State DFA closes Old Country Store

The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration closed the Old Country Store last month for unpaid sales and use and wage withholding taxes, according to notices posted to the entrance of the health food and wellness store at 455 Broadway St.

Jake Bleed, DFA spokesman, said the state closed the store May 30. Liens were filed against it in January for unpaid sales and use taxes. A Jan. 12 lien was filed for $3,550 in unpaid sales taxes for July 2016. A subsequent lien filed Jan. 25 was for $2,759 in unpaid sales

taxes for June 2016.

The later lien was resolved in April. The business has no liens filed against it in Garland County for unpaid wage withholdings of state income tax.

The business is incorporated as The Original Seed LLC. George R. Moore Jr. and Brandy Moore are listed as the owners. Property records show they purchased the 14,000-squarefoot location at the intersection of Broadway Street and Grand Avenue in 2013 from Health & Life Inc.

Amos C. Trubey and his wife, Ardith, started the business in the early 1980s.

The Arkansas Tax Procedure Act prevents DFA from providing information on specific tax liens, but Bleed said businesses failing to remit three months worth of collections during a two-year span run the risk of being closed down.

He said past tax payments determine how much sales tax businesses should be remitting. Businesses are informed of their obligation through assessments. The obligation stipulated in the assessment can be challenged, Bleed said.

“If you miss a month, you will get a notice saying you missed a month and here’s what we think the assessment might be,” he said. “Sometimes people forget or don’t let us know that they’ve closed their business and are no longer able to make a filing.”