Ex-NASCAR Team Owner Confesses to Evading Payroll Taxes
A former NASCAR team owner has admitted to evading payroll taxes in a federal case that highlights financial misconduct within professional motorsports. According to court documents, the individual concealed employee wages and failed to remit payroll taxes totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars to the IRS over several years.
The scheme involved underreporting employee earnings, paying some workers in cash, and misclassifying others as independent contractors. This allowed the former team owner to avoid the employer’s share of taxes and other financial responsibilities. Prosecutors emphasized the deliberate nature of the fraud and the significant loss to the U.S. Treasury.
The unnamed owner, who once operated a team in NASCAR’s lower-tier circuits, has agreed to cooperate with authorities and may face fines and prison time. The case underscores the importance of tax compliance and transparency in the business of racing, where large sums of money and complex staffing arrangements can sometimes blur ethical lines. Sentencing is scheduled for later this year.
