PROVIDENCE, RI — A Bristol woman who worked as the bookkeeper and administrator for a family-owned landscaping business was charged with failing to truthfully account for and pay over payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Nikola Francis, 29, was "responsible for managing the finances of ELJ Inc., a Rhode Island family-owned business in Bristol," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a media release.
"Court documents allege that Francis approved payments, paid bills, maintained accounting ledgers, accessed corporate bank accounts, managed payroll, and was responsible for accounting for and paying taxes withheld from employee paychecks," the release said.
From 2020 through 2025, "ELJ Inc. withheld federal income taxes, Medicare taxes, and Social Security taxes from employee paychecks but failed to pay those taxes over to the IRS," the release said.
"The business failed to file Employer’s Quarterly Federal Income Tax Return, or Form 941," according to the release. "The tax loss is approximately $787, 941."
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