Food News

The owner of The Harp, MJ O’Connor’s, and other Greater Boston restaurants says the IRS filing stems from a 2022 paperwork mistake involving vendor tax forms.

Boston-based restaurant group The Briar Group received a federal tax lien notice from the Internal Revenue Services for nearly $400,000 in unpaid taxes, documents show.

The notice, filed April 22 in the Suffolk County Registry of Deeds, states that the Briar Group owes the IRS $393,146.49 total in taxes, including interest and penalties. 

“We have made a demand for payment of this liability, but it remains unpaid,” the lien notice states.

The Briar Group owns 10 restaurants and bars in Greater Boston, including Broken Records Beer Hall in Brighton, The Beth Kitchen and Bar in Hingham, Glass House in Kendall Square, Hurricane’s at TD Garden, MJ O’Connor’s in the Back Bay and the Seaport, Ned Devine’s in Faneuil Hall, Six String in Foxborough, and The Harp in the West End and Foxborough.

The notice identifies two unpaid tax categories, both tied to the tax period ending on Dec. 31, 2022. According to the filing, the group owes $20,880 under tax code 6721, which relates to the failures to file correct returns, and $372,266.49 for tax code 945, which covers withheld federal income tax from nonpayroll payments.

In a statement to Boston.com, the Briar Group framed the tax issues as “a mistake.”

“In 2023, we made a mistake in a filing with the IRS for 2022 payments to vendors involving 1099 forms,” a Briar Group spokesperson said. “This was an oversight; we will be updating the filing. All taxes were paid to the IRS, the state, and the city.”

Under IRS rules, federal tax liens generally remain in effect for 10 years, and the agency typically has 10 years from the date assessment to collect the debt. In this case, the notice indicates the IRS assessed the taxes in 2025.