The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance today announced felony charges against Virginia Reed, owner of PC Innovations, Inc. She’s accused of failing to pay more than $96,000 in sales tax collected from her customers and falsifying business records.

“Businesses that disregard their tax obligations deprive the communities where they operate of revenue for vital services and put similar businesses at a competitive disadvantage,” said New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Michael Schmidt. “Profiting at the expense of your community isn’t just unfair, it’s criminal, and those responsible must be held accountable.”

Tax Department investigators allege Reed, 61, failed to pay to the state at least $96,311 in sales tax collected from customers between February 2013 and September 2016. She’s also accused of filing multiple sales tax returns during the same period that significantly understated the amount of sales tax collected from customers.

Investigators uncovered many invoices that were allegedly altered to hide the true amount of sales tax collected. Reed is charged with multiple felonies, including criminal tax fraud, grand larceny, and offering a false instrument for filing.
Reed was arraigned in Town of Henrietta Court on Wednesday, July 31, and is scheduled to reappear on August 26.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation; the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Report fraud

You can report tax evasion and fraud online at the Tax Department's website or by phone at 518-457-0578. The information is kept confidential. The Tax Department promptly reviews each complaint and takes corrective action when appropriate.