Tuesday, April 23, 2024

What Happens If You Pay State Taxes Late

Don't Miss

State Failure To File Penalties

Many states have tax penalties that are similar to the IRSs. Most states have civil tax penalties for failing to file an individual tax return. For example, in similarity to the IRS, NY state, CA , and PA charge 5% per month on a tax balance when you fail to file a tax return. Virginias FTF penalty is 6% per month, but only if your tax return is more than six months late. Some states charge a failure to file penalty even if you do not owe anything. At any rate, failing to file a state tax return will lead to FTF penalties in most cases whether it is individual, corporate, sales, or capital gains tax.

It’s Better To File Late Than Not At All

You might be thinking, âIf Iâve already missed the deadline, whatâs a few more weeks?â But the sooner you submit your tax return, the better . So do your best to file the next day or soon thereafter.

If you earn $73,000 or less per year, you can file your return online using one of the IRSâ free federal tax filing options, which provides complimentary tax-preparation software. If you earn more than $73,000, you can still file online using the IRSâ free electronic forms, but youâll need some tax-prep knowledge if you choose to go this route.

Who Has To Make Quarterly Estimated Tax Payments

Self-employed individuals will need to make quarterly estimated tax payments if they expect to owe at least $1,000 in taxes.

Not all freelancers and independent contractors actually have to pay quarterly. If you freelance part-time or as a side hustle, you could be in the clear.

Not sure if that applies to you? Find out if you should even be worrying about estimated payments using our free estimated tax calculator.

Recommended Reading: Can You File Taxes Before Feb 12

When You Owe The Irs Money

If you owe the IRS money from 2021 and you’re late with your tax return, you’ll be penalized for submitting your return after the deadline. Specifically, you’ll pay a 5% penalty for each month or partial month your return is late, up to 25%.

You can avoid that penalty, however, by requesting atax extension That will give you six more months to submit your return. If you meet that extended deadline, you won’t be charged the 5% penalty for being late.

But note that if you get an extension, your tax bill itself will still be due by the original filing deadline. If you’re late with that, you’ll be penalized, but to a lesser degree than you would by being late with your return itself.

Do You Have To Pay Quarterly Taxes

Here

We have, in our country, a system of paying taxes known as pay as you go. For most taxpayers, this is handled by their employer through a system of withholding. The burden of being a tax collector falls on the business. They must withhold all payroll taxes and remit them to the IRS on a quarterly basis.

The employee has very little responsibility other than to file a tax return at the end of the year. However, some people are self-employed and therefore not employees. The pay-as-you-go principle still applies to them. Instead of withholding, though, these individuals must make periodic estimated payments.

Related: How Are Businesses Taxed?

Also Check: What Is An Able Account For Taxes

What Happens If You Pay Taxes Late

Throughout the year, you must make estimated tax payments to the IRS, either from automatically withholding them from your paycheck or by manually paying them . When you file your tax return, you’ll discover whether your estimated tax payments were enough to cover what you should’ve paid, or if you paid too much. The former results in a tax bill, and the latter results in a refund.

If you owe taxes, you can make a payment as soon as you’re ready. But if you don’t make a payment, the IRS will send you a notice. And if don’t pay that bill, you’ll receive at least one more notice.

In the meantime, the unpaid taxes will start accruing both penalties and interest. Interest starts accruing on the due date stated on the notice, compounding daily to the unpaid balance. The interest rate has hovered between 3% and 5% in recent years currently, it is 5%. That means if you owe $1,000, you’ll be charged a little more than $4 per month in interest for every month you’re late paying your taxes, in addition to other fees.

You’ll also pay penalties in addition to the interest. Failure-to-pay penalties are 0.5% per month, up to a maximum off 25%, of the unpaid balance.

If you continue avoid paying your tax bill, the unpaid amount could come out of future tax refunds if you’re owed any. Beyond that, the IRS can place a lien on your property and assets. The lien could later become a levy, which means the IRS will seize your property to pay your bill.

Here’s What Happens If You File Taxes Late Or Pay Your Taxes Late

Money, Home and Living Reporter, HuffPost

There used to be a time when I couldnt wait to file my taxes. As a 20-something with little income and tons of tax deductions available , I always received a tax refund. How things have changed.

If youre like me, you usually owe money at tax time these days. And some years, it can be tough to come up with the money by April 15.

But what actually happens if youre late paying your taxes? In short, a whole lotta bad stuff.

Not paying your taxes can have painful consequences in the form of penalty fees, interest charges, federal liens, legal charges filed against you and even seizure of your property, said Riley Adams, a certified public accountant, a senior financial analyst at Entergy and owner of personal finance blog Young and the Invested. Its best not to mess with Uncle Sam. He doesnt often play nice.

