The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today announced that two New Jersey-based corporations have pleaded guilty to failing to pay New York State hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales tax on their transactions in New York City. The businesses will pay New York State more than $1.4 million, about $560,000 in sales tax owed plus penalty and interest.

Alexandro Kyriazis, 52, of 12 Briarcliff Road, Tenafly, NJ, is the president of Vector Painting Corp. and Vector Maintenance Corp., both located at 580 Sylvan Avenue in Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

A plea of guilty to one misdemeanor count of criminal tax fraud was entered on behalf of each corporation in New York County Court.

An investigation by the Tax Department’s Criminal Investigations Division revealed that Vector Painting Corp. failed to file NYS sales tax returns for the years 2012 through 2016, and also collected and failed to remit sales tax of $497,704 on its New York City-based dealings from 2012 through 2017.

Vector Maintenance Corp. failed to file sales tax returns for the years 2012 through 2017, and pleaded guilty to collecting and failing to remit New York State sales tax in these same years in the amount of $61,862.

“The defendants’ blatant disregard for their tax obligation deprived their local communities of vital revenue and put other honest businesses at a competitive disadvantage,” said Acting Commissioner Nonie Manion. “We will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners to prosecute those who attempt to evade our tax laws.”

The New York County District Attorney prosecuted these cases.

Sales Tax Resources

Registered sales tax vendors must file a sales tax return by its due date, even if they have no tax due for the filing period. Vendors can access the Sales Tax Web File webpage for resources to help prepare and file an accurate sales tax return on time to avoid penalties. Resources include guidance for specific industries, as well as filing instructions, videos, and demos.

Assistance for sales tax vendors is also available in six languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Italian, Korean, and Haitian Creole at Welcome new vendors.

Report Fraud

New Yorkers aware of sales tax evasion or fraud can anonymously report it online or by phone at 518-457-0578. The Tax Department promptly reviews each complaint and takes corrective action when appropriate.