question on taxes (never filing)

I wanted to give an update. I finally had my appointment with my accountant yesterday (not related to this, just end of year tax planning). I did ask at the end of my appointment what happens to people that are 50 and never filed. He said #1 not my problem (which I do know, I think he was worried the same as others here, that I was asking about bending rules on my part, which wasn't the case). After that he said that it wasn't so unusual to have someone turn in their first tax return at 50, he said that the burden of proof falls on the IRS to prove there was income to file (if you gross under like $2000 you don't have to file) and the way they would do that would be bank records (friend has never had a bank account). Of course he was saying that as someone that represents clients for the IRS and some people don't have the luxury of a long time accountant to represent them and maybe the IRS takes a little more lead way when their is no representation by accountant or attorney, no idea and never want to find out!

We never did hire the friend, husband called him just to check on him the other day and he was doing odd jobs here and there. Coincidentally at class today was employee development and relationships and one of the topics was not making employee problems your problems, it's hard when they are friends I suppose (not that he was ever an employee). Should probably stick to hiring people that haven't been friends. It's a hard economy though and when people you know need work the thing you want to do is help. I do have a hard time detaching myself emotionally from business decisions. Working on that!

Thanks again everyone. It was an interesting thread and honestly never had thought about people NOT filing before.

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Idleness is leisure gone to seed

Thanks for the Update.

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We will meet in the golden city, called the New Jerusalem,
All our pain and all our tears will be no more.....

Glad things worked out.

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The three divine teachers of man: worldly calamity, bodily ailment, and unmerited enmity, and there is but through God alone a deliverance from them. Maine Farmer's Almanac

Income tax likely isn't an issue. Payroll (SSI/Medicare) tax would be the real problem.

I've known a lot of folks who didn't file for years, but they all had jobs with withholding taken out.

You could just call the IRS and ask I suppose.

Didn't read all of the posts, but I agree with this