So before you think about paying late or worse, filing late learn about the potential consequences.

If youre expecting a tax bill that you cant afford this year, the worst thing you can do is ignore it.

You May Like: What Does Payroll Tax Mean

File An Extension Pay What You Can

Because not filing taxes garners the most severe penalties, the IRS suggests that taxpayers who can’t pay the total amount they expect they owe file their returns anyway or file an extension and pay whatever amount they can afford.

“Taxpayers who are thinking of missing the filing deadline because they can’t pay all of the taxes they owe should consider filing and paying what they can to lessen interest and penalties,” the agency advises.

Taxpayers should make an effort to figure out what they owe and pay what they can, CPAs advise. Eric Bronnenkant, tax head at Betterment, suggests that people use the previous year’s taxes as a starting point for how much they might owe.

“If your prior year is a good barometer for your current year, start with that as a way to come up with some sort of reasonable estimate,” Bronnenkant told CBS News recently. “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good enough.”

Even if you missed the filing deadline, you can avoid future hefty penalties by filing as soon as possible.

“The thing is, per month. Whether you’re one day late or 30 days late, it’s per month,” said Davidoff. “So get that return done by May 15. And even if you can’t pay, you’ll at least have the return filed by that date.”

If You’re Owed A Federal Tax Refund You Wont Have To Pay A Penalty

According to TurboTax, one of the great little secrets about the federal tax law is that you wont face a penalty for not filing your tax return by the deadline if you are owed a tax refund. H& R Block adds that you wont pay a penalty on late tax returns if youre serving in the military outside the country or if youre living in a federally declared disaster area.

Don’t Miss: How Much Taxes Come Out Of Paycheck

The Short Answer: You’ll Owe The Irs Even More

Each year, most Americans who file tax returns wind up getting a refund from the IRS. But if you’re in that minority of folks who end up owing money, you’ll need to get that bill settled up by the tax filing deadline to avoid penalties.

This year, the tax filing deadline for 2017 returns is April 17. Notice that we all get a few extra days this year, since April 15 falls on a Sunday and Monday, April 16 is Emancipation Day, a D.C. holiday that pushes the deadline to Tuesday. This means if you owe the IRS any amount on your taxes, you need to get that bill settled by April 17 to avoid a penalty — or you’ll be charged interest on any unpaid taxes owed to the IRS past that point.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

Important Property Tax Collection Dates

In What Happens If You Dont Pay Property Taxes in Texas This Year, we provided a property tax assessment and penalty timeline. It gives an overview of key property tax laws and deadlines for paying property taxes late from the Texas Comptrollers Office. Here are a few dates to remembergoing forward.

Appraisals are completed during this time.

Tax bills will start being mailed to property owners.

Property taxes are due.

Property tax bills are considered late, and Taxing Authorities start charging penalties and interest, which begins at 7%

Taxing units tack on more tax penalty fees for legal costs that stem from the collection of your delinquent tax bill.

Also Check: What Is The Website To Pay Federal Taxes

What Day Is The Last Day You Can File Your Taxes

If your tax year ends on December 31st, the tax deadline for filing tax returns is usually April 15th every year. If the envelopes are appropriately sent, your declaration will be deemed to have been submitted on time. This is because it was entirely frank, postmarked, and deposited at the post office on time.

For electronic submissions, the date and time of the return submission in the time zone determine the timeliness of the return. Later, you will receive an electronic confirmation that the IRS has accepted the electronically submitted returns.

This period is commonly referred to as tax season.

Other Consequences For Paying Taxes Late In 2022

Delinquent Taxes [INFOGRAPHIC] How To Pay Off Or File Late Taxes

If you don’t pay taxes, sometimes the IRS will summon you to a local office to confirm your information. You may be asked to bring your tax documentation and file a tax return in person.

If you owe at least $54,000 , the government won’t issue you a passport or renew your passport.

In some cases, the IRS may transfer your account to a private collections company. While nobody likes dealing with government bureaucracy, collections companies are typically much more unpleasant to work with and use far more aggressive tactics to get you to pay up.

Also Check: How Much Of Your Taxes Are Returned

Failure To File And Failure To Pay Penalties

Under the provisions of G.S. § 105-236, both the late filing and late payment penalties can be applied for the same month. If the return is filed late with net tax due, both the late filing and late payment penalties will be assessed at the same time. Net tax due is the amount of tax required to be shown on the return less any timely payments of the tax and allowable credits.

