This article originally ran on wsbtv.com and features Atlanta tax attorney Alyssa Whatley.
Updated:
The State of Georgia has come to a huge tax settlement with reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, with tax experts calling the significant decrease in money owed a part of commonly negotiated cases.
The Georgia Department of Revenue went after the Chrisleys for more than $2 million following a 2017 Channel 2 investigation centered around the couple’s claims that they were Florida residents, and did not owe Georgia income taxes for a span of several years.
In a closing agreement dated Sept. 27, the state ended up settling with the Chrisleys for about $147,000.
The couple had already started paying back the debt, and were given five days to settle the remaining debt.
Channel 2 investigative reporter Nicole Carr took the settlement agreement to Atlanta tax attorney Alyssa Maloof Whatley and Josh Simpson, a Woodstock-based CPA and owner of Simpson & Simpson Accounting.
“It’s not uncommon to see a huge liability go down once you’re filing the correct returns. In additions with refunds … In addition with abatements …” said Whatley. “This is a completely normal tax case.”
“It’s a mathematical equation to see how much they can afford to pay,” said Simpson, “And when the State of Georgia really needs money they’re obviously going take $100,000 now versus a thousand dollars over time.”