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Tax plea for ‘Girls Gone Wild’ founder

September 23, 2009

Finally! The end to our tackiest national tax nightmare is near.

"Girls Gone Wild" founder Joe Francis apparently has reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors so we should be hearing much less about his tax troubles.

According to published reports, Francis will plead guilty this afternoon in a California court to filing false tax returns (and one count of bribing Nevada jailers for food; really), receive credit for time (301 days) already served in connection with the tax charges and pay $250,000 in restitution.

Any outstanding tax liabilities allegedly owed by Francis or his companies from 2002 to 2008 will be handled in civil or administrative courts. The IRS contends he improperly claimed deductions of more than $20 million over the years.

Too bad the plea agreement didn't also call for an end to his disgusting TV ads.

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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.)

Comments
  • caleb i.

    Why do people avoid paying taxes? Don’t they know that it is the fundamental treasure that the government uses to give people the service they deserve? Not paying taxes will bring you much more cost than paying it if you have been caught not paying and proclaiming false taxes returns… now if you want to repair your credit avoid having balances and avail those short-term loans. You apply for personal loans similar to other loans, and many lenders don’t require a credit check and have direct deposit capabilities. If you want to repay your low rate personal loans quickly, many offer short-term loans to that end.

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