COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Tax records revealed Wednesday that South Carolina Republican gubernatorial nominee Nikki Haley repeatedly paid fines for not paying her income taxes on time.
Haley, a fiscal conservative and tea party favorite, cites her experience as an accountant on the campaign trail. But she and her husband have filed their taxes late since at least 2004, according to records released by her campaign.
In 2004, the couple received state and federal refunds, but since then the state legislator and her husband have been fined nearly $4,500 on late federal taxes owed. Their tax returns for 2005 and 2006 were each filed more than 14 months late.
Haley's spokesman Rob Godfrey says the Haleys filed extensions when necessary and have paid what was required.
The Haleys jointly made $65,700 in 2004, the year she first won her state House seat. They reported $196,300 last year, much of which came from her assistant executive director position at a hospital.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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