Tax Service Owner Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion

An Opelousas woman pleaded guilty to tax evasion charges for failing to pay more than $125,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.

According to U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley, 37-year-old Lachala Guidry Joseph pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard Haik Wednesday.

Guidry owned and operated Guidry's Tax Service in Opelousas from 2007 to 2014. She hid some of her business income by depositing funds into accounts held by her sister, mother and aunt.

She filed her 2010 federal tax return stating that she only received $13,858 in wages and claiming a $7,695 refund. She also did not file income tax returns for years 2011 to 2013. In total, she did not report more than $510,000 in income, which resulted in a tax loss to the IRS of $125,014.22.

Joseph’s business also added false cash income information to its tax returns in amounts high enough to qualify them for the maximum earned income tax credit, which resulted in her clients receiving tax refunds to which they were not entitled.

Joseph faces up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $100,000 fine and restitution. A sentencing date has not been set.