Veterans of Madison County Club is closed while it tries to resolve an issue with its state taxes.
Member Jerry Massey said the club, 3607 E 10th St., hadn’t paid its state sales tax, resulting in its closure last week.
The state Department of Revenue cannot comment on any individual or business tax situation, said spokesman Bob Dittmer. He did say, though, that the state is usually willing to work with businesses who fail to pay, including setting up an alternative payment plan.
According to Massey, the club should be able to resolve the situation in the next few days. He said he expects it to reopen this week.
Veterans of Madison County Club operates a full bar, banquet room and outdoor mess hall for the county’s military veterans and their families. It also participates in veteran appreciation ceremonies, support groups and charities, including Adopt-a-Platoon and Millions of Wishes.
http://heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x1097433286/Veterans-of-Madison-County-Club-closed
A more detailed story was reported by WTHR:
Serious accusations are being made against a group that is supposed to help veterans and their families.
The door at the Anderson clubhouse of the Veterans of Madison County Club was locked with a warning not to reopen Wednesday. The warning sign was posted by the Indiana Department of Revenue.
There are reports the club did not pay its sales taxes on food and drinks they sold.
The tax issue is just one of the problems facing the not-for-profit veterans group, which is supported by its members from around the Anderson area.
Now, the Attorney General is filing suit on five of the group's officers.
"Basically, they committed financial malfeasance by using credit cards to buy things for personal use, rather than for corporate use," said Abby Kuzma with the Indiana Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division.
The state alleges since 2008, some officers have used the group's money to buy gasoline for personal use, pay food and cell phone bills, even bought personal workout DVDs.
"Deposits that didn't get where they were supposed to be going. So we don't have records. The records were inaccurate, we don't have a good accounting," said Kuzma.
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The group could reopen its clubhouse if it pays the unpaid taxes or begins a payment plan. The state can't say how far behind the group is in its tax payments.
