Woman failed to pay taxes for 4 years, must pay $115,000 restitution bill

A Beech Creek woman will be paying the state thousands of dollars in back taxes.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue, Donna Bittner was ordered to pay nearly $115,000 for failing to pay sales and state income tax on a former restaurant.

Bittner ran the Beech Creek Furst Corner Store. She was charged with 78 counts of theft by failure to make required disposition of funds, 12 counts of failure to file sales tax returns and four counts of failure to file employer withholding tax returns, all misdemeanors. She was charged in July and free on $2,500 unsecured bail. Jury selection in her trial was set for Friday in Clinton County.

But the state announced Thursday that a plea agreement had been reached. Clinton County Judge Michael Salisbury accepted the agreement.

Bittner pleaded guilty to all charges. The payment order covers $106,565 in back sales tax and $7,891.61 in state income tax. In addition to the restitution, she was sentenced to 28 years probation. She also has to file four years of missing tax returns.

If full restitution is made, Bittner’s probation can end after seven years.

“Failing to remit taxes is a crime that unfairly increases the tax burden on honest, law-abiding Pennsylvanians,” Revenue Secretary Dan Hassell said. “The Department of Revenue works hard to ensure that the commonwealth’s tax laws are being enforced fairly so that all business owners are operating on a level playing field.”

This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 6:18 PM with the headline "Woman failed to pay taxes for 4 years, must pay $115,000 restitution bill."