About 60 employees at a Boston-area bakery and restaurant chain have quit after receiving a warning from the IRS about possible fraud on their tax returns.
Tatte Chain said the employees quit after being contacted by the Internal Revenue Service about “discrepancies” in the employees' documents where their names, social security numbers and home addresses did not match the agency's records. This contradiction is often seen when immigrants use fake Social Security numbers or steal American identities to get jobs in the United States.
of boston globe Subsequently interview It turns out that many of those who left the restaurant chain were illegal immigrants.
Mr. Tatte gave employees who receive reports from the IRS several days to provide proper identification and tax information, and failure to do so would be considered “a voluntary resignation from employment.” I will consider it.''
Company spokeswoman Diana Pisciotta said Tatte “cares deeply about its team members and has provided multiple opportunities for them to correct data that the government has notified them is inaccurate.” ” he said.
“It is especially disappointing to tell a valued, hard-working member of our team that, by law, he cannot remain with Tatte if we cannot resolve the issue,” Pisciotta added. “Supporting our employees is our top priority, but the law must be followed.”
To avoid accusations of “racism,” Mr. Tatte offered to pay immigration attorney fees for employees who left the company over IRS fraud citations and offered to pay $4,000 to help pay expenses. He even provided funds.
Still, Mr. Tatte's move to fire employees who received IRS “Notices of Social Security Nonconformity” is unusual. This is because, in the past, most employers have simply ignored notices of non-compliance and continued to employ problematic employees. Tatte's decision to honor the letter and fire the employee could be a sign that companies are starting to take IRS notices more seriously as Donald Trump prepares to take office in Washington. be.
Tatte is not the first company to fire employees because of an IRS notice. According to gothamistAbout 100 employees at a Jean-Georges-designed New York City tin building have lost their jobs due to false IRS filings.
The company used employees' legal employment status as a basis for layoffs and fired employees whose information could not be verified. Like Mr. Tatte, Tin Building officials gave employees a period of time to prove their names, Social Security numbers, addresses and work permits before being fired.
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