Lawyer targeted as tax deadbeat fires back at Nutter

    A Philadelphia lawyer made a payment to the city for his back taxes as the sheriff’s deputies were preparing to sell his office equipment.

    A Philadelphia lawyer made a payment to the city for his back taxes as the sheriff’s deputies were preparing to sell his office equipment.

    Listen:
    [audio: reports20090402lawyer.mp3]

    Attorney Joe Santaguida says he only owed interest and penalty on his back business taxes and can’t understand why Mayor Nutter made him an example as a tax deadbeat.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    Santaguida: First of all I’d like to know, I don’t want to get involved about why he’s picking on me and there’s a lot of people on the list who haven’t paid their taxes that maybe are friendly with him let’s just say we’re just going to settle it.

    Santaguida owed almost $131,000 in back taxes. A spokeswoman for the mayor’s office says the city is after everyone to pay their taxes no matter who they are. The city is attempting collect every possible dollar in order to bridge the budget gap.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal