The Most Outrageous Excuses for Not Filing Taxes
So many people feel that they have a good excuse for not filing their taxes. However, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) doesn’t feel the same way and considers it to be tax fraud. In fact, they prosecute up to 75% of all their tax fraud cases annually. So here are some excuses that you may feel are legitimate, but are really outrageous excuses to the IRS for not filing your taxes.
- You Think It’s Voluntary
Taxes are not voluntary. Many people believe that because the Form 1040 return states that the tax system is voluntary, it means they don’t have to file for federal taxes. The IRS says the voluntary status of it is from allowing taxpayers to determine and file their own taxes according to the forms without the IRS doing it manually. However, filing the actual forms is not voluntary.
- You Don’t Owe if You Don’t File
Just because you refuse to file, doesn’t mean you don’t owe the IRS. If you decide not to file, you could pay more in restitution fees and you’ll have a Tax Fraud on your permanent record.
- You Didn’t Receive a W2 Form
Some people don’t file because they can’t contact of their employer to send their W2. The IRS has procedures for people who can’t get a physical copy of their W2, so it’s no excuse to not file.
- You Believe the IRS Will File the Return
There’s a tax code that says the IRS is required to file returns for taxpayers who haven’t filed by a certain date. The IRS says it’s a flawed perception of the code that leaves people facing criminal and civil charges.
Don’t let yourself fall into believing any of these excuses. Failure to file your taxes, especially if you owe money, can lead to both civil and criminal penalties.
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