How long can someone evade paying taxes before the IRS puts them in jail?

http://www.irs.gov/compliance/enforcement/article/0,,id=228089,00.html

Examples of General Fraud Investigations – Fiscal Year 2011

On May 17, 2011, in Raleigh, N.C., Charles Ruffin Poole was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $ 16,629 in restitution for underpaid taxes. In April 2010, Poole pleaded guilty to federal income tax evasion. According to the plea agreement, Poole attempted to evade a portion of his 2005 federal income tax liability by concealing his receipt of $ 30,000 of income he received in connection with his involvement in the financing of a high-end community in Carteret County. In the sentencing, Poole was also held accountable for an additional $ 25,000 he received from the same source, which was also not reported on his tax returns. As part of the

Oklahoma Doctor Sentenced for Tax Evasion

On May 6, 2011, in Tulsa, Okla., William Edward Clymer, a doctor located in Pawnee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $ 350,793 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). He was also ordered to cooperate with the IRS in filing his 2003-2005 taxes. On January 3, 2011, Clymer pleaded guilty to tax evasion for calendar year 2003. Clymer admitted he committed tax evasion by filing a false tax return for 2003, which falsely understated his taxable income and tax due. The government alleged that Clymer had failed to comply with his tax obligations from 2000 to the present.

Brothers Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud the IRS

On February 17, 2011, in Minneapolis, Minn., brothers Joseph and John Riley were each sentenced to 42 months in prison and each received a $ 250,000 fine and were ordered to pay all taxes and penalties owed to the IRS for a tax evasion scheme that involved concealing income they and many of their employees received from their road construction business. According to court documents, the brothers own Riley Bros. Companies, Inc., a holding company that owns 100 percent of Riley Bros. Construction as well as a number of other companies in whole or in part. Between 1984 and 2003, the Riley’s conspired to defraud the U.S. by concealing income earned by Riley Bros. Companies, Inc. and evaded paying income taxes, social security taxes, Medicare taxes, and unemployment taxes. The Riley’s also used unreported company income to pay for their personal expenses.
Hope that you find the above enclosed information useful. 06/05/2011

The IRS matches reported income with tax returns about a year after the end of the tax year. If they reckon that you owe, they prepare a substitute return and send you a bill for the tax that they figure that you owe. With 1099 income they would not have any information on business expenses so the bill would be based upon their gross receipts. That’s usually enough to jump start a lazy individual into filing their returns. If it does not work, the IRS will start enforced collection procedures in a few months.

Just because that clown claims that he’s made half a million a year and paid no taxes does not make it so. He’s feeding you a complete line of BS.

And the punishment for not filing is usually just a fine. Jail or prison is usually used only in cases where the person files something that is false.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/09/entertainment/main7132784.shtml

But most folks face stiff penalties, and some do get jail.

http://thenextweb.com/shareables/2011/02/21/facebook-photos-sends-women-to-jail-for-tax-fraud/

http://dailycaller.com/2011/01/13/congressmans-wife-sentenced-to-jail-for-tax-fraud

http://www.taxhelpattorney.com/articles/jail-time.html

Between $ 13 and $ 16 billion dollars of EIC fraud happened last year and with the current political climate, anyone prosecuted for EIC fraud is not going to find much sympathy from a jury. You really don’t want to be that person do you?

Do yourself a favor and keep your tax return legal.

I have never heard on anyone going to jail for EIC, and if you read the cases that ended up going to trial they are usually for fraud over $ 25,000 and most often over a $ 100,000. In other words you really have to work hard to jail for tax crimes. Most sentences are for one and half to 5 years. The IRS isn’t interested in putting someone in jail for a few months.

But we would need alot more info to give you any more info.

The IRS will work out a payment plan with you Dad.
Debtors jail isn’t as popular as it used to be.

The IRS has their ways of collecting back taxes from recalcitrant taxpayers. They can confiscate bank accounts, property, accounts receivable, investments, attach wages, etc. They have no interest in sending a non-payer to prison since prison wages are so low that they’ll collect little if anything from him while he is incarcerated. They would much rather he be on the outside earning money that they can confiscate and apply to the debt.