Awards & Recognition
Each year, more than 100 million Americans file state and federal income tax returns. However, many other taxpayers fail to file returns, fail to pay their estimated tax liabilities, or both. Unless you obtained a filing extension, which grants six additional months to file federal taxes, you were likely required to file a return on or before April 15. However, even with a filing extension, estimated tax payments are still due by April 15 to avoid the accumulation of interest and up to a 25% penalty on the underpaid tax in the form of a late payment penalty. The failure to timely file or pay taxes can in addition to subjecting you to severe civil penalties, can often trigger a tax audit, or even cause you to come under criminal investigation for tax evasion especially where Spies Evasion factors are present. If you have failed to file or pay federal or California taxes for one or more years, it is urgent that you consult with a tax attorney-CPA to assess your options right away.
At the Tax Law Office of David W. Klasing, our San Bernardino tax attorneys possess more than 20 years of combined experience helping non-filers resolve difficult issues resulting from unpaid or unfiled back taxes. Our non-filer assistance lawyers can negotiate with the IRS, represent you in tax audits and appeals, prepare individual and business tax returns for previous years, and identify practical, cost-efficient strategies for paying off your tax debts and correcting past mistakes. If you need help filing back taxes in San Bernardino, the Tax Law Office of David W. Klasing is here to provide 24-hour support.
IRS Penalty for Failure to File or Pay Taxes
The IRS can impose large civil penalties for failing to file or pay taxes in a timely fashion. Civil penalties may even be imposed in a criminal tax case, compounding other fees and fines which have been ordered by the court.
Because the failure to pay or file taxes can result in civil and/or criminal penalties – penalties which, if the noncompliance persists, can grow larger with time – it is vital for tax non-filers to act as swiftly as possible. If you have unfiled tax returns or owe unpaid tax liabilities, it is in your best interests to consult with an experienced tax professional, like a San Bernardino back taxes lawyer from the Tax Law Office of David W. Klasing.
What Happens if You Don’t File Taxes on Time?
There is a civil penalty of up to 5% of the unpaid amount, applied toward each month (full or partial) the return remains unfiled. This penalty is capped at a maximum of 25%. Willful failure to file is a serious tax crime subject to jail time and additional fines, along with other criminal penalties.
What Happens if You Don’t Pay Taxes on Time?
The IRS may impose a penalty of up to 0.5% of the unpaid amount, to be applied per each month (full or partial) the tax debt remains unpaid. Willful failure to pay taxes is a crime, creating a risk of criminal fines, IRS restitution, and prison time.
What to Do if You Haven’t Filed Taxes
A number of problems can arise from failing to file or pay one’s taxes. To start, interest will begin to accrue on any outstanding tax debts, quickly increasing the total amount owed. Furthermore, the failure to pay or file taxes can trigger a California or IRS tax audit, which could be very dangerous for a taxpayer or their small business. If the auditor believes the failure to file or pay was intentional, he or she may refer the case to the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) for a deeper investigation. This could lead to criminal prosecution of the taxpayer. In addition, the IRS can impose civil penalties, including failure-to-file penalties and failure-to-pay penalties, as discussed in the previous section. For all of these reasons, it is critically important to consult an attorney-CPA right away if you have unfiled IRS or California tax returns. California also aggressively criminally prosecutes non-filers.
Get Help Filing Back Taxes from Non-Filer Assistance Lawyers and CPAs in San Bernardino, CA
Did you forget to file taxes? There’s no reason to lose another night of sleep worrying about the IRS or the FTB. No matter how overwhelming the situation might feel, our team has the knowledge, tenacity, and experience to help you get caught up on back taxes and put your anxieties to rest. The sooner you take action by contacting our tax office, the sooner we can help you get back on track to compliance.
Get the peace of mind you deserve. For a confidential, reduced-rate consultation about unfiled California or federal taxes, contact the Tax Law Office of David W. Klasing online, or call our San Bernardino tax office at (909) 991-7557. You can also reach our main office by calling (800) 681-1295. Please note that all appointments at our San Bernardino office must be scheduled in advance.
Non-Filer Tax FAQs
There is no substitute for personalized, one-on-one tax guidance from a licensed and qualified professional. However, these general non-filer tax FAQs may help to answer some of your questions, such as:
- Does failure to file an income tax return constitute tax evasion?
- How can a tax attorney or CPA help me re-enter the tax system?
- How many years can an IRS audit go back?
- How will the government force me to file returns?
- What are the common issues that non-filers face?
- What are the penalties for failure to pay employment taxes?
- What is the crime of failure to pay tax, and how is it punished?
- What happens after the IRS identifies me as a non-filer?
- What should I do to re-enter the tax system?
