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Chrysler exec owes $1M+ in taxes, loans

September 19, 2009

While Chrysler was in bailout talks with Uncle Sam, one of its top executives was dealing with his own financial problems.

Jim Press, deputy chief executive of Chrysler Group LLC, owes $947,410 in back federal taxes and has defaulted
on $609,286 he owes Western Federal Credit Union, according to the
documents filed in Oakland County.

The Wall Street Journal (via initial reports from the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News) says IRS has filed a lien against Press' Birmingham, Mich., home. Another was placed on a townhouse he has n Manhattan's exclusive Lenox Hill neighborhood.

Press and his wife allegedly failed to pay their 2007 income taxes.

Last November, according to reports, Press sent a letter to the credit union, assuring it that "You don't have to worry about my ability to pay, it's just a cash flow
issue at this time. My employment is not in jeopardy, and I still have
monthly income to service the note."

The letter, notes the WSJ, was sent two weeks before the chief executives of the
three major U.S. car makers went to Capitol Hill seeking emergency funds. Since then, Chrysler filed for bankruptcy and
went through a federally orchestrated bailout. It now is under the control of Fiat SpA.

Press is the only top Chrysler executive kept on by Fiat after the bailout. He reportedly will leave his auto company job at the end of the year. I'm sure Press and the IRS are hoping he gets a nice exit package.

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The More Tax Posts tab at the top of this page will take you to, well, more tax posts. You also can search below for a tax topic. 

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TAX-SAVVY WAYS 
TO WRAP UP 2026

It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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