According to a recent news story, professional golfer Jim Thorpe is expected to plead guilty to two counts of failure to pay income taxes at a hearing in Orlando federal court on Sept. 22, 2009.
Thorpe, a more than ten-time winner on the Champions Tour, is accused of failing to file income tax returns and failing to pay more than $1.5 million in federal income taxes over a three-year period. Under the plea, he faces up to one year in prison, probation, and a fine.
Most people who get behind on their taxes don’t owe the millions of dollars that Jim Thorpe does. And the IRS files criminal charges in only a very small percentage of cases—typically high dollar, high profile situations, where the government feels it can make a case that the taxpayer demonstrated intent to cheat the government.
Even though most delinquent taxpayers are not likely to be the subject of criminal prosecution, the IRS takes the issue of delinquent taxes very seriously—whether you owe a few thousand or hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you have not filed tax returns and/or have failed to pay your taxes, you need to take action now. The longer you wait, the worse the situation will become. The licensed tax professionals and case specialists that are part of the JK Harris tax team can help you get on top of the situation, no matter how much you owe.
