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The IRS cannot and will not put people in jail for unpaid taxes. Please do not spread false information.

by genericresponse 13y ago

__underscore__ 13y ago
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone
- tptacek 13y ago
  Capone was indicted for tax fraud, not for simply failing to pay his taxes.
ChuckMcM 13y ago
Capone - evasion Wesley Snipes - failure to pay Nicolas Cage - threatened Willy Nelson - threatened ( I think he got probation ) Generally the pattern is very similar, taxes don't get paid, there is some reasoning on the part of the taxpayer why they didn't pay their tax, they are charged with evasion and work from there. This is because typically people who owe taxes they don't have the money to pay, don't file a tax return, which is the minimum definition of "evasion" according to my CPA friends. I am much less familiar with people who file a tax return, indicate they owe more than has been withheld, and then just let it go at that. I don't doubt they are out there but I just haven't seen the details of any cases like that (would be interested though if they are out there, searching the web hasn't turned up much, the IRS suggests you talk to them [1], they don't go into 'you talked to us and still won't pay') [1] http://www.irs.gov/uac/Failure-to-File-or-Pay-Penalties:-Eight-Facts http://www.irs.gov/uac/Failure-to-File-or-Pay-Penalties:-Eig...
- tedunangst 13y ago
  All examples of people who claimed to owe less than they did. You need to provide an example of "I owe $10000; I don't have it" going to prison. Re: [1], at some point they start freezing assets and collecting the owed amount on their own, but you remain free to walk the streets.
  - ChuckMcM 13y ago
    I'm looking for that exemplar (someone who filed a tax return saying they owed more than they paid, and didn't pay anyway). The common cases seem to be, as you point out as well, either a tax return that justifies not paying the tax via some sort of reasoning, or simply not filing.
mmariani 13y ago
Not true. Ask Lauryn Hill. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/04/showbiz/lauryn-hill-released-prison/ http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/04/showbiz/lauryn-hill-releas...
- tedunangst 13y ago
  "Hill pleaded guilty last year to three counts of failing to file tax returns on more than $1.8 million between 2005 and 2007." Not filing your taxes is a step beyond not paying your taxes.

The IRS cannot and will not put people in jail for unpaid taxes. Please do not spread false information.

__underscore__ 13y ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Capone

tptacek 13y ago
Capone was indicted for tax fraud, not for simply failing to pay his taxes.

ChuckMcM 13y ago

Capone - evasion Wesley Snipes - failure to pay Nicolas Cage - threatened Willy Nelson - threatened ( I think he got probation ) Generally the pattern is very similar, taxes don't get paid, there is some reasoning on the part of the taxpayer why they didn't pay their tax, they are charged with evasion and work from there. This is because typically people who owe taxes they don't have the money to pay, don't file a tax return, which is the minimum definition of "evasion" according to my CPA friends. I am much less familiar with people who file a tax return, indicate they owe more than has been withheld, and then just let it go at that. I don't doubt they are out there but I just haven't seen the details of any cases like that (would be interested though if they are out there, searching the web hasn't turned up much, the IRS suggests you talk to them [1], they don't go into 'you talked to us and still won't pay') [1] http://www.irs.gov/uac/Failure-to-File-or-Pay-Penalties:-Eight-Facts http://www.irs.gov/uac/Failure-to-File-or-Pay-Penalties:-Eig...

tedunangst 13y ago
All examples of people who claimed to owe less than they did. You need to provide an example of "I owe $10000; I don't have it" going to prison. Re: [1], at some point they start freezing assets and collecting the owed amount on their own, but you remain free to walk the streets.
- ChuckMcM 13y ago
  I'm looking for that exemplar (someone who filed a tax return saying they owed more than they paid, and didn't pay anyway). The common cases seem to be, as you point out as well, either a tax return that justifies not paying the tax via some sort of reasoning, or simply not filing.

mmariani 13y ago

Not true. Ask Lauryn Hill. http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/04/showbiz/lauryn-hill-released-prison/ http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/04/showbiz/lauryn-hill-releas...

tedunangst 13y ago
"Hill pleaded guilty last year to three counts of failing to file tax returns on more than $1.8 million between 2005 and 2007." Not filing your taxes is a step beyond not paying your taxes.