Sushiko Nearing Tax Resolution, Could Re-Open Soon

Sushiko, 2309 Wisconsin Ave., is in talks with DC Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) and could be close to an agreement that would allow the popular Glover Park sushi restaurant to re-open. 

Sushiko was closed in June over a tax compliance issue with OTR. The grand total owed is $744,103.62 in withholdings, sales and use taxes from a period between December 2008 and November 2011, according to a June 11 OTR lien document provided to Patch. 

Until the taxes are paid or a payment plan is established, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) withdrew the Glover Park restaurant's permission to operate.

"We have reached out to the taxpayer's representative to resolve the issues. However, as of this date, taxpayer is still not tax compliant," OTR's Natalie Wilson told Patch in an email. 

But DCRA Spokesman Helder Gil told Patch said he believes Sushiko is in the "final stages" of reaching a resolution with OTR. 
 
"Once they finalize things with OTR and they can get a clean hands certificate from OTR, then we are good to issue them a new business license and they can start operations," explained Gil.

Sushiko's Glover Park location opened in 1976 as D.C.'s first sushi restaurant, according to The Post. A Chevy Chase location opened in 2008.

This is not Sushiko's first tax issue in DC or Maryland for that matter. In 2012, Sushiko was hit with a lien from the IRS, to which the restaurant owed more than $840,000 in back taxes, according to The Washington Post. The state of Maryland filed a lien against the Chevy Chase location in 2010 for $19,568 again in 2011 for $29,836 in back taxes. The Maryland incidents were later resolved. The status of the IRS lien was not immediately clear.

Patch's request for comment from Sushiko was not returned prior to publication, but I will provide an update should new information become available.