MMML, how on earth did you get away with not doing your taxes?

BubblyToes

Aren't you an attorney? 

stillhoping

hell politicians do not do their taxes so an attorney should have no problem getting away with that

 

marrymemylove

I didn't do anything to get away with it. I just did not lodge them. No one ever asked for proof I'd done them. The IRS never wrote to me saying I should have done them, t hey have better things to do with their time.

You don't have to do anything except risk an audit one day.

As a foreigner who no longer lives there and who wouldn't owe anything anyway (and my visa should make that clear to the IRS, they'd know I only had my wage)...I'm not a good target for scrutiny.

now if I had investment properties and trust funds it would be different. 

Mrs.JDD

Belle4KP:

hell politicians do not do their taxes so an attorney should have no problem getting away with that

 

 

Politicians, the Treasury Secretary.......If these people don't have to worry about it, why do I bother doing mine??

marrymemylove

It's all about what will happen to you if you don't.

IF you are not going to owe anything all you're doing is giving up refunds and risking the hassle of an audit one day.

Those in power who didn't do their taxes almost always OWE the IRS, which is a BAD reason not to do taxes, then it is worth their while to nail you one of these days. 

KoriBrett

My freak of a MIL hasn't done hers in 9 years now. ?She has $$$$ coming back to her, even after the late penalties. ?And she is so broke she was returning bottles for grocery money. ?Yet she won't do them. ?DH loaded every year of TurboTax on her computer and I called the IRS to get forms for her past w2s. ?Nada. ?

It's easy to not do them if they owe you $. ?If you owe the gov't, that's another story.

stillhoping

well, I do mine because the lovely government likes to take 20% of dh income from his pay checks, we hit pay day come tax time. They do that because he gets a great deal of commission and they treat it like a bonus.

amanda&rob

Belle4KP:

hell politicians do not do their taxes so an attorney should have no problem getting away with that

 

Amen!

summerbrideDC

the whole "it's all about not getting caught" makes my skin crawl. ?I know I'm a bleeding heart and I guess someone who's not a citizen could probably give a rat's _ass about paying back into our system, but IMO, if you used any public services while living in our country (like walking on a freaking sidewalk), you owe taxes. ?

Oh well. ?Who knows. Maybe not doing your taxes actually meant our government got to keep more of your money than they would have otherwise. ?I guess if you don't do your taxes, you never know if you were going to get a return or not. ??

marrymemylove

Sarah I make you look like a fascist in terms of politics. I am sooo far to the left of you.

Yeah I couldn't be bothered. But also I only didn't bother because I knew they owed me not the other way round. I didn't care enough about the money to bother to get it back. Lucky for the US taxpayer imho.

Now tax cheats who don't lodge in order to hide income is another story all together. 

wellfleet04

Ditto summerbride.  I definitely don't think it is anything to be proud of.  It's unethical, whether or not you owed.  And it just annoys me that you didn't do it because you had a newborn, a toddler, etc.  Plenty of people have similar and much greater hardships and manage to get it done.  Oh well, I guess that probably makes me uptight, but whatever.

marrymemylove

I never said I was proud of it, but I'm not ashamed either. Plenty of worse cases of not paying tax (like where they actually OWED).

Big deal. The world goes on. I'm just kind of amused that bubbly thinks you have to lodge a ofrm to get permission to not lodge them :-) or that being an attorney makes a difference.  Nowhere do I have to swear as attorney that I will always file my taxes on time. If I did, I probably would have done it.

And it isn't JUST about getting caught, its also about the morality. If you owe them you should pay for both reasons. If you don't owe then it really is no skin off your nose, or the IRS whether I lodge or not. I take the risk of audit and late fees, that's my decision.

KoriBrett

I think the point of you being an atty was more along the lines of "you studied law you ass, you should know better" than anything else.

cooker71

KoriBrett:

I think the point of you being an atty was more along the lines of "you studied law you ass, you should know better" than anything else.

::sprays water across the room::?

BubblyToes

KoriBrett:

I think the point of you being an atty was more along the lines of "you studied law you ass, you should know better" than anything else.

Yes, that would be it. 

marrymemylove

Alternatively Kori I know the penalties, so if I take the risk wtf do you care? That only applies of course if I'm not owing.

I think bubly just has a sweet idea that attorneys are somehow bound to obey regulations more than other people. If only she knew how many judges I know who get done for jaywalking in front of the court! 

Isabella T.

I've read several things on these boards over the years that make me cringe, but MMML not paying her taxes while in our country turns my stomach.

You sound so very proud of yourself. You sound so high and mightly about it. You should be ashamed.

KoriBrett

Jane, I don't care. ?Merely clarifying and taking one for the team by saying it so she didn't have to. ?

Totally unrelated, you seem to be a heck of a lot happier since you got out of NYC - I'm glad you're doing a bit better.

cooker71

marrymemylove:

I think bubly just has a sweet idea that attorneys are somehow bound to obey regulations more than other people. If only she knew how many judges I know who get done for jaywalking in front of the court!?

Pretty sure "promotion of unlawful conduct" is a standard in most ethical codes for attorneys.

Zenya

Isabella T.:

I've read several things on these boards over the years that make me cringe, but MMML not paying her taxes while in our country turns my stomach.

she did pay.  She just didn't file so she didn't get her return.  She is owed money by the govt (if I am reading correctly).

anyway I think it's dumb.  Who doesn't file taxes?

 

 

cooker71

Ha. I mean NOT promoting unlawful conduct.

marrymemylove

Thanks Kori, more than a bit better. Though our lasts year in NYC was by far the best, it was awesome. After 2 years of hating my job and an ovelapping 18 months of being sick to hell of parenthood, I found an activity and schedule that suited us all, including DS.

Still it is especially nice to be near family again. And thankfully taxes here are super simple :-)  

summerbrideDC

MMML, I love how you feel the need to make comparisons b/t you and I just to find some way to be disparaging towards me. ?You actually know very little about my political/social views, so please let's try not to throw me into the "facist" pile by comparison to yours. ?That's absurd, even if it is an exercise in hyperbole.?

Not filing your taxes is unethical. ?Period. ?Owe/getting back; caught/not caught. ?Unethical. ?

MrsCali_Bride

marrymemylove:

I never said I was proud of it, but I'm not ashamed either.

Yet you still felt the need to brag about it at least twice within the last 24 hours.  Sounds like you're proud of it to me.

Zenya:

Isabella T.:

I've read several things on these boards over the years that make me cringe, but MMML not paying her taxes while in our country turns my stomach.

she did pay.  She just didn't file so she didn't get her return.  She is owed money by the govt (if I am reading correctly).

anyway I think it's dumb.  Who doesn't file taxes?

Ditto Zenya

Isabella T.

Zenya:

Isabella T.:

I've read several things on these boards over the years that make me cringe, but MMML not paying her taxes while in our country turns my stomach.

she did pay.  She just didn't file so she didn't get her return.  She is owed money by the govt (if I am reading correctly).

anyway I think it's dumb.  Who doesn't file taxes?

 

Thanks Zenya ~ appreciate the clarification.

 

 

hopefulmom

There are a lot of people who do not file taxes who are actually citizens of the USA.  You would be surprised.  If the government owes them money...and they don't file they don't get it.  The government holds lots and lots of money that is owed to citizens, much less foreigners.  I'm happy when someone is owed but don't request a refund.  Non-residents could give a sh!t what happens is someone else's country...that is one of the problems I have with people from foreign countries coming here.  They have no loyalty to the USA...so I'd rather they didn't even come.  Not talking about MMML since she is no longer here.