LOS ANGELES — Daniel Joseph Winter, 43, a prominent tattoo artist who went by the moniker “Winterstone,” pleaded guilty on March 4 to filing false tax returns in an attempt to evade paying more than $641,000 in federal income taxes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California reported the case.
Winter, often referred to as “Hollywood’s Go-To Tattoo Artist,” admitted to one count of subscribing to a false tax return. His tattoo business operated in Los Angeles, New York, and Vancouver, Canada, where he earned substantial income from his tattooing services and related ventures.
According to his plea agreement, Winter earned at least $1.7 million from his tattoo business between 2021 and 2023. However, he failed to report any wages, salaries, or tips on the tax returns he submitted to the IRS.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed that Winter intentionally underreported his taxable income on his tax filings:
In 2021, he reported taxable income of negative $3,442 instead of $501,710.
In 2022, he reported taxable income of $1,105 instead of $347,159.
In 2023, he reported taxable income of $14,852 instead of $850,447.
By underreporting his earnings, Winter reduced his tax liability by more than $641,000.
Winter accepted almost all payments for his tattoo services in cash, a practice that made it more difficult for the IRS to accurately assess his true income.
In a step towards rectifying the situation, Winter presented a cashier’s check for $641,959 on Tuesday, covering the taxes owed for the underreported income from 2021 to 2023.
