Tax Evasion Trial Starts for Creator of Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights

The man best known for his tax opposition on Colorado was in court of Friday facing federal tax evasion charges. The government accused Douglas Bruce of hiding millions of dollars in a phony charity set up to avoid taxes.

Bruce is a former state lawmaker and drafted Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights is accused of not reporting income or diverting money to a charity. The government alleges that Bruce’s nonprofit Active Citizens Together was established for the sole purpose of hiding money. In addition, he is accused of attempting to influence a public servant by misleading tax officials.

A tax attorney can outline the various ways a person can reduce their tax bills through legal and legitimate means.

Bruce has stated that the charges against him are politically motivated because he is an advocate of smaller government. He also said that he made no money off of ACT.

Colorado Assistant Attorney General, Robert Shapiro, also accused Bruce of devoting 95 percent of the funds raised by ACT to lobbying which exceeds the amount a group would spend to avoid taxes.

If charged, Bruce faces fines close to $500,000 and possible jail time, which may be avoidable when represented by an experienced tax lawyer.

The prospect of appearing in court for any tax reason is intimidating, a person is advised to find and hire an accomplished tax attorney when facing any tax-related charges.