17-04-2025
What happens if you don't file your taxes? Here's what the law says
If you missed Tuesday's deadline to file your 2024 tax return, they're officially overdue — with some exceptions.
"The Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpayers who missed the filing deadline to submit their tax return as soon as possible,' the Internal Revenue Service said on April 16. "Those who missed the deadline to file, but owe taxes should file timely to avoid additional penalties and interest."
However, Florida taxpayers have a few extra weeks to turn in their taxes. Here's what to know if you haven't filed your taxes yet, including penalties and what steps to take.
For those who missed the April 15 deadline, they will face monetary penalties, including failure-to-file and late-payment penalties.
The failure-to-file penalty applies if the taxpayer doesn't file their tax return by the due date, including extensions. The penalty is 5% of your unpaid taxes each passing month or partial month.
Individuals will be notified by a notice or letter from the IRS.
An additional penalty is the late-payment penalty; that's 0.5% of your unpaid bill for each passing month. It's applied if the taxpayer failed to pay their taxes by the deadline.
If both penalties are factors, the total is capped at 5% per month.
"If your return is more than 60 days late, the minimum failure-to-file penalty is $510 or the entire amount of tax owed, whichever is smaller," Nerdwallet said. "The late-filing penalty maxes out after five months of your return being late, but other penalties and interest may continue to accrue."
In addition to the penalties, interest building on unpaid taxes and lost refunds you could potentially face criminal charges for tax evasion or tax avoidance.
Intuit Turbotax says online that the severity of your refusal will "determine the path the IRS will take."
"If you need to file taxes, but choose not to, the IRS has several means for bringing you to the table," Intuit Turbotax said on its website. "Actions include, but are not limited to, assessing penalties, fines and interest, and assessing tax liens and levies."
Yes, you can. Just be aware of the penalties.
Intuit Turbotax also adds that if you're expecting a refund, there are no penalties or interest charges for filing late; however, filing late will delay your refund and extend the statute of limitations for audits.
According to the IRS, all Floridians, because of hurricanes Helene and Milton last year, do have an extra couple of weeks to file. Officials announced last year that tax deadlines for people in the 51 counties under a state of emergency during Hurricane Milton would be pushed back to May 1 of this year. They've updated that message to say the automatic extension is extended to all Floridians.
"The IRS automatically gives taxpayers whose address of record is in a disaster-area locality more time to file returns and pay taxes," the IRS said. "Taxpayers get the extra time without having to ask for it."
Intuit TurboTax shares three steps you can take to put yourself in a better position if you didn't file your taxes by the deadline:
Step 1 – Check to see if an extension applies. Even if you didn't request a six-month filing extension, you still might have more time to file. This includes the extension for Floridians impacted by natural disasters.
Step 2 – File your tax return and pay your taxes. If no extension applies, file your return as soon as possible. If you owe the IRS, this will stop additional penalties and interest from being tacked on to your tax bill. If you can't pay the full amount, pay what you can now or consider setting up a payment plan with the IRS or other ways to pay your taxes over time (a few options are discussed below).
Step 3 – Seek waiver of penalties and interest. If you qualify, the IRS can waive penalties for filing your return or paying taxes late in some cases.
You can track your refund using the IRS's "Where's my refund?" search tool or the IRS2GO mobile app. You'll need your Social Security number or individual taxpayer ID number, filing status, and refund amount on your return to check.
If you file (or have filed) electronically and choose direct deposit, your refund will probably be issued within 21 days, the IRS says. If you mail a paper return, expect your return to take longer.
These dates all depend on whether your filing is accurate and complete. Here's when your refund status will appear:
24 hours after you e-file a current-year return
3 or 4 days after you e-file a prior-year return
4 weeks after you file a paper return
According to the IRS, here's what your status means:
Return Received: We received your return and are processing it.
Refund Approved: We approved your refund and are preparing to issue it by the date shown.
Refund Sent: We sent the refund to your bank or you in the mail. It may take 5 days for it to show in your bank account or several weeks for your check to arrive in the mail.
Contributing: Sarah Moore, Lansing State Journal
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Tax Day 2025: Missed the deadline? Steps to take; Florida extension
