Treasury Secretary designate Timothy Geithner, under prodding from the Senate Finance Committee, said that he misfiled his taxes between 2001 and 2003—resulting in unpaid taxes discovered only during his vetting last fall—while using Turbo Tax. Geithner was quick to say, "I want to say I take full responsibility" in taking the fault (and not blame the computer software), and the Washington Post was amused, "The man charged with leading this nation out of recession -- an architect of the $700 billion financial rescue package -- hunched over a computer, surrounded by stacks of paper, trying to figure out his taxes, just like the 18 million other working stiffs who bought TurboTax last year." Geithner's snafu stems from freelance work at the IMF—he thought he was an employee while the IMF just considered him a contractor and did not take out his taxes. At any rate, he's expected to be confirmed next week.
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2025. Donate today