The Louisiana Department of Revenue is suing three companies for tax evasion by not withholding and remitting appropriate payroll taxes from employee earnings.

The companies include Elliott Roofing Services in Metairie, Antunez Painting in Baton Rouge and Extreme Cars and Trucks in Monroe.

LDR Spokesperson Byron Henderson says these businesses misidentified their employees as “Independent Contractors”.

"In those cases, the employer commonly pays the workers in cash, with no Louisiana payroll tax withheld."

The three companies are accused of allegedly withholding over 242-thousand-dollars total between 2013 and 2015. Henderson says not only companies who practice this fraud have an unfair advantage in out bidding competitors, but it also takes money away from the state.

"It's a serious crime that robs Louisiana taxpayers of the revenues that the state uses to provide vital services such as public safety, healthcare, education and infrastructure."

The GAME ON Task Force was created to combat these income tax fraud cases. Henderson says these three cases are just the start of what they are uncovering through audit investigations.

"There are other companies that we are looking at.  There are several other audits that are in progress and some companies have actually agreed to pay the assessed withholding liabilities."

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