The Crystal reopened yesterday after late-filed tax returns showed the state owed the bar more than $14,000 — after only last week it was shut down because the state said it owed more than $19,000.
The Ohio Liquor Control Commission suspended The Crystal’s liquor license indefinitely Sept. 22, 2008 because it owed $38,534.71 in corporate franchise taxes — but it didn’t stop them from selling alcohol in the time since.
As of April 12, the bar, 34 N. Court St., the state said the bar owed $19,516.89 based on interest and fees yet collected, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s office.
It was shut down April 8 after liquor enforcement agents received a complaint that the bar was operating without paying off its debt.
But recently processed tax returns filed from the years in question showed that the bar would receive a credit of $14,672.67 from the state, said Dan Tierney, spokesman for the Ohio Attorney General's Office.
After the numbers were processed yesterday, the commission issued a nunc pro tunc order to the bar, said Julie Hinds, spokeswoman for the Ohio Investigative Unit.
A nunc pro tunc order, meaning “now for then,” is an action by a trial court correcting a clerical error in a prior judgment.
"The (more than) $19,000 owed by Crystal was based on estimates because they had not yet filed tax returns," Tierney said.
The Crystal employees confirmed that the bar was open yesterday, but the owner of the bar was not available to comment.
Although The Crystal has tax credit with the state, they will have to apply for the refund, Tierney said.
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