Dirty Stack? NY Post Reveals D33 City Council Candidate Stephen Pierson’s IRS Issue

By on August 26, 2013 9:10 pm in Election 13

You don’t have to be a weatherman to know which way the tax code wind blows – it’s confusing and totally ponderous for many. But if you’re Stephen Pierson running for NYC Council and throwing barbs at your opponent, incumbent Stephen Levin, for financial misdeeds this item in today’s NY Post cannot be helping the things.

NYPost: Former professional poker player Stephen Pierson, who is running in Brooklyn’s 33rd District, paid the state $15,396 to settle a tax warrant last December. He blamed “some confusion” about his financial status.

Pierson’s campaign manager Diana Gonzalez tells BHB via email:

After Stephen’s father died, there was some confusion about the tax liability surrounding his father’s Roth IRA. Given what he was going through, the problem wasn’t addressed immediately, but when the issue came to his attention, he resolved it. Stephen has paid all of his taxes.

The reporter who wrote this article was aware of these circumstances and chose to omit them.

RELATED: BHB Reader Endorsement Poll: NYC Council District 33

Another silver lining of sorts here for Pierson – the article Owe, no! City Council candidates have poor financial history pegs Bronx Democrat Joel Bauza who is running in D15 as the worst tax offender with obligations to the Feds topping $120k. He tells the paper that the debts are “news to me.”

Share this Story:

,

  • Ignatz

    I bet it has to do with his poker winnings. He constantly says that he doesn’t draw a salary from his not for profit, but doesn’t say whether he continues to play poker for money.

  • David on Middagh

    The less-than-thrifty man on the nickel died in debt, no? And now, irony of ironies, the US Mint loses money on every nickel it makes.

  • Ignatz

    You’d think the issue would have been settled before it became a 15,000 tax warrant, no? The state of NY doesn’t just file a lien. One question this raises is whether the tax lien or the inheritance were declared on Pierson’s filing with the Conflicts of Interest Board. This application is used to receive public (taxpayer) monies.

  • Randernyc

    Having followed your past coverage on this race, one gets the distinct impression that you may “have a dog” in this contest. Sounds like a “bow wow” for Vito aka Levin.

  • brooklynheightsblog

    Welcome random new commenter. Clearly, you know nothing of our work.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXJ8tKRlW3E

  • Rocky Raccoon

    Catch me, if you can find me.

  • Randernyc

    I have been reading the BHB since your inception and know quite well what you follow, what you like and what you don’t like. For the most part, I think you have remained an objective observer of events, but I do find your pandering for Levin to be a bit over the top.

  • skunky

    why would he then lie about it and say it was due to his father’s Roth IRA? Exactly how would the IRS have caught him not paying taxes on winnings and slap a lien on him? It’s not like we don’t know about his poker playing.

  • skunky

    Yes they do. I had one for like $300 once.

  • skunky

    what happens is as follows: Feds catch something wrong on your federal return, they let you know, you pay it, thinking all is well. However, as you know, this changes data on your state return as well and the Feds share this data with the state, and they start the process to collect on you for their share of the misreported income, etc.

  • David on Middagh

    I will never understand people who don’t understand that blogs are experience/opinion/gossip-based creatures. There’s supposed to be a point of view.

  • Randernyc

    David,

    I thought the BHB was an online community news site and not a blog – but if this is Homer’s blog, then you are definitely correct your view. If it is not, then……

  • BrooklynBugle

    If you’ve have, in fact, been reading the blog from day one you know that we are an equal opportunity offender. Four years ago our coverage of Levin may have been called “biased” because of our heavy coverage of Brooklyn Heights resident Doug Biviano’s run for council in the infamous HERD FOR THE 33RD:

    http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/tag/the-herd-for-the-33rd

    And who can forget our Phun with Photoshop regarding Mr. Lopez: