforcement action against noncompliant taxpayers, the Department seeks to prevent unfairly increasing the tax burden on those who do comply. 

If you suspect or know of anyone or a business that has committed a state tax crime, such as tax evasion or tax fraud, contact SCDOR Criminal Investigation and submit a Tax Violation Complaint Form (CID-27) to criminalinvestigation@dor.sc.gov or mail it to SCDOR, CID, PO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214-0930.   

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