Pandemic good Samaritan faces $16,000 tax bill for his efforts
COVID: Global death toll tops 3M, surge concerns By Associated Press | April 18, 2021 at 3:20 AM EDT - Updated April 18 at 3:20 AM
MANSFIELD, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut middle school teacher who raised $41,000 to help hundreds of his struggling neighbors during the COVID-19 pandemic got an unwelcome surprise for his charitable efforts: a form stating he could owe $16,031 in income taxes.
Louis Goffinet, 27, of Mansfield, began picking up groceries for elderly neighbors afraid to go to the store during the early days of the pandemic, often spending his own money. Given the great need, he later organized two fundraisers on Facebook over a year and helped hundreds of families with groceries, rent money and holiday gifts, the Hartford Courant reported, setting a $200 limit.
“I set out to buy groceries for local families who were impacted by COVID. I had the original goal of just raising a couple hundred dollars and that quickly snowballed,” said Goffinet.
By the end of the campaign, Goffinet raised more than $40,000 online. He said he used the money to fund 140 family grocery trips, 125 family dinners, 80 Thanksgiving pies, 31 Thanksgiving dinners, rental assistance for five families, and to help 20 people buy holiday gifts for their children.
“As soon as we got money we found people who needed it and ways that we could help,” said Goffinet.
Goffinet said his work felt amazing, but now, one year later, he is feeling the exact opposite.
A Connecticut teacher raised $41,000 to help neighbors during the pandemic. He's now asking for help to settle a $16,000 tax bill as a result. yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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A 27-year-old teacher who helped his New England neighbors by going to the grocery store for them during the COVID-19 pandemic is now facing a hefty tax bill.
But when Louis Goffinet, who teaches at a middle school in Mansfield, Connecticut, raised over $40,000 on Facebook, he got slapped with a $16,000 tax bill, according to a report in the Hartford Courant.
After Goffinet started to seek funds, he wound up spending his own money because some people needed financial help, the report said.
After raising $41,000 through two Facebook fundraisers, he received a 1099 form from Facebook saying he owed $16,031 in income tax, according to the report.
Pandemic good Samaritan faces $16,000 tax bill for his efforts wbrc.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wbrc.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.