Will I Go to Jail for Doing My Taxes Wrong?

The truth: probably not.

I'll bet that you're a pretty good citizen. You stop at red lights. You put your tray table up when asked. You hold the door for people.

So why do you think you are going to go to jail?

It's not your fault. The IRS hasn't been the best at PR. They are responsible for enforcing the tax law that Congress sets. If you make some honest mistakes, all they ask you to do is pay the taxes you owe (if the mistake ends up in their favor.) If you don't pay, they can garnish your paycheck or you can propose a compromise or payment plan. As you can probably tell, they WANT to work with you.

The IRS is just a group of normal individuals, and their goal is to work with the taxpayer to collect as much as they can of what is legally owed, as quickly as possible.

There is no need to fear the IRS or fear an audit if you are working in good faith and doing your best. If you are worried that your taxes are too complicated to do yourself and you need help, by all means as for the professional help you need so you can minimize any hassle going forward.

Share this on your social media so we can spread the message of de-vilifying the IRS and spreading a message of comfort to our fellow taxpayers.