Published: August 21, 2008 11:30 pm         

Vermillion facing fines after not paying tax bills on time

The Vermillion County Auditor’s Office is negotiating with the Internal Revenue Service to deal with penalties imposed after the auditor’s office failed to make tax payments on time.

The taxes in question were those taken out of county employees’ paychecks.

Vermillion County Auditor Sherrie Koma said the only money the office currently owes the IRS is penalties for paying taxes late.

“All the tax money owed was paid to the IRS, but it was sent late,” Koma said. A special meeting was convened Wednesday to discuss penalties that were owed to the IRS because of the late payments.

The penalties totaled a little more than $26,000, Koma said, but the county attorney had been negotiating with the IRS.

“So far the IRS has reduced the total due to $11,854,” Koma said.

The reason for the reduction is that the late payments were because of “a simple error,” Koma added.

Koma said the county has three weeks to pay, but in the meantime, negotiations will continue. “We may not have to pay anything,” she said.

Koma said she takes responsibility for the error.

“I will just take the fault,” she said, “It’s my office. It was a training issue.”