Sarasota's hospitality, construction, and healthcare industries employ thousands of workers — and every employer withholding taxes from those paychecks is holding money in trust for the federal government. When that money doesn't get deposited, the IRS treats it as a priority collection matter.
The Trust Fund Recovery Penalty under IRC section 6672 makes any "responsible person" personally liable for 100% of the unpaid trust fund taxes. That means the IRS can come after your personal bank accounts, your home equity (despite Florida's homestead protections, the lien still attaches), and your other assets.
Defense Strategy
Defending a TFRP assessment requires showing you weren't a responsible person (you didn't have authority over financial decisions) or you weren't willful (you didn't know the taxes were going unpaid). These are legal defenses that require an attorney, not an accountant.
If you're a Sarasota business owner facing payroll tax problems, call today. Revenue Officers move fast on payroll tax cases.