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Orbitz, Expedia, and Others Headed to Trial In Massive Tax Evasion Case

Orbitz, Expedia, and Others Headed to Trial In Massive Tax Evasion Case

Orbitz, Expedia, and more high-profile online travel companies are on the path to trial in a massive tax evasion case.

The lawsuit was filed in 20202 by Las Vegas communications consultants Sig Rogich and Mark Fierro. The duo are seeking damages on behalf of the state of Nevada against major online travel sites, including aforementioned giants Orbitz and Expedia.

Travelocity, Priceline, and Hotels.com are also included in the suit.

At the time of the filing, news station WPXI reported on comments made by both Rogich and Fierro. Fierro said the allegedly unpaid taxes “should have been going to Nevada’s schools, law enforcement organizations, infrastructure and a broad array of other needs of Nevada citizens.”

Meanwhile, Rogich issued a statement that said, in part, “There’s no way the online travel companies did this mistakenly."

The Las Vegas Journal Review reported:

Clark County District Judge Mark Denton issued an order July 13 refusing to reconsider a decision denying a motion filed by the travel companies to dismiss the case. Denton stayed the order for 21 days to allow the companies to decide whether to ask the Nevada Supreme Court to intervene in the matter.

If the plaintiffs prevail, the news outlet noted, nearly $1 billion in lost revenues and damages could be ordered to be paid. 

“We [the plaintiffs] feel we are correct and we will win the lawsuit,” lead lawyer Dominic Gentile expressed. 

Although no trial date has been set at this time, Judge Denton’s decision that the case can proceed opens the door for attorneys to begin collecting evidence that will ultimately determine the amount of the tax dollars the travel companies allegedly illegally withheld in Nevada.

Earlier in 2022, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford threw the weight of his office behind the lawsuit against the online travel booking firms. 

What do you think? Did these online travel agencies evade taxes in Nevada?

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Rebekah Barton

Rebekah Barton

Rebekah's search engine optimization career began completely by accident as a college student. Over the course of her career so far, she has "grown up" with the SEO industry, from writing content while juggling classes to managing her own teams of writers and overseeing SEO strategy in subsequent roles. She is excited to bring her passion for high-quality content to CountingWorks, Inc.

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