It's true that they don't usually give out long prison terms for making small mistakes. That's not what I said. What I said was that the potential exists. If you've ever had an audit by the IRS you'd know that even if they find a small mistake on your tax filings they carry a potential prison term. Potential. This freaks people out and they makes them spend tons of money to defend themselves from audits. Why do they try to frighten people like that? Yes I'm speaking from experience. I watched my parents go through audits for three years in row because of some stupid computer program that said they were high risk. Each time they had to spend a ton of money to defend themselves. Not to mention having a team of IRS agents in their place of business for weeks looking through all of their files. Why, because even a small mistake has a potential prison term. They did nothing wrong. Tampa just because you've never had the experience doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Get your head out of your ass.
They spent more money than they made defending themselves legally. Why? Because they thought that they might get fined? Noone is going to spend so much money to defend themselves if all their facing is a small fine. It's because of the potential prison term why they took the extra precautions. Is that fair? Does the IRS give you the money back that you spent on your defense if they decide there hasn't been an error? Nope.
Do they pay you back for lost business during the time they made your place look like a fvcking huge drug bust when they find there's nothing wrong with your filing? Nope.
okwon, Right on, man! Tampa, sorry, but you are god damn pathetic! :-/ Bush's next mission should be to overthrow the IRS regime! PP
I'm stumped - are you boys simply ignorant, or do you enjoy fabricating things? No one, I repeat, no one has ever faced a long or a short prison term for making a small mistake while filing their income taxes. Only those convicted of fraud - the willful attempt, with malice and forethought, to defraud the government - could result in a prison term. You boys disgust me. Your disregard for the truth, your willingness to lie, and clumsy attempts to get out from underneath the facts when they do not support your narrow minded views is appalling.
It's very possible that a mistake on your taxes can be viewed as a willful attempt to defraud the government. Try talking to an attorney that represents people getting audited. Fabricating? Why is it so hard for you to accept that stuff like this happens? It happened. Sorry to let you down. I think you're the ignorant one. You assume that what you know is all there is. Sorry, but that's not the case. What narrow minded view? I wasn't one of the people arguing for lower taxes. Believe whatever you want I don't really care anymore.
Regarding federal income tax, a person shouldn't just read this statement above. They should decode it first from legalese, to english. In legalese... "source", has a certain meaning. Learn that meaning, and you will be liberated. The above is not tax advice.