You are required to file tax returns. If you do not file a tax return, the Internal Revenue Service could file a substitute return for you. You can be subject to substantial financial penalties and even criminal consequences if you do not file.
If you have returns that have not been filed from past years, or if you are concerned about filing this year when you cannot pay your taxes, you shouldn’t just wait for the IRS to catch up with you. Instead, you should be proactive and get your back taxes filed now.
Knowing how to file back taxes and understanding how to deal with IRS problems once the returns are filed can be complicated. You should seek help for your tax issues from professionals who can advise you on the filing process and help you find a permanent solution to paying off your tax debt once all your returns are filed.
Five Key Reasons to File Back Taxes Today
There are plenty of reasons why it makes sense for you to get help with your back taxes and file your past tax returns today. Five key reasons why you should not wait any longer to file include the following:
- You can avoid criminal consequences: Willful failure to file a tax return is a misdemeanor crime that carries a potential maximum sentence of a year in prison for each un-filed return. If you’re charged with tax evasion you may be found guilty of a felony, which carries harsher sentencing. You can avoid these consequences by coming forward on your own, filing correct tax returns and entering into payment arrangements.
- You can reduce financial penalties: When you fail to file a tax return, the IRS indicates you’ll typically be assessed a penalty of five percent of your unpaid taxes for each month your return is late. The total penalty can be as high as 25 percent of the tax debt that is owed. In addition, you will be charged a late payment penalty of one-half of one percent of the unpaid taxes, with a maximum penalty of 25 percent. If both the failure to file and the failure to pay penalties apply during the same month, then the failure to file penalty is reduced by one-half of one percent each month. You can reduce these penalties by filing and paying your back taxes, sooner rather than later.
- You can obtain both credits and deductions: If the IRS files a Substitute for Return (SFR) because you did not file your own return, the IRS doesn’t include all your deductions and credits. As a result, you will not only owe penalties and interest, but you will also end up owing an inflated amount on your tax bill.
- You can avoid aggressive debt collection tactics: In many cases, the IRS will now outsource collections to private debt collectors, resulting in concerns about aggressive debt collection tactics being used. If you file back taxes and get on a payment plan, you can avoid being harassed by collectors.
- You can get access to options for debt settlement: There are options for settling tax debt and paying less than the amount you would otherwise owe. However, in order to be eligible for any tax debt relief options, you must be in compliance with IRS guidelines. This means back tax returns must have been filed.
These are a few of the many reasons why it makes sense to get Boca Raton back taxes help from East Coast Tax Consulting Group. Call us today at 866-550-7655.