COLUMBIA, S.C. - The Catawba Indian Nation has agreed to pay $9,345 the Revenue Department says the tribe owes in unpaid taxes and fines to settle its audit dispute with the state.

In the settlement reached Wednesday, the Catawbas agree to pay $6,345 that an agency audit this year found is owed in taxes, penalty and interest for 2000 and 2001. The tribe also agreed to pay $3,000 in fines for bookkeeping violations.

The tribe does not believe it underpaid taxes but agreed to settle the dispute to avoid further legal action, the agreement states.

The Revenue Department had no comment on the agreement. Attorneys for the Catawbas could not be reached for comment.

The tribe and state agency resolved "not to disparage one another, or to make any public comment with respect to the underlying audit," according to the agreement.

The Catawbas had appealed the agency audit to state Administrative Law Judge Dukes Scott, who signed off on the agreement. Scott was to hear the case next week.