Deukmejians File U.S., State Tax Returns, Report $59,228 in Income

Gov. George Deukmejian and his wife Gloria, sending in their tax returns for 1986 more than three months late, reported Friday that they paid a total of $13,146 in taxes on $59,228 in income.

The Deukmejians were eligible for a total refund of $1,346 on their state and federal taxes but chose instead to apply the money to their tax payments for 1987, according to copies of their tax returns released by the governor’s office.

In April, the governor and his wife requested an extension of the deadline for filing their returns and were automatically granted one until Aug. 15. The governor said he was unable to complete his tax returns because he was in Europe on a trade tour on April 15.

The governor reported earning $49,525, including $776 he received for a walk-on appearance in the television series, “Hotel.” The scene ended up on the cutting room floor.

Speech Payment

Deukmejian also reported receiving $5,000 for making a speech to the Chinese American Economic and Technology Development Assn. The couple reported receiving $3,751 in stock dividends, $739 in interest and $213 in oil royalties from property they own in Long Beach.

The Deukmejians’ dividends included $57 from their investment in the Long Beach Grand Prix Assn., which stages an annual auto race in their hometown.

The Deukmejians reported a loss of $2,000 in selling $27,156 worth of Texaco and Unocal stock. A spokesman for the governor said the Deukmejians sold the stock to finance the wedding of their oldest daughter, Leslie, and to make improvements to their Long Beach home. The Deukmejians spent more than $10,000 on the wedding, the tax returns indicate.

While the Republican governor received $12.3 million in campaign contributions last year, the Deukmejians reported making only $24 in political contributions themselves. Patrick Formby, the Deukmejians’ accountant, said the couple made their donation to the state Republican Party.

Campaign Fund

Although Deukmejian opposes public financing of candidates in state elections, both the governor and his wife earmarked $1 each in federal taxes for the presidential election campaign fund.

The Deukmejians reported making $1,135 in unspecified charitable contributions. However, they did not check any of the boxes on their state tax form designating contributions to a political party, senior citizens, endangered species, the U.S. Olympic Committee or the prevention of child abuse.

The Deukmejians, who own a home in Long Beach and live in a Sacramento house paid for by the governor’s political supporters, deducted a total of $554 in mortgage interest payments.

The couple’s primary tax deduction on their federal tax return was $8,099 in state, property and sales taxes they paid in 1986.

As a result, the Deukmejians’ taxable income on their federal return was $45,011. Their taxable income on their state return was $56,905.

They paid $9,774 in federal taxes, $3,372 in state taxes, $1,783 in sales taxes, $877 in real estate taxes and $23 in unsecured property taxes, the returns show.

Last year, the Deukmejians paid $229 in penalties for failing to withhold enough taxes in 1985 to cover their tax bill. This year, however, even though they filed their tax returns late, they owed no penalty because they had withheld more than enough to cover their tax payments.