UPDATE: Roy Blunt owes back taxes on Washington, D.C. home
UPDATE: According to Blunt campaign spokesman Rich Chrismer, Roll Call actually made a mistake in their story. The Blunt’s owe $6,820.33. Chrismer insists that the error is “the D.C. government’s mistake.” Says Chrismer: “The D.C. government has admitted this was their error which is why the Blunts were not charged any penalties or fees and why they had never been billed for this previously. Democrat D.C. Councilman Jack Evans wrote a letter stating that the D.C. government did not follow up correctly on the Blunts request to remove this provision in early 2004. … While this mistake is clearly the fault of the D.C. government, they are happy to pay it and are pleased the issue is resolved.”
JEFFERSON CITY — The tax flap over the Washington, D.C., home of Roy and Abigail Blunt has run its course, and the congressman and his wife owe the District of Columbia $5,600.
The District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue will charge Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and his spouse $5,600 in back property taxes for their Georgetown home, following a nearly two-month review of the property’s tax status.
The Missouri lawmaker and his wife, Abigail Perlman Blunt, own a three-bedroom Georgetown home, valued at $1.62 million in tax assessment records.
According to public tax records, the Blunts’ home had received the homestead tax deduction as recently as April, a benefit intended for full-time city residents that can shave hundreds of dollars off annual tax bills — and significantly more in the long term by limiting assessment increases.
Public records show that the city has recalculated taxes dating to 2005. The city does not list interest or penalties on the unpaid taxes.
“At the request of the property owner the homestead benefit has been removed, and a tax bill itemizing the deduction reversals has been mailed,” Natalie Wilson, a spokeswoman for the D.C. tax office, said Thursday.
The Missouri lawmaker blamed the home’s tax status on District officials, stating that he and his wife had sought to remove their homestead status in 2004, after Abigail Perlman Blunt became a Missouri resident.
“After five years of repeated requests, the D.C. government finally updated their records to accurately reflect the Blunts’ tax status,” Blunt spokesman Nick Simpson said Thursday.
Blunt, a Republican, is running for U.S. Senate in 2010 against Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a Democrat. Carnahan’s mom, former Sen. Jean Carnahan, had also previously been snagged by improperly claiming the homestead exemption.
$1.62 million dollar part time home. Man, it must pay well to be a Washington crook.
OMG!
Roy’s qualified to be in the Obama Cabinet!
“Blunt, a Republican, is running for U.S. Senate in 2010 against Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a Democrat. Carnahan’s mom, former Sen. Jean Carnahan, had also previously been snagged by improperly claiming the homestead exemption.”
Don’t you just love how hard Fired Up! (Carnahan’s liberal blog) has been attacking Blunt over this nothing story - when JEAN CARNAHAN had the same problem.
Maybe, for once, you reporters can stop making these types of things into huge deals and feeding the beast of partisan hate mongers. This was a minor incident that was DC’s fault… can we move on now?
Okay, common sense check here. If you are even remotely wealthy and you are trying to cheat on your taxes - wouldn’t you do it for a hell of a lot more than a couple thousand bucks?
This was basically a clerical error, and it wasn’t even Blunt’s fault. Aren’t there any real scandals to cover right now? Sheesh.
The union buster voted 7 times against the minimum wage.
Let them eat cake. Right Congressman?
The Republican adage: Only little people pay taxes.
tsqaure blasted Secretary Geitner about tax oversights.
Now, with the shoe on the other foot, he finds time to make jokes.
Former Bush Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil said we will be suffering from the Bush economy for the next 20 years….Buckle your seat belts. The ride is just starting.
Okay, so this was DC’s fault, the Blunt’s were trying to fix it, and the amount of money is basically nothing (compared to the homes value)… and they paid off the balance.
And this is a story again, why?
“The Republican adage: Only little people pay taxes.”
Really? You can actually type that with a straight face after the Obama cabinet nominations? Really?
There’s a pretty big difference between a screweup from the city causing a minor error in tax payments, which has been rectified - and willfully attempting to avoid paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes (Geithner, Daschle, etc).
Good lord man - obviously you hate Republicans, but at least live in reality, would you?
Give us a break Alex….You want to worship these money grabbing Republicans have at it, but don’t try to convince us their tax crimes are just a mistake. Use your Google.
“Good lord man - obviously you hate Republicans, but at least live in reality, would you?”
Alex … you KNOW you’re asking this of Garrison, right? I mean — don’t you READ these blogs?
Or was it a rhetorical request?
Garrison - please. I know you are DESPERATE to attack Blunt, he’s a Republican and that makes him the root of all evil to you. But can’t you find an ACTUAL criticism?
The DC government itself has accepted responsibility for this, it was their fault, they never billed them previously, they paid their taxes, and the amount was so small it was barely noteworthy (which more or less proves it was little more than just an accounting error). Take a seat.
By the way, I notice you didn’t mention that the Carnahan family has had this exact same problem previously. But wait, she’s a noble Democrat so that doesn’t matter does it?