QUINCY — The United States Attorney General has filed a civil suit against Quincy’s attorney, Don Schuering, seeking $961,000 in unpaid taxes from 2009 through 2018.

The complaint also asks that federal tax liens be enforced against property — a residence and an office — owned by Schuering. Schuering would be required to file tax returns for 2019 and 2020, during which he earned “substantial” income without making estimated tax prepayments.

The law firm Goehl, Schuering and Cassens LLP would also be required to withhold 35% of current withholding taxes from future distributions or other payments to Schuering and pay the IRS. The balance of future payments would be paid to the court registry, with an appropriate percentage to be paid to Schuering, with the remainder to be paid to the Department of Justice to apply to outstanding tax debts.

The filing was made Nov. 11 in Springfield in the Central District of the U.S. District Court.

Also named as defendants in the lawsuit were:

• Maureen Schuering, wife of Don Schuering;
• Teresa Spencer, co-executor of Russell Goehl, a lawyer and Schuering partner who died in 2017;
• Annette J. Goehl, to whom the interest of the estate of Russell Goehl has passed;
• Adams County;
• The Illinois Department of Revenue; and
• Goehl, Schuering and Cassens, LLP.

The tax liens would be applied to Schuering’s home at 2011 Prairie Avenue and the law offices at 506 Vermont. The office would then be sold by judicial sale.

A May 2 letter from Schuering to the Adams County Bar Association noted the dissolution of Goehl, Schuering, and Cassens. The firm’s lawyers – Schuering, Mark Cassens and Chris Schuering – opened solo practices.

A delegate from the Treasury Secretary’s office said Schuering owed $1,105,530 in federal income tax, a figure that also adds penalties for late filing and late payment. He owes the following amounts for the following years:

• 2009: $109,643.26
• 2010: $103,305.64
• 2011: $110,274.44
• 2012: $23,250.78
• 2013: $115,602.35
• 2014: $124,350.07
• 2015: $154,350.96
• 2016: $119,808.90
• 2017: $103,117.19
• 2018: $141,826.73

The filing also reports that Schuering failed to pay self-declared “substantial” debts for the 2000 through 2008 tax years. However, the 10-year limitation period on the collection has expired. If Schuering files for bankruptcy, the fundraising expiration date would be suspended. Schuering would be responsible for unpaid taxes for 2000-08.

Schuering denied the allegations against him in a response filed March 24.

Eric Ashby and Jeffrey Nunez of the Tax Division of the United States Department of Justice represent the United States Attorney General. Daniel Fultz of Brown, Hay and Stephens in Springfield represents Schuering.