Each year, all citizens of America, including California, must submit their tax returns to the federal and state governments. Many Americans become frustrated by the complexity of the American taxpayer system when taxes are due. This is known as tax season. It is tempting to simply forget all about it. Failure to file tax returns can result in severe penalties. Even so, Californians fail to file or forget their taxes every year.
It is common to forget or fail to file taxes. The state and federal governments allow people to apply for extensions to avoid paying late penalties. Many people don’t file taxes, so criminally punishing them all would be very difficult, if it wasn’t impossible. If the government finds out that you haven’t paid your taxes, they can pursue you. The government will usually just ask you to pay what you owe. You are unlikely to be sent to jail if you can pay the money.
If you fail to file taxes for years, your situation could become even more serious. Your penalties could be higher if you fail to file more tax returns. Additional criminal penalties can be imposed for crimes such as tax evasion.
It is not a serious offense to fail to file tax returns even once or twice. If you don’t take action, it can end up costing you dearly in the long term.
This article was written by Alla Tenina. Alla is a top personal injury lawyer in Sherman Oaks CA and the founder of Tenina law. She has experience in bankruptcies, real estate planning, and complex tax matters. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information. This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; the ABA and its members do not recommend or endorse the contents of the third-party sites.
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