# Survivor's Richard Hatch charge with tax evasion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 18, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399 "2005-01-18T18:27:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/1 "2005-01-18T18:27:12Z")
[Story here](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=529&ncid=529&e=3&u=/ap/20050118/ap_en_tv/survivor_charged). Hatch didn’t report any of his $1m winnings, any payments for TV or radio appearances over several years. Did he really think nobody would notice? What a maroon! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/2 "2005-01-18T18:48:01Z")
Wow. What the _hell_ was he thinking? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/3 "2005-01-18T19:05:25Z")
Cool. Karma. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/4 "2005-01-18T19:15:18Z")
I always got the impression that Richard thought he was smarter than everybody else in the world. Apparently, the Feds are even smarter. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/5 "2005-01-18T20:50:46Z")
Let’s see him survive this. You really have to be world class clueless or possessed of world-class hubris to not report income you earned on national TV. Although I would have guessed that income tax would automatically be deducted from prize winnings. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2005, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/6 "2005-01-18T21:18:58Z")
I know when I was on Jeopardy!, they took out Federal withholding, and I had to file for both California and Illinois state income tax. Even if Survivor doesn’t take out the taxes, not reporting it is just asinine. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/7 "2005-01-19T00:20:25Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > Cool. Karma. My thoughts exactly. Payback’s a bitch. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/8 "2005-01-19T00:29:31Z")
Maybe Richard is a sovereign citizen tax protestor who thinks the tax laws don’t apply to him because he doesn’t spell his name in all caps or something. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/9 "2005-01-19T05:37:27Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Let’s see him survive this. > > You really have to be world class clueless or possessed of world-class hubris to not report income you earned on national TV. Although I would have guessed that income tax would automatically be deducted from prize winnings. So, it seems likely that he _already payed the tax_ (or an estimate thereof) and just didn’t file?!? And now he’s liable for 5 years in prison + $500k fines! Jeez, what a rube. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/10 "2005-01-19T06:02:26Z")
Replying to myself: Apparently he did file, but didn’t include his winnings or other non-work income for a couple of years. Big no-no. I also see that there’s a Pit thread on the same topic [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=297640) , but this thread has provenence by 6 hours. Nyeh. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/11 "2005-01-19T06:15:39Z")
Two words. [The Simsons bully voice] ha haaa! [/TSBV] ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/12 "2005-01-19T07:12:28Z")
Seems odd that he wouldn’t have hired an accountant unless he planned all along to file incorrectly. Or he’s an idiot three ways from Sunday. If Hatch DID hire an accountant then that dude(tte) has got some explaining to do too. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/13 "2005-01-19T12:54:24Z")
Nah, “the accountant effed up” won’t fly as an explanation – Herr Hatch had to sign the return, he should have glanced over it. “Er… you’re a million short on income in line 33…” As **h.sapiens** says, when I was on _Jeopardy_, California took its cut before I got my hands on it. Pennsylvania couldn’t double-tax it, but Philadelphia wanted a share as well. The first thing I did was hire a tax guy – the only time I’ve had someone else do my taxes – and I made estimated payments for the rest of that year. (The show was aired in January, I got the check in March.) The first thing the accountant and I did was sit down and figure out what we could charge out as expenses – travel, books for studying, hotel and meals while I was in California, etc. Nah, this has to be arrogance, there’s no possible “geez, I didn’t know” excuse. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/14 "2005-01-19T14:53:12Z")
According to [The Smoking Gun](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0118051hatch1.html), the checks from Survivor were in the amounts of $1,000,000 (for winning) and $10,000 (for appearing in the wrap-up show). So, no taxes were taken out. The charges don’t mention the Pontiac Aztec he won in one of the challenges, either. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/15 "2005-01-19T15:08:30Z")
I think he has a defense. He was the first person to walk away with nothing on _Who Wants To Be A Millionaire_ in Australia. On a celebrity show he insisted that 12x11 was 123. Obviously he is not very bright. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/16 "2005-01-19T17:17:37Z")
> [@](#): > > _twickster said:_ > Nah, “the accountant effed up” won’t fly as an explanation – Herr Hatch had to sign the return, he should have glanced over it. “Er… you’re a million short on income in line 33…” I said an accountant would have some explaining to do TOO, and he would. An accountant is legally responsible for returns he files. I would think that accountant malpractice could also be used as mitigating circumstances with regards to legal penalties. I also said it’s odd no accountant was mentioned. Like yourself, it’s the first thing I would think to do. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/17 "2005-01-19T17:23:04Z")
Sorry **CarnalK** – I should have read your post more carefully. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/18 "2005-01-19T17:36:13Z")
No offense taken. I usually like to apply the “stupidity before malice” standard but this is a wierd one. I’m not really going to follow the story but I am curious a) what he’s actually done with the money ie can he afford the fines&back taxes and b) if any pro accountants were involved. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/19 "2005-01-19T17:51:54Z")
Last year I forgot- simply forgot- to include $100 I won in a bar trivia contest during the year and the IRS caught it. (The bar filed taxes.) It cost me about $35 for fines and late fees. I’m wondering how in the hell he went this long (it’s been what- four years?) without it catching up with him. Something’s not right. Plus, the $1 million has been collecting interest all this time (and with interest rates from the past three years and compounding and all, that’s at least another $600 right there). He’s majorly screwed. I wonder if he included his book deal or his “consulting” and personal appearance fees. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399/20 "2005-01-19T18:07:49Z")
Well, at least the food in jail will be better than he had on Pulau Tiga. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/survivors-richard-hatch-charge-with-tax-evasion/285399.md?page=2)