GWINNETT COUNTY: Residents offer aid to shoeshine man

Things didn’t turn out so swell for Lawrence Hardnett the last time someone dropped by his shoeshine stand to talk about his taxes.

That was back in 2006, when the Internal Revenue Service audited his business. Based on income estimates Hardnett provided, the agency calculated the shoeshine man owed Uncle Sam almost $90,000 in back taxes, penalties and interest.

Hardnett knew he owed the government. After all, he’s been shining shoes for decades, starting at 12 years old in his home state of Ohio. He took it upon himself five years ago to start filing income tax returns after years of neglect.

In recent months, Hardnett has struggled to make monthly payments to the IRS as agreed upon. The economic drought has hurt his business, which he operates out of Bennie’s Shoes in Norcross. He fell behind on his mortgage, too. The IRS replaced a federal lien on the house in Lawrenceville he shares with his wife, Laura.

Last week, I wrote about Hardnett’s situation in this space. Some readers chided Hardnett for what they called his lack of personality responsibility. He should have been paying all along, they wrote. Most people, though, were outraged that the screws were being applied to a shoeshine man.

Hardnett never wanted a bailout a la Wall Street. He just wanted a little understanding, some help in dealing with the IRS. It appears he might get it.

Thursday, yet another person stopped by Hardnett’s stand to talk about his finances. Only it wasn’t an IRS tax man. It was a certified public accountant with good news.

“He said there is something that can be worked out about this,” said Hardnett, 58, who provided the accountant with paperwork related to the lien and his $175-a-month payment plan. “He said there may be hope for my situation.”

I contacted the accountant, who had offered his help at no charge. He declined to be identified for this column, but says he is a former IRS employee with 30 years of experience. He and two colleagues plan to help Hardnett file an appeal. If nothing else, the hope is to get the monthly payments reduced to a more palatable amount.

If their efforts fail, Hardnett said he’d press on, pay what he can when he had it.

“I have to accept this and deal with it,” he said.

In addition to the offer of free representation, Hardnett has received phone calls and letters from people across metro Atlanta. Many have sent money —- $15 and $20, the occasional $100 check.

One woman dropped by his stand and pressed a check in his hand. He asked her what could he do in return. She said she might need him to run a few errands some day or pick up some groceries for her on his way home.

“Of course I will,” he said. “The American people have come to my rescue.”

Rick Badie updates his Gwinnett blog Monday through Friday. His column appears on Saturdays in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Readers may post comments online (www.ajc.com/gwinnett). He may be reached at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.