Danbury Businessman Sentenced Following Tax Invasion: Feds

DANBURY, CT — A Danbury resident was sentenced Tuesday to seven months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for tax evasion.

Bill G. Makros, 58, of Danbury, pleaded guilty to tax evasion in July.

Makros owned and operated Budget Tree and Stump Removal Service, LLC. From 2016 through 2020, Makros’ business gross receipts totaled $1,426,915, but he concealed his income by receiving customer payments in the form of checks made payable to “cash” or to him personally, and by depositing the checks into bank accounts other than his business bank account. At times, he also cashed check payments and did not deposit the cash into any business or personal accounts. For the 2016 through 2020 tax years, Makros failed to file his federal individual tax returns, and failed to pay taxes totaling $140,694, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut said in a news release.

The court ordered Makros to pay $137,672 in restitution to the IRS.

In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Makros applied for pandemic relief loans and, as part of that process, submitted IRS Schedule C forms for his business that purported to be part of his tax returns for 2019 and 2020, even though he had not filed tax returns with the IRS for those years, prosecutors said. The loans were subsequently forgiven.

Makros, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on Jan. 7, 2025.