Prominent Los Angeles tattoo artist Daniel Joseph Winter, also known as Winter Stone, pleaded guilty to tax crimes on Tuesday, according to federal officials.
Winter, 43, admitted to one count of filing a false tax return, as confirmed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He operates his tattoo business across Los Angeles, New York, and Vancouver, Canada, and is well-known for his single-needle fine-line tattoos, which attract high-end clients. Winter has worked with several A-list actors, musicians, and other celebrities, earning him recognition as “Hollywood’s Go-To Tattoo Artist” by The Hollywood Reporter. With a social media following of over 606,000 on Instagram, his tattoos command high prices, contributing to his substantial income.
From 2021 to 2023, Winter earned at least $1.7 million from his tattoo business, but he failed to report wages, salaries, or tip income on his tax returns filed with the IRS. According to his plea agreement, Winter underreported his income significantly in each of those years:
In 2021, he reported a taxable income of negative $3,442, when his actual taxable income was $501,710.
In 2022, he reported just $1,105, far below his actual taxable income of $347,159.
In 2023, he reported only $14,852, instead of his actual income of $850,447.
By misreporting his income, Winter evaded over $641,000 in taxes, prosecutors said. During the court hearing on Tuesday, Winter presented a cashier’s check for $641,959 to pay the back taxes owed. He admitted to intentionally underreporting his income, despite being aware of his obligation to report it accurately.
Prosecutors revealed that Winter frequently accepted payment in cash for his tattoo services, making it more difficult for the IRS to track his actual earnings.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 11, where Winter could face up to three years in federal prison for the tax offenses.
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