If your income falls under the tax bracket, you are obligated to pay taxes. Not paying taxes or withholding your income can result in various legal consequences, including heft fines and even jail. Even after the enforcement of such strict laws, there are many people who do not file their taxes.
There are various reasons why people do not file, and you might be surprised to know them. However, it is strongly recommended not to follow these people and file your taxes on time every year with the help of an Atlanta sales tax professional.
Popular reasons why people do not file or fall behind on taxes
- Laziness.
Yes, laziness is one of the top reasons people do not file. Paying taxes is not like paying your credit card bills. The process is more complicated and requires hours of your time. This is why many people seem to leave it at the last moment or do not file at all. It is quite easy for a person to forget about it and leave it for the next year. However, they can get into trouble with the IRS if someone investigates the situation.
- Forgetfulness.
Forgetfulness is quite similar to laziness but a separate reason for not filing. Laziness involves being aware of the situation and still not filing. On the other hand, forgetfulness involves not filing because they forgot about it. This means that they would have filed if they had known. However, this is not a reasonable reason to give to the IRS, and they probably won’t forgive you for being irresponsible.
- Confusion.
The tax filing process is undoubtedly complex, and for an inexperienced person, it is completely natural to be confused. You may be confused about selecting the right form, the information you are supposed to fill in, and the deadlines to submit.
You are responsible for reporting about all of your incomes, which can be tricky. If you fail to include one income, you could be accused of under-reporting income which is a crime. Again, being confused about the process is not a good enough reason not to file. You must get help from other people or professionals when you face trouble, instead of not filing at all.
- Death of the taxpayer of the family.
When the taxpayer of the family dies, it is understandable to delay the filing of a tax return. Because of the gravity of the situation, the IRS allows some leniency and extends the filing date. The same applies to serious illnesses, such as cancer.