Returns filed after the due date are subject to a failure to file penalty of 5% of the net tax due for each month, or part of a month, the return is late , If the return is filed under an extension, the late filing penalty will be assessed from the extended filing date rather than from the original due date.

The late payment penalty is 10% of the tax not paid by the original due date of the return. Returns filed after the original due date are subject to a late payment penalty. From January 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022, the applicable rate is 10 percent regardless of how late the tax is paid. Beginning July 1, 2022, the applicable rate is 2 percent for each month, or part of a month, that the payment is late .

On an amended return, the late payment penalty will not be assessed if the amount shown due on the amended return is paid when the return is filed. A proposed assessment of additional tax due is subject to the late payment penalty if payment of the tax is not received within 45 days of the date of the notice of proposed assessment.

How We Calculate The Penalty

We calculate the Failure to File Penalty based on how late you file your tax return and the amount of unpaid tax as of the original payment due date . Unpaid tax is the total tax required to be shown on your return minus amounts paid through withholding, estimated tax payments and allowed refundable credits.

We calculate the Failure to File Penalty in this way:

  • The Failure to File Penalty is 5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a tax return is late. The penalty won’t exceed 25% of your unpaid taxes.
  • If both a Failure to File and a Failure to Pay Penalty are applied in the same month, the Failure to File Penalty is reduced by the amount of the Failure to Pay Penalty for that month, for a combined penalty of 5% for each month or part of a month that your return was late.
  • If after 5 months you still haven’t paid, the Failure to File Penalty will max out, but the Failure to Pay Penalty continues until the tax is paid, up to its maximum of 25% of the unpaid tax as of the due date.
  • If your return was over 60 days late, the minimum Failure to File Penalty is $435 or 100% of the tax required to be shown on the return, whichever is less.

Read Also: Do I File Taxes For Unemployment

Drivers License Suspension Or Not

If you do not pay your taxes in some states, you could lose your driver’s license. In fact, , Kentucky, New York, California, Massachusetts, Louisiana, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Iowa, and the District of Columbia, all have programs that lead to drivers license suspensions for unpaid taxes. Many states will reinstate your license for paying a certain percentage of your balance, while others have different requirements to get it back.

If You Can’t Pay Your Taxes

If you can’t pay your taxes, the first thing you need to do is call the IRS. They want to collect from you, not punish you. You may be eligible to set up a payment plan called an installment agreement. This allows you to make monthly payments toward what you owe in taxes and avoid the risk of a lien, a levy, or jail time.

The IRS may require you to pay a certain amount of your tax liability before it agrees to an installment agreement. Additionally, you’ll still owe penalties and interest, but the penalty rate is a little lower for people on a payment plan than it is for people who aren’t.

Because some states assess higher penalties and interest rates than others, you may want to pay off your state and local taxes first, then move on to federal taxes. Talk to your state’s department of revenue for more information.

If you miss a payment on the installment agreement, then you’ll owe the whole payment as a lump sum, including penalties and interest.

You May Like: Is Doordash Worth It After Taxes

If You Can’t Pay Your Bill

If you’re unable to cover your tax bill, you may have options, such as a long-term payment plan through the IRS known as an installment agreement. But you must be up to date on all returns, and can’t owe more than $50,000 including tax, penalties and interest.

Other options may include an offer in compromise for taxpayers with financial difficulties, allowing you to settle with the IRS for less than you owe, or “currently not collectible” status, where the agency temporarily stops trying to collect. But you must meet specific criteria for each one to qualify.

Penalties For Not Filing Or Paying Taxes

Why is this important? The penalties for not filing a tax return are almost always more severe than those for not paying the tax. There are no real consequences for not filing an estimated tax form itself. Keep in mind that the federal government and various state and local jurisdictions all have different, specific rules in this regard. For purposes of this discussion we will focus on the IRS.

In general, the IRS penalties are as follows :

  • Failure to file a tax return can result in a penalty of 5% of the tax not paid for each month or part of a month that the return is late up to a maximum of 25%. If fraud is involved, the penalty is more severe.
  • Failure to pay the tax can result in a penalty of 0.5% of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that the tax remains unpaid up to a maximum of 25%. Again, fraud is more severe.
  • There is no penalty for not filing or paying an estimated tax payment. However, when a tax return is filed, and it is established that there has been an underpayment of taxes because of insufficient tax withholdings or estimated payments, the IRS can assess interest penalties on the amount of the underpayment.

Again, these are general rules. A competent tax professional can advise on specific situations. The point is clear, however, if you dont pay your taxes on time, the taxing agency involved can charge penalties and/or interest on the amount owed until it is paid.

Read Also: How To Claim Dependents On Taxes

More articles

Popular Articles