ATLANTA --- Roy Barnes claimed federal and state income tax breaks in 2008 and 2009 for depreciation on a house he doesn't own, his campaign acknowledged Thursday.
Cobb County property records show Barnes' daughter and son-in-law have owned the house in Marietta since 2007 when Barnes gave it to them. Barnes, the Democratic nominee for governor, owns several properties on the road.
Barnes campaign spokesman Emil Runge called it an accounting error and said, as a result, the former governor had underpaid about $7,500 in taxes for the two years. His accountant is amending the returns to remove the tax break.
News of the tax discrepancy was first reported by the Savannah Morning News .
Runge said Thursday that in the course of reviewing Barnes' taxes, his accountant found another error in 2008 that will deliver the former governor an additional tax refund of about $30,000.
That mistake involved a loss on the sale of shares in Habersham Bank. Barnes initially reported a gain of approximately $34,000 which should have been a loss of approximately $135,000.
Runge said the refund would more than offset the 2008 federal tax underpayment.
Barnes has attacked his Republican opponent Nathan Deal for not paying enough in taxes.
The Deal campaign seized on the discrepancy Thursday.
Deal spokesman Brian Robinson said Barnes "has spent the entire campaign throwing rocks from his glass house."
"We forgive Roy for his 'accounting' error," Robinson said, adding Barnes' legal work has raked in hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts, "which makes it difficult to keep track of your kingdom and how many houses you own."
Runge fired back that Barnes has been completely transparent with his taxes -- releasing 25 years of full returns. Deal, meanwhile, has posted 29 years of cover pages for his tax returns, not schedules and other details.
"The voters of Georgia sure would like an opportunity to review Deal's complete tax returns to learn what he's hiding," Runge said.
Well, the honest Mr. Barnes, who has accused his opponent of evewrything except robbing a bank, has been cheating on his taxes, but
it was an honest mistake, Right!!! Roy, you got caught at your own game, that what you democraps do is sling mud at your opponenets
along with the liberal press and then claim it was an honest mistake.
Hogwash, busted!!! How bout this mess and what has the Atlanta journal and the augusta chronical have to say, I know it will be bnilliant!
Seems like neither Barnes or Deal could sell a 4 cent piece of candy, get a nickle to pay for it, and give the correct change! Are these two clowns the best Georgia has to offer?
How about that. After a campaign built partially on how unethical his opponent is, Honest Toy has made an "honest" mistake on his taxes.
Corrupt Washington Relic... Deal
Failed Governor... Barnes
NONE OF THE ABOVE.... John Monds
It happens a lot.
When you prepare a tax return, clients have a way of forgetting to tell you about things- because it happened over a year ago.
Amended returns are common. Relax yourselves.
I wonder if anybody read the article Barnes overpaid in taxes and is owed a large refund.
Ga Values -- I agree. My life would be much better if Karen had won the primary.
It seems to me that we Georgians could do better choosing candidates. I'm getting tired of voting for the lesser of two evils! Once was enough with Mr. Barnes and likewise with the so called real Deal.
Welcome to the world of, ' if I am a liberal, I can excuse any wrong doing by a liberal'. But, I didn't say I was a liberal. Old one..... If it walks like a duck........
To protect and preserve America, we must vote in a manner best calculated to put the brakes on the FEDERAL LEVEL, SOCIALIST Leader.
The headline is misleading. He might owe $7,500 but he's still going to get back $22,500.00. Not bad.
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