Palmetto man allegedly hid income, evaded taxes for over a decade

PALMETTO, Fla. — A Florida man has been arrested and charged with evading tax payments and filing false income tax returns, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.

Terry Brunning faces one count of evasion of the payment of taxes and four counts of filing false income tax returns. The tax evasion charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, while each false return count is punishable by up to three years.

According to the indictment, Mr Brunning evaded paying taxes owed from income earned between 1998 and 2001. Despite an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) assessment of more than $2 million in taxes, penalties, and interest, Brunning reportedly continued earning income between 2005 and 2018 without making substantial payments toward his tax debt.

Instead, he allegedly used his earnings to cover personal expenses and attempted to conceal assets from the IRS.

Prosecutors said Mr Brunning also failed to file income tax returns between 2007 and 2018. After IRS Criminal Investigation agents reportedly sought to interview him in 2018, he is said to have resumed filing returns but allegedly underreported more than $490,000 in income for tax years 2015 through 2018.

The IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay L. Hoffer is prosecuting it.

An indictment is a formal charge and does not imply guilt. Brunning is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.