What Happens If I Don’t Pay My Taxes On Time?

Tax Day is April 18th, 2022. What happens if you miss the deadline? Will you have to pay a fine? Or worse, could you be accused of committing a tax crime?

What Happens When You Miss the Tax Filing Deadline

In most cases, you’ll have to pay a late penalty if you submit your taxes after the deadline. This can quickly add up, and once you are over two months late, you may be required to pay a penalty of up to 100%.

You can take specific actions to avoid penalties, pay in installments, or extend your deadline. Click here for more information from the IRS.

Failure To Pay

Failure to pay taxes is a white-collar criminal offense. You could be charged with tax fraud or tax evasion. Simply missing the tax deadline is usually not enough to bring someone under investigation for this serious offense.

However, you may be charged if the IRS has evidence that:

• You willfully did not pay your taxes
• You have no intention of paying your taxes
• You intentionally deceived the IRS

If found guilty of tax fraud, you face:

• Five years in prison
• Around $100,000 in fines
• Penalty payments

Tax Errors

If you did submit your taxes on time but made errors in your reporting, you may also be required to pay a penalty. However, if the IRS believes that the errors were intentional in order to pay less or receive a higher return, you may face tax crime charges.

Miami Tax Fraud Defense Attorneys

If you miss the filing deadline or have otherwise made errors on your official tax documents, don’t panic. The IRS accounts for a level of human error and will not pursue criminal charges for people who make innocent mistakes. However, if the IRS believes that you have acted with intent to deceive them, you could face serious charges and consequences. Get the help of our experienced team at Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A.. Call today at (305) 670-9919 or request a consultation online.