What Are the Different Types of Tax Penalties?

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Tax penalties are a common consequence for failing to comply with the rules and regulations of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Depending on the severity of the violation, taxpayers may be subject to different types of tax penalties.

The most common type of penalty is a failure-to-file penalty. This penalty applies when a taxpayer fails to file their tax return by the due date or extended due date. The amount of this penalty is usually 5% of any unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a return is late, up to 25%.

Another type of tax penalty is called failure-to-pay. This penalty applies when taxes are owed but not paid by the due date or extended due date. The amount of this penalty is usually 0.5% per month, up to 25%.

In addition, taxpayers may also be subject to an accuracy-related penalty if they understate their income or overstate their deductions on their tax returns. This type of penalty can range from 20% - 40% depending on how much was understated or overstated and whether it was done intentionally or unintentionally.

Finally, there are also other types of penalties such as fraud penalties which can be imposed if someone knowingly files false information on their tax return; civil fraud penalties which can be imposed if someone willfully attempts to evade paying taxes; and criminal penalties which can include fines and/or imprisonment for those who commit serious offenses such as filing false returns or evading payment altogether.

Taxpayers should always strive to remain compliant with IRS regulations in order to avoid any potential tax penalties that could arise from noncompliance. It’s important for taxpayers to understand what types of violations could result in various levels of taxation so they can take steps towards avoiding them altogether.
 
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