A Los Angeles tattoo artist with some famous clients is expected to be sentenced Monday for filing false returns through which he evaded the payment of more than $641,000 in federal income tax.
Daniel Winter, 43, known in tattoo circles as “Winter Stone,” pleaded guilty in March in downtown Los Angeles to one count of subscription to a false tax return, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Winter operated his tattoo business in the Los Angeles area, New York and Vancouver, Canada, specializing in single-needle fine-line tattoos and catering to high-end clients, court papers show.
Prosecutors said he accepted payment for his tattoo services almost exclusively in cash, making it harder for the IRS to determine his true income.
His work was expensive. According to his plea agreement, Winter earned at least $1.7 million from his tattoo business from 2021 to 2023. But he declared no wages, salaries or tip income on the tax returns he signed and filed with the IRS, federal prosecutors said.
For 2021, he reported taxable income of negative $3,442 instead of his actual taxable income of $501,710. For 2022, he reported taxable income of $1,105 instead of his actual taxable income of $347,159. For 2023, he reported income of $14,852, instead of his actual taxable income of $850,447, according to papers filed in LA federal court.
By underreporting his actual income, Winter reduced the taxes he appeared to owe by more than $641,000. When he pleaded guilty, Winter presented a cashier’s check in the amount of $641,959 to the court to pay the taxes he owed due to the underreporting of his income for 2021 through 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.
Winter, whose clients have included Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Sophie Turner and Mandy Moore, admitted that he knew he was required to report all his income but lied about it on his tax returns.